Contraception Natural Family Planning

Similarities:
Enable couples to have sexual intercourse while reducing prospect of pregnancy
Differences
Violation of nature Self-Mastery
Physical

1. Chemical ones and IUD are abortifacients 1. No bad physical side effects
2. Most attack a woman’s health; involve ingestion 2. Extremely reliable for preventing pregnancy
of synthetic hormones 3. Used with ecological breastfeeding, promotes
a. Severe side effects important bonding; breastfeeding also reduces
i. Cysts chances of breast cancer
ii. Migraines 4. Deprives woman of sexual intercourse when
iii. Strokes hormones produce greatest sexual desire
b. Common side effects
i. Irritability
ii. Increased propensity to
depression
iii. Weight gain
iv. Reduced Sexual Desire
2. Greater incidence of sexually transmitted
diseases (because of greater sexual activity
outside of marriage)
3. Unreliable for preventing pregnancy
4. Deprives women of hormones that produce
sexual desire

Social
1. Leads to sex outside of marriage 1. Difficult for unmarried to use
2. Increased number of abortions 2. Upon learning NFP sexually activity teenagers
3. Increased number of single parents often stop being sexually active
a. Greater poverty for women and 3. Upon learning NFP cohabiting couples generally
children either split or marry
2. Increased number of children not being cared for 4. Costs nothing to use
by two parents
a. More crime
b. More addiction
c. More depression
3. Expensive
Relational
1. Premature Sexual Activity: heartbreak; loss of 1. Very few NFP marriages end in divorce
trust; loss of self-esteem; STDs 2. Accept “surprise” pregnancies
2. Bad preparation for marriage 3. Better Communication
a. Cohabitation 4. Greater mutual respect
b. Lose critical faculty 5. Greater trust
c. Avoid having crucial conversations 6. Abstinence can be good for couple
d. Marry rather than split up and start all a. Fosters virtue of self-mastery and
over generosity
2. Resent “accidental” pregnancies b. Promotes self-esteem
3. Leads to divorce c. Creates courtship period to be followed
a. Did not choose spouse carefully by honeymoon
b. Don’t experience bonding of non- d. For those who were chaste before
contraceptive sex marriage, recalls joy of courtship
c. Fewer children and later in marriage e. Couples become better lovers: sexual
i. Less reason to stay together act becomes more the result of choice
ii. Don’t acquire virtues than of an urgent need
developed through parenting 2. More tranquil household: good example to
4. More Adultery teenage children
5. Sometimes become materialistic: value material 3. Become less materialistic and more open to new
well-being over more children life
Spiritual
1. Treat fertility as a defect 1. Respect the truth of sexuality and the language
2. Shut God out of creative arena of the body
3. Resent Church for outdated teaching 2. Become cooperators and co-creators with God
3. Appreciate wisdom of Church