Posted on 07/23/2010 8:23:53 PM PDT by Brian Kopp DPM
Divorce Rate Comparisons Between Couples Using Natural Family Planning & Artificial Birth Control
Posted By Megan Morris On July 19, 2010 @ 2:37 pm In News & Commentary | Comments Disabled
July 19, 2010 (momslikeme.com)
Everyone would agree that divorce is the greatest tragedy that can befall a family. Wouldn’t it be providential if the practice of natural family planning proves to be the authentic means to a successful marriage? Family of the Americas Foundation has just received the completed data collection of a study correlating marital happiness with the practice of Natural Family Planning (NFP). Since the early seventies, [Family of the Americas Foundation] has been conducting programs for couples that provide knowledge on the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s cycle…
For years we have witnessed the benefits our programs have provided to families, not only in Christian countries, but also Moslem and even communist nations. Even though numerous scientific evaluations and statistical studies have confirmed its effectiveness, even superior to artificial birth control, we have never been able to validate the incredible benefits to the family that our teachers have been observing for many years.
Last year a scientific survey was conducted under the direction of a reputable independent statistician, Dr. Robert Lerner. He is a Sociologist from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics. The protocol stipulated that he would not only evaluate the findings, but also compare them to two of the largest U.S. government funded surveys that asked similar questions of the respondents.
The results presented from the three surveys analyzed revealed that compared to other women in general and to Catholic women of similar age, NFP users:
The Natural Family Planning group studied consists of the typical middle class families of the United States of America, primarily Catholic, with small minority of Protestant and Evangelical. From this first study, however, (others need to be conducted to confirm our findings), we can ascertain that Natural Family Planning may become the major vindicator…of respecting the natural laws. It promises to be the best safeguard for the family against divorce. Divorce… fractures the family and creating conflict among its members…the consequences of violating the natural laws through the use of artificial birth control, sterilization and abortion…usually lead to promiscuity, cohabitation and ultimately divorce.
The report confirms the practice of a natural method of conception regulation (Natural Family Planning).
This study presents results from a survey of 505 couples that have been practicing Natural Family Planning, primarily the Ovulation Method, through the teachers of Family of the Americas Foundation. They are based on the first-ever survey of its kind. It examined the types of persons and the impact learning Natural Family Planning has made in their family life, as well as sexual and moral attitudes.
More studies are appearing from around the world regarding the estrogen pollution of waterways from chemical birth control, and its adverse effects, at least on various fish populations.
Most people oppose environmental pollution, but seldom think about the chemical pollution they inflict on their own bodies.
It is well documented that long-term exposure to estrogen may have a carcinogenic effect on the human body. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists most estrogens as carcinogenic substances.
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an all-natural, body-friendly method of avoiding – or causing – pregnancy through a 98% effective 3-pronged plan of fertility awareness.
For many women, being aware of the power of their fertility is a very “freeing” sensation, as opposed to the “bondage” of chemical birth control methods that suppress normal body functions
Awesome site: http://www.physiciansforlife.org/content/view/193/36/ [1]
Would it really have needed to? I daresay most Catholics who get annulments do so because they’re already divorced and want to get married again in the Catholic Church.
**I think from an outsider, more societal point of view, the family breakup is worse.**
I tend to agree with you. My mom and my daughters have expienced miscarriages/death of a child. It is heart wrenching to say the least.
But the loss of a family is community/state/nation wrenching — children have no positive model on which to base their parenting skills when a divorce occurs (provided the divorce did not happen because of abuse to the children or spouse.)
Once you have seen the look on the face of a parent at their child’s funeral, you would have to agree with me.
It is only those people who are disinclined to divorce in the first place who love enough to practice NFP.
I’m not doubting what you say, I also know many dads feel like they’ve lost their kids (and in a sense they sure have) via divorce. They aren’t in your house anymore. They aren’t around. It’s very much like they are gone. On top of that their mom hates you and took half or more of your stuff.
The graph is very interesting, but it doesn’t say anything about the causality between using divorce rates and NFP. As I mentioned in my previous post, those who have stable marriage (i.e., less likely to get divorce) are more likely to use NFP. They are highly correlated, I believe. However, it doesn’t translate to ‘use NFP and you’ll be more likely to have stable marriage, etc.’
nice try
Yes, I would agree that sometimes divorce does cause a portion of the child to die sometimes. And then they never recover the part that was lost.
I would say that those who want to just pop a pill to solve any problem, instead of adjusting their lifestyles are the issue. Which, IMHO, is a shallow way of solving any problem. Which is probably why those who lives are based on faith in God and have examined themselves and truly discovered the true reason they take pills(for any reason) are therefore more content in their marriages. Reasons for taking pills: convenience, promiscuity, availability, culture, resistance to change lifestyle, easy answer, peer pressure, time pressures.... Many of our current health issues are ‘solved’ by popping pills instead of changing behaviors.
Those are two separate things, Secret Agent Man. Annulments, actually Certificates of Nullity, refer to the Catholic marriage, which is one of the seven Sacraments. A Certificate of Nullity is given when a diocesan Tribunal determines, for various reasons, that the conditions for the marriage being sacramental did not occur. This applies in the Church, does not change legal status outside the Church. Divorce/dissolution are changes in legal status, but not recognized as such within the Church without a judgement of the type I described above. And, not trying to be too picky, strictly speaking, the Catholic Church isn’t a denomination(”of the name”). You are correct that none of the denominations (i.e. protestants, et al) have marriage as a sacrament in the same way, as far as I humbly know.
R E Ryder
Department of Endocrinology, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham. During 20-22 September Manchester is to host the 1993 follow up to last year's "earth summit" in Rio de Janeiro. At that summit the threat posed by world overpopulation received considerable attention. Catholicism was perceived as opposed to birth control and therefore as a particular threat. This was based on the notion that the only method of birth control approved by the church--natural family planning--is unreliable, unacceptable, and ineffective. In the 20 years since E L Billings and colleagues first described the cervical mucus symptoms associated with ovulation natural family planning has incorporated these symptoms and advanced considerably. Ultrasonography shows that the symptoms identify ovulation precisely. According to the World Health Organisation, 93% of women everywhere can identify the symptoms, which distinguish adequately between the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. Most pregnancies during trials of natural family planning occur after intercourse at times recognised by couples as fertile. Thus pregnancy rates have depended on the motivation of couples. Increasingly studies show that rates equivalent to those with other contraceptive methods are readily achieved in the developed and developing worlds. Indeed, a study of 19,843 poor women in India had a pregnancy rate approaching zero. Natural family planning is cheap, effective, without side effects, and may be particularly acceptable to the efficacious among people in areas of poverty.
Its a chicken-and-egg argument. In some cases, couples practice NFP because of a deep preexisting commitment to Christian principles.
In some cases, couples practice NFP because of baser motives (couples where the wife almost died from blood clots from the Pill, for instance.)
The deeply committed couples are drawn to NFP, but NFP itself does indeed build relationships and helps them grow deeper.
And last but not least, it is a sacrifice to practice NFP, and God provides Grace to those couples willing to make that sacrifice out of love for Him and His Natural Law.
That Grace builds and saves marriages.
We taught NFP for ten years, and used it briefly when we had grave reason for recourse to it (the only circumstances where NFP is morally licit, as the Church teaches.)
I can state unequivocally that the communication required to successfully practice NFP builds stronger marriages. I saw it in our own marriage, and witnessed it in the dozens of couples we taught over the years.
That will naturally help prevent divorce.
I posted my mom’s humorous observation as an anecdotal ‘first person’ response to NFP. Granted her experience was 50 years ago.
But even in your reply, the quoted piece says, ‘ 93% of women everywhere can identify the symptoms’, the implication is that 7% cannot identify symptoms. Allowing for errors (if we generously say 3%), that means a one-in-ten failure rate. Given the stakes (a human life) I think that that’s a risky game to be playing.
But the bottom line is that it is open to Life, and therefore far more open to God's Will. Especially when compared to barrier and hormonal contraceptives!
In comparison, all barrier methods have a 5 to 15% failure rate and even the Pill is no better than NFP. The Pill and all other hormonal contraceptives are abortifacient, and therefore verboten to any committed Christian, and barrier methods are much less effective than NFP.
So where's the debate for a committed Christian?
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Oh, I missed that. "Her experience" likely refers to the rhythm method then, not NFP. No comparison.
Most pregnancies during trials of natural family planning occur after intercourse at times recognised by couples as fertile...Indeed, a study of 19,843 poor women in India had a pregnancy rate approaching zero.
If poor illiterate women in India can achieve a failure rate approaching zero, think what educated motivated Americans could do.
By the way, I don't like referring to pregnancy while using NFP as a "failure." I see it as God's Will for that couple at that time in their life.
I may be wrong but I believe in order to petition for an annulment in the Catholic Church one must already be civilly divorced.
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