Archive for July, 2010

Natural Family Planning: A Numeric Wake-Up Call

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

This begins the first of seven daily blogs for NFP Awareness Week.

A Numeric Wake-up Call

On May 26, 2010 we received the following message from Dr. Richard Fehring, Professor of Nursing at Marquette University.  It should be a wake-up call for everyone concerned about love, marriage, and sexuality.
     “The National Center for Health Statistics conducts the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) for the purpose of collecting population-based data on factors related to birth and pregnancy rates in the United States.  One of the most important factors related to pregnancy rates is the use of contraceptive methods by women of reproductive age (i.e., 15-44).   The latest NSFG was conducted from 2006-2008 and involved in-person interviews with 13,495 men and women.  Today — May 26, 2010, the first report on this national survey was released for the purpose of providing results collected on the 7,356 women in the study and their use of contraception (W. D. Mosher and J. Jones.  “Use of contraception in the United States: 1982-2008.” Vital and Health Statistics Series 23, Number 29 (2010): 1-77).
     Based on this report, the number of women who reported “current use” of modern methods of NFP (i.e., within the month of interview) was only 0.1% or about 64,000 women.  This number is down from the 0.2% current use reported in the 2002 NSFG or about 124,000 women, the 0.2% (120,000) in 1995, and the 0.3% in 1982 (162,000).”

I recall reading a report of a 1963 survey in which two-thirds of Catholics still accepted Catholic teaching on birth control.  Remember that in 1963 Calendar Rhythm was all that most people had by way of natural family planning, and its users were very likely not to have access to the rules that could make it work for many, many couples.

Since the mid-Sixties there have been significant developments in modern NFP knowledge, and since 1971 there has been a tremendous increase in the number and availability of organized NFP programs.

With all the help being offered, why have the numbers dropped so precipitously?

Tomorrow: The NFP movement 1971-2010: Forty years of near futility.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant
Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach

Natural Family Planning Course Needs to be Complete.

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

NFP International offers the complete approach to natural family planning.  NFP can be taught directly from the NFPI manual.  Thus it can be taught in poor countries where electricity is not always available.  The NFPI manual can also be downloaded for free for the poor.  Free charts are available for anyone at the home page of www.nfpandmore.org.

What is unique about NFP International? 
• It is the only American NFP text that teaches ecological breastfeeding as a form of natural family planning for spacing births. NFPI instruction does not force anyone to breastfeed for any specific duration, but it does empower couples to make a well informed choice.  One can choose only what they know.
• It is the only  American NFP text that uses the simple-to-grasp covenant statement of sexuality to explain and support the teaching of Humanae Vitae
• It is the only American NFP text that teaches the cross-checking signs in such a way that couples can determine the earliest start of Phase 3 consistent with all the evidence.  Thus Phase 3 may start one or two days earlier than with other rules.
• NFPI teaches all the fertility signs and their rules.
• NFPI spends considerable time teaching generosity in having children.
• NFPI teaches how to be chaste during the fertile time when avoiding pregnancy.
• NFPI teaches the need to have a sufficiently serious reason for avoiding pregnancy.
• NFPI teaches what the Catholic Churches teaches about sexuality and explains why the Church does so.
• NFPI believes that most persons of average intelligence can learn natural family planning by reading the NFPI manual.
• NFPI provides a very reasonably priced home study course for learners and engaged persons  preparing for marriage.
• NFPI provides free teacher training for those who are passionate about the NFPI Triple Strand and agree to teach from the NFPI manual.

SOME THANK YOU’S TO NFPI:
I absolutely LOVE your manual.  I am a 40-year-old mother of four (all spaced three years apart by breastfeeding and casual NFP use), and my fertility recently returned after our fourth child.  We have been aware of NFP for 13 years and even charted for the first few years but since our first baby came 10.5 years ago we have been very laid back about it.  With my “ecological” (as you call it) style of nursing we have enjoyed 15-24 months of natural “spacing” after each child, so we were never very serious about it until now. But at this point we wanted to know the method in full detail, and you have really given it to us with this manual.  I understand that some parents might be intimidated by all the rules and details that you present; maybe it was easier for us because I was already familiar with it.  For us though, your book is perfect.  We want ALL the information, and we are not afraid of complexity.  Thank you for giving us what we needed! — Michigan mother

I apologize for not being able to donate even that amount. My fiance’ met with a priest that day and I was in a rush to download it and get started. As a college student..my account was empty as usual…:).  I learned about the site by personally searching for it and advice from a spiritual director. I thought my relationship with the Lord was at its strongest point and that I understood myself as His female image…until I read the NFP manual. It is the most beautiful and Truth defending process I’ve ever encountered. I think it’s wonderful that people are able to download it from a website..even free of charge if necessary…because it shows how much the Truth needs to be out there no matter what. –Kentucky mother

John and Sheila Kippley
NFP International
www.NFPandmore.org

God made the temperature sign.

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

God Himself made woman in such a way that post-ovulation progesterone causes her waking temperature to rise enough that it can be readily noticed with accurate temperature taking and recording.  A sufficiently elevated temperature pattern of at least three days provides a positive indication that she is past ovulation.  Every man and woman deserve to know this aspect of God’s creation.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Act
Natural Family Planning: The Complete Approach