Family planning

Family planning refers to the strategies employed by individuals and couples to control the number of children they have and the intervals between their births. This is achieved primarily through the use of contraceptive methods, but family planning may also involve medical interventions and practices to achieve pregnancy. The intent behind family planning is to empower individuals and couples with the ability to decide when and how many children to have, enhancing reproductive health and allowing for better family economics. Family planning can incorporate a wide range of activities, from natural methods of fertility awareness to artificial methods like hormonal contraception, barrier methods, and intrauterine devices. Additionally, it also encompasses education and counseling on reproductive health, including discussions about safer sex, sexually transmitted infections, and infertility.

Family planning methods (8329687815)

Contraceptive Methods

Natural Family Planning

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Natural family planning (NFP), or fertility awareness-based methods, involves tracking a woman's menstrual cycle to determine when she can get pregnant. Examples include the Billings Ovulation Method, the Sympto-Thermal Method, and the Standard Days Method.

Artificial Contraceptive Methods

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Artificial contraceptive methods include hormonal contraceptives, such as oral contraceptive pills, contraceptive patches, and contraceptive injections; intrauterine devices; barrier methods, such as condoms and diaphragms; and permanent methods, such as sterilization.

Achieving Pregnancy

Family planning is not solely about preventing pregnancy. For those wanting to conceive, family planning can include strategies to maximize the likelihood of successful conception, such as fertility treatments or lifestyle modifications.

Benefits of Family Planning

Family planning has a range of social, economic, and health benefits. It can reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies and abortions; support the health of women by reducing the risk of closely spaced and ill-timed pregnancies; and contribute to population control efforts, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Access and Services

Access to family planning services varies globally. Many healthcare organizations and governments provide such services, but barriers such as cost, societal norms, and lack of knowledge can limit accessibility.

Ethical and Societal Issues

Family planning policies and practices can raise ethical and societal concerns. These often center on the rights of individuals to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children.

References

• World Health Organization. Family planning/Contraception. 8 February 2018.
• Sonfield A, Hasstedt K, Kavanaugh ML, Anderson R. The Social and Economic Benefits of Women's Ability To Determine Whether and When to Have Children. New York: Guttmacher Institute; 2013.
• Cleland J, Conde-Agudelo A, Peterson H, Ross J, Tsui A. Contraception and health. Lancet. 2012 Jul 14;380(9837):149-56.

Family planning Resources
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