Page 34 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 17

Health & Healing

fertility of one’s spouse. It does not
allow for true intimacy because in
using contraception, spouses “pro-
tect” themselves from one another
and the fruit of marital love—a
child. Contraception undermines
self-gift to one’s spouse, and when
a child is conceived, often leads to
the couple seeing the child as an
“accident” that can be “fixed” with
abortion.

NFP: NFP expresses a profound
openness to God’s will for a couple
and embraces both the unitive and traceptive mentality” that follows their sex lives, and significantly low-
procreative meanings of marital its widespread acceptance has led er divorce rates than contraception
intimacy. It respects God’s laws and to a culture that demeans wom- users.
His careful design and also recog- en, often forces contraception on
nizes that we are not “the master poor citizens, and increases societal 4. NFP Is at Least as Effective as
of the sources of life but rather the acceptance of and dependence on Contraception
minister of the design established by abortion. As St. John Paul II empha- Studies have shown that, when done
the Creator.” sized, contraception and abortion correctly, NFP is as good as or bet-
are fruits of the same tree and are ter than hormonal contraceptives.
NFP allows for love and gift of self hallmarks of a Culture of Death. For instance, according to the Mar-
to one’s spouse and thus enriches quette site, this method is 98 to 99%
and deepens the love of the spous- NFP: The vast majority of NFP effective in postponing pregnancy.
es. Sexual intercourse remains a true users find that it fosters a union
act of love and never involves acting between spouses that is fully human, A Creighton fact sheet on fertility
against a potential child. The couple open to God’s will, and allows for states that this model “has a per-
is never opposed to the fruit of total gift of self to one another. It fect use rate of 98.7-99.5%, and a
their love, and thus they are capable involves sacrifice, and so fosters a typical use rate of 83-97%, as good
of giving and receiving the complete greater appreciation for one’s spouse as hormonal contraceptives (IUDs,
gift of self that they desire. and the gift of marital love. Among the pill, etc.) and better than barriers
the positive benefits of NFP is that (condoms, etc.).”
3. NFP Leads to Better Relation- occasional sacrifice in the bedroom
ships helps prevent selfishness from en- And the Sympto-Thermal Method
Contraception: When Pope Paul VI tering the marriage, and it fosters a is over 99% effective in postponing
wrote his encyclical Humanae Vitae, more peaceful relationship between pregnancy.
he made four predictions of what spouses who become more apt to
would follow widespread acceptance resolve or avoid other problems. While hormonal implants such as
of contraception: Nexplanon and IUDs are also over
Divorce Rates of NFP Users (top) 99% effective, they come with a
• An increase in infidelity and Contraception Users (bottom) host of potential side effects, includ-
• A general lowering of morality ing more painful and heavy periods,
• A loss of respect for and objec- Further, NFP encourages couples to the possibility of the implant or
tification of women express affection and love for one IUD moving into a different part of
• Governments forcing their pop- another in ways that are not sexual the body, and other dangerous phys-
ulations to use contraception and discourages couples from seeing ical and psychological side effects.
if they felt its use furthered the one another as objects of pleasure
“good of the state” (HV 17). (see Humanae Vitae 21). Perhaps it However, a woman need not worry
is no surprise that studies indicate about any of these side effects with
Sadly, all of these predict that users of NFP report greater NFP, as all of these NFP methods
ions have come true, as the “con- intimacy, a greater satisfaction with are safe and easy to use. Further, all

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