Family Planning free essay sample

Introduction Family planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and management, and infertility management. Family planning is sometimes used in the wrong way also as a synonym for the use of birth control, though it often includes more. It is most usually applied to a female-male couple who wish to limit the number of children they have and/or to control the timing of pregnancy (also known as spacing children). Family planning may encompass sterilization, as well as abortion. The Centers for Disease Control characterizes family planning as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. In 1800, women had an average of 7 children; today women average 2. 1 children. A woman is fertile for an average of 35 years of her life; if she has two children, she will spend about 30 years of her life avoiding pregnancy. We will write a custom essay sample on Family Planning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Family planning information and services help individuals maintain their overall health and improve family and community health by supporting men and women to have children when their health, financial conditions, and personal situations are optimal. Access to family planning services is an important factor in planning for healthy pregnancies. An unintended pregnancy is one that is unwanted or mistimed at the time of conception. It does not mean an unwanted birth or an unloved child. It does mean that there is less opportunity for the parents to prepare physically and financially, take advantage of pre-pregnancy risk identification and management, and initiate needed changes in diet, exercise, smoking and drinking that help ensure a healthy pregnancy. For some, unintended pregnancies result in healthy children in happy families. For others there are negative health effects from late or inadequate prenatal care, low birth weight, fetal exposure to alcohol, tobacco smoke and other toxins, and maternal depression. Unintended pregnancies are also associated with economic hardship, marital dissolution, poor child health and development, spouse abuse, and child abuse and neglect. Almost half of all unintended pregnancies end with an induced abortion. A woman’s ability to avoid an unintended pregnancy is related to her level of risk for pregnancy, her choice of methods, the strength of her otivation to avoid pregnancy and her pattern of contraceptive use. These factors, in turn, are often associated with a woman’s demographic and socioeconomic background, characteristics of her sexual partnerships, and her experiences with and attitudes toward pregnancy and contraception. While slightly more than half of unintended pregnancies occur among women who were not using any method of contraception in the mon th they conceived; more than four in 10 occur among women who were using a contraceptive method the month they conceived. Issues related to inconsistent or incorrect use of method were the primary reason they conceived. Research indicates that the most effective birth control method is the method the client is the most comfortable with. Client understanding of various methods and comfort with the one they choose is best accomplished with non-directive counseling and education and from a family planning provider that they trust. Family planning providers aim at increasing the percentage of clients who use their chosen method consistently and correctly. Here in our country, the Philippine government is working for a bill aiming to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care, and it’s known as Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill). One of the main concerns of the bill, according to the Explanatory Note, is that the population of the Philippines makes it â€Å"the 12th most populous nation in the world today†, that the Filipino women’s fertility rate is â€Å"at the upper bracket of 206 countries. † It states that studies and surveys â€Å"show that the Filipinos are responsive to having smaller-sized families through free choice of family planning methods. It also refers to studies which â€Å"show that rapid population growth exacerbates poverty while poverty spawns rapid population growth. † And so it aims for improved quality of life through a â€Å"consistent and coherent national population policy. † The majority of Filipinos are in favor of fam ily planning. The Catholic Church teaches the necessity of responsible parenthood and correct family planning (one child at a time depending on ones circumstances), while at the same time teaching that large families are a sign of Gods blessings. It teaches that modern natural family planning, a method of fertility awareness, is in accord with Gods design, as couples give themselves to each other as they are. The RH bill intends to help couples to have government funded access to artificial contraception methods as well. Definition of Terms Presentation of Data A. Features of Family Planning Family planning includes all methods of birth control, from the pill to condoms, Intrauterine Devices (IUD), injectable hormonal contraceptives, and diaphragms, caps and spermicides. Depending on the area, family planning may also refer to methods used to terminate a pregnancy or possible pregnancy, such as abortion and emergency contraception. Family planning may also refer to surgical sterilization methods, including vasectomies and tubal ligation; and to non-surgical methods of sterilization such as Essure Family planning is also the term preferred by religious couples who do not approved of using artificial birth control methods to prevent pregnancy. In this case, family planning, sometimes called natural family planning, refers exclusively to techniques such as temporary abstinence, the withdrawal method, or the rhythm method, in which no outside interference is used. While family planning clinics do not favor any method over others, they are usually able to accommodate most preferences and beliefs. B. The importance of family planning Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine the spacing of pregnancies. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of infertility (this fact sheet focuses on contraception).