NFP and "Irregularity"

[prodigalson2011]

So I was talking to some friends of mine last night who are married (and Protestant), and the topic of contraception came up.

Without going into a boring story, I will just ask my question: How would you respond to someone who disagrees with the Church’s teachign on contraception because they have irregular cycles and don’t think they would be able to use NFP?

 

[ishnianqueen]

That NFP (or, if they would prefer, Fertility Awareness) isn’t based on numbers and calendars and averages - it’s based on looking at the signs the woman’s body is giving THAT DAY (and the immediately surrounding days) to tell her where she is in her cycle.

 

[SonCatcher]

The Couple-to-Couple League class that we took featured a unit specifically about dealing with irregular cycles and examples of actual charts from women who were able to correctly apply NFP in very irregular situations.

 

[stephe1987]

I think they are confusing NFP with the rhythm method (a common mistake; my high school science class at a public school taught that they were the same thing). The rhythm method does not work and is based on a regular cycle. NFP is a day by day method so a woman can always know exactly where she is in her cycle.

 

[7armyrugrats]

NFP, if taught and practiced correctly, is extremely effective even if you have irregular cycles. It can be helpful for avoiding or achieving pregnancy since often conception is hard to achieve for women who are irregular. It can also help drs p(name removed by moderator)oint any problems a woman may be having that is causing her to be irregular or not unable to conceive. We need to be honest about NFP, though. It is very difficult to learn how to properly check for signs of fertility, and charting isn’t easy to learn for many couples as well. Some women are not able to easily read their signs of fertility. If using EBF, well, I can honestly say it DOES NOT WORK for many women despite what LLL advertises. I know it does work for many, but many others it does not so you do need to use a back up method if you are trying to avoid. Many couples also find it difficult to practice whichever method they are taught. It does take cooperation between both partners unlike artificial methods and that is a huge turn off for many people. I think it is the biggest benefit of NFP–the main reason that couples who use it tend to have stronger marriages–but many other couples don’t like that.

 

[JackieMom]

The bottom line is that contraception is sinful. The personal curcumstances that make NPF tough for a given couple are unfortunate, but not an excuse to sin. We need to think of it, and abstinence, as the only tools in the kit for pregnancy avoidance. It’s easier for some than others, but there aren’t any other moral alternatives.

 

[agapewolf]

They are basing moral reasoning on something other than morals.

NFP is FOR irregular cycles. If one had regular cycles, all they would need is a calendar.

 

[1ke]

How would you respond to someone who disagrees with the Church’s teachign on contraception because they have irregular cycles and don’t think they would be able to use NFP?

i would let them know that this is a common misconception prevalent when someone is ignorant of the facts.

IOW, it is not accurate.

 

[utunumsint]

The question has so much more to it than whether NFP well works or not. It also has to do with why other methods of contraception are wrong, the kinds of attitudes about life that it presupposes, or predisposes a person to, the kind of effects it has on society as a whole, on the moral relationships between men and women.

NFP may have its issues, I don’t think we do anyone a service by pretending it isn’t hard for some people, but the alternatives out there are worse.

God bless,
Ut

 

[underacloud]

The bottom line is that contraception is sinful. The personal curcumstances that make NPF tough for a given couple are unfortunate, but not an excuse to sin. We need to think of it, and abstinence, as the only tools in the kit for pregnancy avoidance. It’s easier for some than others, but there aren’t any other moral alternatives.

They are basing moral reasoning on something other than morals.

The question has so much more to it than whether NFP well works or not. It also has to do with why other methods of contraception are wrong, the kinds of attitudes about life that it presupposes, or predisposes a person to, the kind of effects it has on society as a whole, on the moral relationships between men and women.

NFP may have its issues, I don’t think we do anyone a service by pretending it isn’t hard for some people, but the alternatives out there are worse.

These responses hit the nail on the head.

The fact that NFP can be hard has nothing to do with the moral issues of contraception vs licit forms of birth control (or regulation of births, or whatever else you want to call it). Living a moral life can be hard at times, and each of us has our own crosses to bear. Difficulty using NFP is a heavy cross for some people.