Natural Family Planning Methods

Abstinence: One of the most effective ways of natural family planning is abstinence. Couples who do not want to have a baby and want to avoid taking artificial contraceptives, should keep away from sexual intercourse during the fertile days of the woman. For this method to work out, the women should keep track of their menstrual cycles to know the timing of their ovulation and the period during when there is high risk of getting pregnant.

Withdrawal: Withdrawal is another method of natural pregnancy prevention. In this method, the man withdraws his penis from the vagina before ejaculation while having sex. However, this is not a full proof method of birth control, as the fluid which is secreted before ejaculation also contains sperms and are sufficient to fertilize an ovum.

Natural family planning is normally chosen by people owing to certain religious reasons or because they are not able to take contraceptives due to health reasons. The best thing about natural methods of avoiding pregnancy is that they do not have any negative effects; however, to follow this method couples have to be determined and disciplined.

Artificial Family Planning Methods

Condoms: Condoms are the most commonly used male contraceptive to escape pregnancy. Using condoms during sexual intercourse acts like a barrier for sperms to enter the vagina, thus restricting their contact with the egg. In recent times, even female condoms are available in the market. Along with birth control, a condom also helps in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. There have been cases where condoms have failed to avoid pregnancy, but this is mostly due to defective condoms or incorrect use of the condom.

Birth Control and Emergency Pills: Another method of artificial family planning is the use of birth control pills by women. Birth control pills also known as oral contraceptives, stop the development of the egg and also helps in the thickening of the cervical mucus in the uterus, thus restricting the passage of the sperms to the egg. This can be an effective method if the pills are taken regularly and in the correct manner. If contraceptives do not work out, another way of precluding pregnancy is to take emergency contraceptive pills. If a couple has indulged in unsafe sex, the woman can take emergency pills to reduce the chances of getting pregnant.