Los Alamos FertilityCare Blog has jumped on the green-marketing train with a great little summary of green reasons for natural methods of family planning. Well done!
3 Responses to The Green Guide to Family Planning
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It should be said that the “green” method of family planning isn’t necessarily only nfp, with its avoidance of all sexual expression during the fertile period. The same can be accomplished with a heeding of the body’s signs, like nfp, but using a barrier method or what’s known as outercourse during the fertile time.
I get your point. Fiona, it seems like you’re talking about FAM, or Fertility Awareness Method, advocated by Tony Weschler, which does include a combination of fertility observations and barrier method during the fertile time. I might say that this is a “quasi-green” method.
Why quasi green, instead of totally green? Condoms, to our knowledge, may not change the sex of fish over time like While there are some condoms made of recycled rubber (FDA approved, supposedly, whatever that means), it takes a long time for latex to biodegrade, not to mention the non-recyclable wrapping it usually comes in. As the following Q&A mentions, condoms with lubricant and all plastic-based condoms are not biodegradable:
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2311.html
Green has another application: our mind, hearts, bodies and souls. If we’re being pure in what we eat, how we take care of our hearts, minds and bodies, why do we need something to “protect” us from our partner? Fertility is a natural process, not a disease, so we do we need an implement to treat something that’s natural? If it’s not a good time to be pregnant–abstain! It turns out genital intercourse is not the only way to be intimate in a relationship. If we’ve been tested and are clean, what’s the need for condoms?
The term, “abstinence” is not exclusive to couples who practice an ecologically balanced method of family planning. Contraceptive couples also abstain, from one intercourse to the next. A better term is “selective intercourse” which places the focus on the choices the couple makes to have intercourse at a particular moment in time. The question is not “Should we or should we not have intercourse?” But rather, “Should we or should we not have another child?” While a couple should avoid genital contact if it is their intention to avoid pregnancy, sexual contact is never to be avoided. Sexual contact involves SPICE, which stands for spiritual, physical, intellectual, creative, and emotional aspects of the person. Couples who practice natural family planning will, of course, experience challenges. However, many grow to appreciate the natural rhythms of fertility, its liberating effect on our emotional lives, passions and relationships.