What is Family Planning?
Generally, the term family planning refers to all services which regulate the women’s right to control their pregnancy planning and their right to choose whether they want to get pregnant or not. Family planning services can be offered by governmental institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations and other bodies. These services are usually provided without costs for women and are aimed at helping women decrease unwanted pregnancies, amongst other things.
From reports by the World Health Organization, it can be seen that almost 270 million women need contraception that is not met, while 1.1 billion women require family planning services.
When wondering what is family planning, the most straightforward answer is everything you do for your reproductive health. Gynecologist check-ups such as the pelvic exam, pregnancy tests, pap smears, breast checks, contraception, STI and STD screenings, and the like are all part of your family planning processes.
Family planning mostly always involves professionals who can help you with potential questions and concerns. Services offered also include counseling, so make sure to pick the best possible option when it comes to medical professionals who will help you make informed choices. Women’s Care of Bradenton is one of the places where expert teams offer the best possible family planning services, support, and care, so make sure you explore all potential options before making a decision.
How Effective is Birth Control?
For most people, birth control is the first answer they choose when they are asked about family planning. Although contraception is one of the crucial pillars of family planning, it is essential not to disregard all other aspects of this process mentioned above.
Experts have been working on the development of contraceptive methods significantly in recent years, and today there are numerous options of birth control (hormonal and non-hormonal) women can choose from, in accordance with their needs, such as:
- IUDs (intrauterine devices)
- Oral contraception (birth control pills)
- Barrier contraception (condoms, sponges, spermicides)
- Implants
- Additional hormonal options, such as vaginal rings or skin patches
- Surgery
- Natural contraceptives, i.e., fertility awareness
Answering the question of how effective is birth control depends on the type of contraceptive method you choose. For example, condoms are the only birth control option that protects you from unwanted pregnancies and STIs and STDs. Intrauterine devices are highly effective and last a long time, while birth control pills have to be taken with care because their effect lessens if they are not taken regularly as prescribed.
Making an informed decision will help you protect yourself in the best way possible, so make sure you schedule a consultation with your chosen physician to determine which type of birth control will suit you the best. This, too, is a crucial part of family planning, so it is of the utmost importance to have support from an informed professional.
Other Family Planning Services
Natural Family Planning
NFP or fertility awareness is considered to be a type of birth control, but it can be looked at as a method rather than a device or contraceptive medication. This method allows women to track their menstrual cycle to determine their fertile days and when they could most likely get pregnant. For people who do not want to have children at the moment, periodic abstinence is advised, meaning that they refrain from sexual intercourse during those days.
Natural family planning, also called the rhythm method, can include different approaches, such as:
- Standard days method, where the woman follows the typical rule of which days of her menstrual cycle are the most fertile
- The cervical mucous method involves monitoring the changes in the mucus coming from the cervix and what it looks and feels like
- The basal body temperature or BBT method determines fertile days based on the body’s temperature while at rest. The majority of women experience a slight increase in temperature during ovulation, and that increase lasts until the end of the cycle for that month.
- The sympto-thermal method is a natural family planning method that combines BBT and mucus monitoring, i.e., the observation of the ovulatory period and the increase in mucus discharge coming from the cervix to determine the fertile days.
Pregnancy Spacing
Pregnancy spacing is a family planning service that is used a lot when it comes to creating a plan for your future. Birth spacing, as it is also called, is a method where women plan the time they would take between two pregnancies to lessen the negative impact on the health of both the mother and the newborn baby when pregnancies occur one after the other. Experts advise waiting at least 18 months between pregnancies to let the body recover and prepare for a new pregnancy.
The consequence women can potentially face when they do not use the method of birth spacing is the increased risk of premature labor, death of newborn babies, low birth weight of infants, etc.
Birth spacing is especially advised for women who have difficulties getting impregnated and women who have more than 35 years. For them, the break between two pregnancies needs to be decided with care because, generally, getting pregnant after 35 has its own set of risks that need to be monitored and taken into account.
Assisted Reproductive Technology
ART, in vitro fertilization, or fertility treatments, are procedures that are generally not considered part of the family planning services. This said, the first step when planning a baby is to consult a medical professional, and consultation and support are crucial steps of family planning, so it is important also to mention the ART approach. Many gynecological and OB clinics offer counseling on this topic, fertility evaluations, and treatments.
To Summarize
Family planning is a set of services that support women who want to plan their pregnancies and future motherhood carefully. Services that fall under FP are:
- Prenatal consultation
- Contraception
- Delivery
- Post-natal support
- Postpartum planning
- Other services of the same kind
The first step towards family planning is a consultation with a chosen medical professional, so research all the potential options and choose the best one which will cater to all your needs.
The benefits of family planning are numerous, but here are some of the most important ones:
- Helping couples avoid unwanted pregnancies
- Reducing the spread of STDs and STIs
- Helping women have equal opportunities relating to education, professional careers, and finances
- Giving time to the parents to plan their lives accordingly after the infant arrives
- Improving the mental health of the mothers
- Reducing the number of abortions (with an emphasis on unsafe abortions)
Call Us!
Our clinic offers family planning services for women of different age groups, statuses, health conditions, and preferences. Schedule a consultation with our expert team and start your family planning journey pleasantly, with minimum stress and maximum comfort. Call us, and let us help you plan your future!