If you have been following this column, you would have read the teachings of the Church regarding contraception, and how the most popular method, the Pill, which is an abortifacient, operates.

The morally acceptable and humanly uplifting alternative to contraception is, Natural Family Planning.

The Church teaches us that we should be responsible in childrearing and, when necessary, space our children wisely.

God in His profound wisdom has given us a natural cycle of fertility and infertility. We will try in this short article, to give a summary of the method for avoiding or accomplishing conception (pregnancy). Natural Family Planning is a natural method, harmless and reliable.

Men are always fertile. This means that a normal male can impregnate a woman (once she is fertile) at any time through natural intercourse.

Women on the other hand have a cycle of fertility and infertility. To achieve a pregnancy, she would engage in intercourse during the short time of fertility and to postpone a pregnancy she would naturally abstain at the time of fertility and use the time of infertility to have intercourse with her husband.

The "Ovulation Method" or " Billings " (the same thing) has been developed and in use for many years now and is known and accepted as a very dependable method to avoid/postpone a pregnancy.

The most published method of natural family planning that we have seen in school textbooks has been the "Calendar Rhythm Method", and it states (quite rightly) that it is not a most dependable method.

Every woman has a unique pattern of fertility and as such the Ovulation method provides each woman with the ability to track her own cycle. If on medication or going through life changes, she is still able to understand and identify her fertility cycle by this method. Even a vision-impaired person can use this method to track her own fertility.

Fertility is identified by the woman through sensation and/or by the presence of "mucus" or wetness (on the genitalia). Dryness is a sign of infertility. There is no guesswork. Usually after menstruation, there is a sensation of dryness.

Before ovulation, there is a sensation of wetness, which is a sign that ovulation is going to occur. Wetness is caused by the production of mucus in the cervix. This mucus finds its way to the outside (of the genitalia) and can be easily observed. Details would best not be discussed here as it can be of a private and personal nature.

Conception (pregnancy) can only occur on one day of the month, but there is need to abstain for approximately five days monthly. With this method there is a chart that is used to update and track the cycle. Both husband and wife may be certainly interested in developments.

Couples have given testimony that intimacy has been enhanced through their joint involvement in the monitoring of the wife's cycle. It has made the issue of respect a mutual response and there is always an added enthusiasm of anticipation rather than an on-demand type of (sexual) relationship.

There are several teachers of this method island-wide and there is lots of information on the Internet. You can also call us at Emmanuel Community 628-1064 for more information.

Need more information or have comments? Please feel free to contact us at Emmanuel Community - 628-1064, 628-1586.