Couples plan how many children they will have and how many years apart they will be through a family planning process. The principles of family planning, according to the Women's Wellness Health Center, help to guide parents through their choices. Family planning objectives often are dictated by religious beliefs, medical concerns, family culture, parental maturity, financial obligations and career objectives.
Features
Education is one of the primary features of a thorough family planning program, according to the Women's Wellness Health Center. Couples need to be apprised of birth control options and their various risks. Access to birth control is a fundamental family principle that guides many programs. Testing for pregnancy and other sexually transmitted diseases are other significant features of thorough family planning.
Function
Birth control is the core function of a family planning principle. According to the National Institutes of Health, potential parents must consider the effectiveness of their birth control as well as the side effects. In lieu of their religious convictions, partners must work together to effectively manage alternatives to birth control, such as abstinence or the rhythm method.
Types
A wide range of birth control methods of varying effectiveness, cost and health risk are available. Condoms and diaphragms are the least expensive types of external birth control, but they typically are not as effective as contraceptive pills or patches, which also carry additional health risks. The least effective birth control measures are those that rely on menstrual cycles and coitus interruptus. Permanent types of birth control include vasectomy and tubal ligation.
Considerations
Family planning principles are meant to allow families to make informed decisions in order to build healthy, strong families, according to US AID. When families time their pregnancies, they can better prepare for the proper care the child needs. Parents who participate in family planning communicate their desires and work together to make their family dreams a reality. Children are healthier when pregnancies are planned and the mother is in good health and waits a sufficient amount of time between births.
Benefits
The effects of successful family planning principles affect the health of the mother and child as well as the health of the entire family. The community at large benefits from prudent family planning, as parents are better suited to child rearing when they plan effectively. When couples voluntarily participate in family planning, the entire society reaps the rewards.
