Family planning is the term given for pre-pregnancy planning and action to delay, prevent or actualize a pregnancy. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, family planning is a fundamental aspect of enhancing the health outcomes of women and children. There are many family planning options ranging from contraception and birth control to abstinence and other natural methods to the latest medical technology breakthroughs.
Identification
Family planning services consist of pre-conception care, counseling, education, family planning methods, screening and laboratory tests. Methods of family planning include natural family planning, abstinence and all fertility methods approved by the FDA (hormonal contraception and contraceptive or birth control supplies like intrauterine devices and diaphragms).
Significance
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify family planning among the top 10 public health accomplishments of the 20th century. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, in 1800, women had seven children on average. In modern times, women have an average of 2.1 children. The Minnesota Department of Health also reports that women are fertile for approximately 35 years of their lives.
History
The earliest types of birth control were coitus interruptus (also known as withdrawal) and pessaries (vaginal suppositories created out of different acidic substances considered effective in killing sperm). The withdrawal method of birth control continues to be employed in modern times but has a low rate of effectiveness, mostly because of the willpower needed for a man to remove his penis before ejaculating. Pessaries have evolved to have a higher rate of effectiveness but are no longer considered to be convenient in terms of application.
Size
The amount and kinds of birth control methods have grown since the early 20th century with the introduction of intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the rhythm method of contraception. Hormonal birth control was not introduced until the middle of the 20th century when scientists learned the role hormones play in the reproductive cycle.
Benefits
Family planning services and information enable individuals to sustain their overall health and well-being and to only have children when physically, emotionally and financially capable of taking on the responsibility of child rearing. Family planning also helps decrease the number of unintended pregnancies. Family planning helps parents learn about pre-pregnancy risk identification and management and create necessary diet, exercise, drinking and smoking habit changes to increase the chance of a healthy pregnancy.
