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Definition:
Natural family planning refers to any of several means using the woman's natural
bodily rhythms to avoid her fertile periods, thus allowing the couple to engage in
sexual intercourse with a lowered risk of her becoming pregnant. This focus on
the woman's natural rhythms has lead to the more common term "rhythm method," though
the practice involves quite a bit more and thus the term is regarded by some as a misnomer. Observation of what is happening to the woman
biologically is also used by couples who are trying to have a child and are looking
for the optimal time for sexual intercourse.
The Roman Catholic Church approves of using the rhythm method because it does not interfere either with the sexual act and because it allows the couple to remain open to the possibility of having children, considered a gift from God. The Church also emphasizes the fact that the periodic abstinence from sexual intercourse serves a way for force couples to find other way to express love and reminds them of their commitment to each other.
Also Known As: NFP
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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