This publication reports and evaluates the findings of a national survey of natural family planning (NFP) teachers throughout the US, an effort to gather information concerning the preparation of NFP teachers in addressing the psychosocial problems encountered by couples. The survey involved NFP teachers representing several methods of instruction, including the ST method (Couple to Couple and other ST groups) and the OM (Billings, Twin Cities, and Creighton Model). Chosen from NFP teacher directories, 398 teachers responded to the survey. The survey inquired about the teacher's perceptions of the following: 1) the incidence and prevalence of psychosocial problems; 2) the degree to which they are prepared to manage such problems; and 3) the extent to which they refer couples to mental health or social services organizations. While the author acknowledges the methodological limitations of the study, he explains that the data reveals definite differences concerning the training and orientation of NFP teachers as it relates to the discussion of psychosocial problems. OM-Creighton teachers, who were more apt to teach in medical rather than nonmedical settings, expressed a higher degree of preparation. Teachers with psychosocial training also generally cored high in preparation. The results indicate that NFP teaching method, exposure to psychosocial issues during training, teacher perception of his or her preparedness to manage such problems, and continuous rather than discrete contact with clients are some of the leading factors involved in the teachers level of preparedness. The author discusses the implications of the study and provides recommendations.
A follow-up studies of Egyptian women who attended a class on natural family planning indicates that the women who completed the course and were motivated to avoid or delay pregnancy were successful at it. Begun in 1982, the Natural Family Planning (Billings)/Egypt (NFPB/Egypt) program offers training in the Ovulation (Billings) Method, which can be used to both achieve and avoid pregnancy. To complete the course, women needed to have charted 6 menstrual cycles. In 1985, the program decided to conduct a follow-study, and it contacted 203 of the approximately 500 women who had attended at least some of the classes. Of the 203 women, 41% (84) had taken the classes to achieve pregnancy, 18% (36) to space or delay pregnancy, and 41% (83) to avoid pregnancy. 76% of this group had actually completed the course. While 15 of the women who had dropped out of the course did so because they had become pregnant, all of the unwanted pregnancies in this group were among women who were breastfeeding or in the post-pill period. Among the women who had finished the course and whose aim was to delay or avoid pregnancy, 8 had become pregnancies, but 4 of the women said that they had in fact wanted the pregnancy. The other 4 were unwanted pregnancies. NFPB/Egypt also conducted interviews with 25 of the women. 19 of them continued to use the Billings Method, 13 of whom were using it to avoid pregnancy. Of the 6 women no longer practicing the Billings Method, 3 had had an IUD inserted, and the other 3 were trying to achieve pregnancy.
Listening to the reasons used by women to justify their action of having an abortion is a good way of determining its moral status. However, it must be remembered that the opinions one has about abortion cannot be separated from the manner in which questions are asked of these women. In fact the moral opinion of the researcher is interwoven with the methodology and questions used to interview women. This examination of the above mentioned issue takes place in the context of analyzing Carol Gilligan's book, In a Different Voice. This work will be used to illustrate how a researchers own opinions about abortion can be seen in the process of setting up a study to interview women to determine the moral value of abortion based on the moral justification of abortion seekers. There seems to be a difference of opinion about the use of the terms caring, responsible and non-violent by the women being interviewed. Gilligan states that the moral development of women occurs in 3 stages. Part of the transformation process involves women realizing the good does not necessarily involve self-sacrifice. Gilligan's treatment of the interviews is not always consistent with her own philosophical views; however, she routinely fails to ask rather obvious questions of women that may suggest that they did not reason well about their abortion decision. This ultimately is the weak link in Gilligan's analysis and theories. If you assume that women are the pivotal decision makers in determining the moral status of abortion, you must assume that they always reason correctly, which is of course not the case.
Large numbers of children typified the Catholic family until the 60s when there was a general societal change towards smaller families. This change, which even affected Catholics, is thought to derive from 3 sources. The population explosion and its complimentary disadvantages, a change towards more egocentric values, and an increase in the importance of material values. The Western world is aging fast and fertility rates are falling to the point that an overall effect of population reduction is occurring. Children have become only an optional, instead of necessary as in previous generations, part of most couples' lifestyles in West. Careers, social status, gadgets, vacations, ease, and comfort are now commonly seen as more self- fulfilling than children. The Catholic church believes that the only reasons for family planning are natural methods used out of necessity. Vatican II clearly states that the purpose of marriage is the raising of children. It has become the opinion of many that marriage and children are only accidentally connected and that the 2 are not bound inseparably. It is the authors contention that this dualistic view of marriage and children is false. The author feels that through a marriage people can draw each other out of themselves and towards their children. Sacrificing oneself for one's children is the natural end to marriage. The author admits that family planning has been a great good to the world for the couples that need it to survive, but that couples that can have children should do so.
In many Western countries the number of vocations has fallen to as low as 1/10 what it was a generation ago. The author blames several factors for this occurrence. An identity crisis among the members of the faith that is a result of broken homes is seen as a factor. The growth of materialism and the consumer mentality is seen as another factor leading people away from the life of sacrifices for God. But the author feels that the strongest force behind this fact is the use of family planning without a serious reason. Catholics are only allowed to use family planning if they have a serious health or financial reason for doing so, and then it can only be a natural method. Large families reinforce the ideals and attitudes necessary to create a person that is willing to seek a vocation. People from broken homes are not usually accepted because the matter of perseverance becomes a problem. When a child grows up in a large family it learns to make sacrifices. It also sees its parents making sacrifices for the children. It is the author's opinion what without this atmosphere of sacrifice at home, one is not prepared for the sacrifices that go with a vocation. It is also the author's opinion that families in the 3rd World tend to be larger, poorer yet still happier then Western families. Further, vocations in the 3rd World are abundant.
