(Editor’s Note: Great interest has been shown all over the country in natural family planning in recent years. The movement is most active in Atlanta. So we asked one of the coordinators to give us an explanation of this method so eagerly sought by young couples. Mrs. Carol Homrich submitted the following information upon our request.)

“Natural Family Planning (NFP) refers to the practice of spacing pregnancies according to an informed awareness of a woman’s fertility; it can also refer to the practice of spacing pregnancies through ecological breastfeeding.

“During each cycle a woman normally becomes fertile and then naturally infertile. As this happens, her body provides certain signs or symptoms that indicate her fertility or infertility. The primary signs or symptoms are changes in the cervix, the cervical mucus and the basal body temperature. Couples can learn to observe, record, and interpret these signs with a very high degree of accuracy, they can then use this awareness either to plan or postpone a baby accordingly.

“We call this the sympto-thermal system of fertility awareness which makes use of all the practical, useful signs of fertility. Each sign has certain limitations by itself, but together they reinforce each other. This is not the so-called calendar rhythm that was based on a woman’s past cycle lengths and some averages. It was not able to account for certain kinds of irregularity. The sympto-thermal system is based chiefly on present fertility signs.

“Various studies have shown that well instructed couples can achieve effectiveness rates at the ninety-nine per cent level. This is comparable to the high dosage Pill and more effective than the other contraceptives of abortion causing devices.

“Modern natural family planning assumes that every woman is irregular and that she ovulates more than once per cycle. There are no harmful side effects involved in the practice of natural family planning. It is healthy.

“Couples rarely begin to practice natural family planning out of a desire to improve their marital relationship. However, if they are going to practice it harmoniously, they soon find they have to communicate more fully with each other and practice continence creatively. Frequently they also enjoy a new peace of conscience.

“In addition, the practice of natural family planning helps to develop the same character strengths that are necessary for marital fidelity and life-long marriage.

“The best way to become informed about natural family planning is to attend the regular series of classes taught by the Couple to Couple League and to read its manual titled, The Art of Natural Family Planning.”