Running Head: WOMEN’S HEALTH: NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
Women’s health: Natural Family Planning
Women’s health: Natural Family Planning
Introduction
Natural Family Planning (NFP) is among the oldest applied methods that aim to control birth of women. Also known as Fertility Awareness Method, it used for pregnancy prevention or its planning, currently is widely applied and an accepted practice. This practice does require the assistance of a health care provider like a family nurse practitioner (Mazza, 2011). The present women are doing much to attempt to balance the aspects of history and tradition in the present world in the event of reproductive choices. It is a quite effective method if applied to motivated patients with strict instructions in preventing or spacing pregnancy. Most women in the present world have seen an increase in the fertility rate from six children for each woman to a seven children for each woman. There are varied methods of the NFP which applied, they include; the Lactational Amenorrhea, the Basal Temperature, Cervical Mucus, Creighton, Symptothermal and the Standard Days Method.
Patient
A 26 year-old woman and her husband required assistance of a family nurse practitioner to discuss birth control. Their sexual orientation has not been active for the past 6 months. The woman is considering putting a hold to pregnancy for approximately 3 years while still as yet desire to have a method that would be according to their religious beliefs. The counseling sessions that they have been handling has been on the natural family planning methods.
History
According to the Office Family Planning in the year 1800-1900 the family has experienced a drop in the size of the family from 7.3 to 3.5. In 1900 out every 1000 women six to a possible nine women died while giving birth. While similarly, one out of every five children died within the first five years after being born. It is still in the same year that the issuance of information and offering counseling patients relating to contraception and their devices was not recognized by the government, consequently termed to as illegal. In 1912 – 1916 efforts were made to try and challenge the laws that blocked the distribution of family planning information, a clinic was hence opened to help women. Though later closed, in 1930’s most of the hospitals had started to offer these family planning services. It was then later noted an increase in the number of children for each family, where then in 1960 the contraception began.
Symptoms
There are basically three signs that are used to determine a woman’s fertility; the basal body temperature, mucus in the cervix and the position of the cervix (Fwhc, 2011). There are certain specialized facilities used that may as well acquire the basal body temperature, urinal hormonal levels, variations in the electrical resistance of the saliva of the woman.
Condition
There are several conditions that propel the use of natural family planning in several families. These may range from physical, economic, psychological and social conditions. The body of the female may not be willing to handle any pregnancy cases or it will break down. Economically, most families may not be willing to sustain another child as it will be a burden. Psychologically, some women may not be willing to have another child while socially the application of NFP is discouraged in some religions and traditional cultures.
Physical exam
Using varied methods of collecting data to acquire the new acceptors, several families were issued with documents on how to acquire their experiences for the purpose of this study (Cathryn B. Heath, 2009). The equipment used were, intake form, monitoring sheets, and exit form. Other women used oral contraceptives and others used SDM, while others varied from IUDs and injections. The family planning provider, in this case the nurse, was supervised for quality counseling and the proper use of the documentation tools. The studies involved frequent visits to the stations and the application of a performance-improvement tool to evaluate the counseling skills.
Lab or Diagnostic studies
After a period of 6 weeks and 3 months, lab studies showed that most of the women were able to regulate their birth, in order to limit their family, through proper use of the SDM method of natural family planning (Ram & Doracaj, 2004). The studies also showed no side effect to the health of the women.
Initial diagnostics and treatment
Initially, the women who applied the use of oral contraceptives, IUDs injections were not that effective while some of them had health side effects. Those who chose this method were not well versed with the natural family method practice.
Expected outcome
After an extensive counseling training on how to use a varied number of methods, it was widely expected that the women that were to use the condoms and injections would not get pregnant. Most of the women went for this option as it was expected that it would work to their advantage. While those that used the SDM would not get pregnant and some extent of side effects.
Actual Outcome
Those women that used the SDM were quite successful as they did not get pregnant as well as no side effects. While those that used the other methods; injections and condoms had several side effects as well as got pregnant.
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
The women that used the SDM were quite successful in limiting their birth, while those that used other methods and changed to this method were quite successful too (Pregnancy, 2011). This method had similarly no side effects as compared to others. Recommendation to other family would be to apply the use of SDM as it had no side effects to the health of the woman, it however not be used by women with shorter cycles than 26 or longer than 32 days.
Bibliography
Cathryn B. Heath, S. M. (2009). Primary Care Procedures in Women’s Health. New York and New Brunswick, USA: Springer.
Fwhc. (2011, June 8). Fertility Awareness. Retrieved September 7, 2011, from http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/fam.htm
Mazza, D. (2011). Women’s Health in General Practice. Victoria Avenue, Australia: Elsevier Australia.
Pregnancy, A. (2011, March). Fertility Awareness: Natural Family Planning (NFP). Retrieved September 7th, 2011, from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/preventingpregnancy/fertilityawarenessNFP.html
Ram, S., & Doracaj, D. (2004, August). Introducing a Natural Family Planning Method in Albania. Retrieved September 7th, 2011, from Baseline Survey Report: http://www.flexfund.org/resources/technical_updates/arc_albania.pdf
