Family Planning

Family Planning

              Family planning includes taking into account the number of children that a woman is ready to have or not to have them at all. Also, it consists of the age at which they wish to have the children. Factors such as financial positions, marital status, career considerations, and disabilities may have an impact on the ability to have children. The use of contraceptives, as well as other methods,  can be used to plan families. Family planning goes up to conceiving but not to promote abortion as one of the family planning methods. The importance of family planning may include reducing infant mortality, preventing pregnancy-related risks, preventing HIV/AIDS, reducing early pregnancies, slowing population growth, among many other benefits. Methods of family planning include birth control implants, control shots, pills, vaginal rings, condoms, withdrawal, vasectomy, sterilization as well as abstinence, and many others. Family planning also has some effects that can have many effects on the body as well as psychological effects, which may include prolonged and heavy bleeding, irregular bleeding, more cramps, and a lot of bleedings during monthly bleeding.

In 1960, not many individuals utilized contraceptives. After fifteen years, it was normal, and now most of the couples use some contraceptives technique for family planning. During those early years, social development happened. It was the official national program to actualize family planning practice throughout the whole nation. That advancement spread crosswise over a significant part of the developing countries, turning into another determinant of richness, and did a lot to switch traditional attitudes of pro-natalist. Following World War II, incredible political changes happened in what had been provincial and semi-frontier areas of Africa and Asia, making many new country states. It sooner confronted rapid population growth rates as mortality fell, baffling their expectations of increasing living standards. Therefore, there were considerations in the best way to control the population growth rate, which brought the rise in family planning.

This family planning includes first birth control shots. An injection is given after three months and protects one from getting pregnant. It’s a safer birth control method if administered at the right time. Also known as Depo-Provera containing a hormone progestin that prevents ovulation hence preventing pregnancy. The hormone also makes cervical mucus thicker preventing sperm from getting through.

Second, birth control pills. These are medicines containing hormones that are not only used to prevent pregnancies but also they are beneficial health-wise. They are safe, cheap, and very effective. The hormones prevent ovulation from taking place (Chandra, Anjani, et al.2005, pg.12).

Third, vaginal rings. This is the safest, effective if used well, simplest, and among the cheapest method of birth control worn in the vagina. This ring is flexible and small used to release hormones (estrogen and progestin) into the system through the vaginal lining hence preventing pregnancy.

The fourth is the use of condoms. These are pouches made of latex worn on the penis during sex. They are thin and stretchy, preventing both pregnancies as well as STD’s. Are easy to use and get. They stop sperms from getting into the vagina, and because of its nature to prevent skin to skin contact prevents one from getting STDs.

The positive side of family planning

The major benefit of family planning is preventing pregnancy. Therefore, it allows pregnancies to be spaced and also prevents early pregnancies. Early pregnancies may harm their lives, such as problems associated with their health, deaths during the early childbearing. Additionally, it helps in avoiding pregnancies that are not intended for by older women as well as those wishing to limit the number of their children (Fortney & Judith, 1987, pg.111).

Moreover, it helps in reducing infant mortality. Family planning tends to reduce the number of deaths caused by ill-timed pregnancies, such as children dying during births and those caused by health problems. This challenge contributes mostly to high infant death rates.

Additionally, family planning plays a part in preventing HIV/AIDS. It can help reduce infant deaths caused by children being infected with their mothers who did not intend to be pregnant. Double protection comes in through the use of condoms that prevent one from being pregnant as well as being infected with HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

Family planning empowers and enhances a person’s education. It enables people to make the right choices when it comes to matters concerning sex and reproductive health. Moreover, it allows women to participate just like men in education, postgraduate studies equally, and accomplish their dreams and self-actualization.

Family planning also helps in reducing pregnancies among adolescents. These types of pregnancies come with a lot of complications, including preterm as well as low weight babies. Additionally, this can make young girls who get pregnant to cut short their dreams, education and also can bring about family feuds.

The negative side of family planning

Family planning causes irregular bleeding. Continuous use of family planning methods creates an irregular menstrual cycle, which can lead to irregular bleeding. This is a significant shortcoming of family planning on the lives of some women. It may bring them embracement and discomfort, especially when the bleeding happens unawares.

It also causes heavy periods. The use of pills can lead some women to experience heavy bleeding, which can lead to losing a lot of blood hence lowering the level of irons in the body. Heavy periods are when over 80ml of blood is lost since, over this point, there is a danger of anaemia. A few ladies lose substantially more blood. Heavy periods of over a liter every month has been recorded as a result of some family planning methods; however, this is exceptionally abnormal.

Additionally, family planning causes libido changes. Some family planning methods can affect the sexual urge or sexual drive of some women; hence can lead to family breakups as well as a lot of conflicts in marriages.

Family planning has been associated with weight gain effect.  The use of vaginal rings and the pills can affect how bodies of some women respond to mineral and vitamin intake hence making some of them gain a lot of weight. This can affect both their shapes and sizes as well as reduce their confidence (Rosenzweig, Mark, and Kenneth, 1986, pg.475). Overweight is associated with some adverse health conditions. These conditions include type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and coronary illness. Additionally, weight gain builds the danger of death

Moreover, it brings about headaches and nausea.  Some of the methods can have adverse side effects on women, which can lead to severe headaches during their periods and also in case they do heavy chores. Additionally, some family planning pills, and also the shots can lead to some women feeling nauseous and can also lead to some discomforts.

Current Law Being Discussed

On the “Beyond 2020” summit at the 2018 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for population and reproductive health has declared a multi-pronged way to deal with delegates from vital family planning areas to investigate unusual business and determine problematic plans to reshape the reproductive wellbeing and family planning to guarantee all-inclusive access by 2030. Gates Institute is requesting amazing new thoughts from all divisions of the family planning network. These thoughts will be exhibited at an elevated level gathering of critical scientists, advocates, private areas, youth, legislators, and policymakers to investigate ways we can catalyze progress toward acknowledging widespread access to the rights-based family planning by 2030.

In conclusion, family planning has both positive and negative sides. Therefore it is upon individuals to weigh which side favours them. As discussed the positive side of family planning can benefit the women as well as families by preventing early pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies mortality rates as well as empowering women to pursue their dream goals and compete equally with the others. However, far from the benefits, family planning comes with a lot of disadvantages, which include family breakups, feuds, headaches, weight gains, and nausea, which has adverse health risks.