FAMILY PLANNING: OLDEST METHOD
It is believed that withdrawal
is the oldest method of birth control, having been in use for
thousands of years in all countries of the world. It will be
practiced again and again. At least it is better than nothing.
The "nothing" consists of
unprotected coitus (to use the technical term). Here, no protection
is taken, and one simply trusts to nature and good fortune.
Of course nature is rather
provocative. The female's system is geared to the hormonal
production rate so that when ovulation occurs, the hormones inside
are crying out for sexual satisfaction. So her whole system,
feelings, desires, sensations, are geared for intercourse at the
very time when conception is most likely to occur. This is the big,
big trap with unprotected coitus.
A look at the various '
'pregnancy rates'' of the different methods will give an indication
as to how they compare for effectiveness.
The "pregnancy rate" is an
index of the efficacy of a contraceptive method. It is calculated as
follows. It is the number of pregnancies multiplied by 1200, divided
by the number of months of exposure sexually. The higher the figure
the less effective the method, and vice versa. The P.R. of the Pill
is virtually zero. Here are the figures of other methods.
The intra-uterine device,
P.R. 1 to 7
Diaphragm plus spermicidal
cream, P.R. 4 to 12.
Spermicidal foam, P.R. 2 to
7.
Condom (sheath), P.R. 6 to
16.
"Rhythm"(or "ovulation
method"), P.R. 14 to 35. This figure varies enormously in
investigations. Those successfully using the ovulation method will
claim these figures are wrong. Great motivation on every occasion
and following the rules exactly is imperative for success. The
figures for the ovulation method will be better than for rhythm.
For unprotected coitus the
P.R. is a disastrous 60 to 80.
*46/76/5*
GENERAL HEALTH