P B Thurman | PubMed Health

PubMed1999

Physicians' knowledge and practices regarding natural family planning.

OBJECTIVE: To assess physicians' knowledge and practices of modern methods of natural family planning. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 840 physicians selected randomly from Missouri state licensing records for obstetrics-gynecology, family practice, general practice, and general internal medicine. RESULTS: The response rate was 65%. A total of 375 physicians (69% of respondents) saw women for reproductive issues. About half (46%) of physicians reported that they mentioned natural family planning to at least some women when discussing family planning issues. Observing vaginal discharge of cervical mucus was discussed by 40% of physicians in the context of avoiding pregnancy and by 36% of physicians in the context of helping a couple achieve pregnancy. Twenty-two percent of physicians estimated the best possible effectiveness of natural family planning to avoid pregnancy to be greater than 90%, and 35% estimated the actual effectiveness to avoid pregnancy to be greater than 70%. (The threshold rates of 90% best possible effectiveness and 70% actual effectiveness were chosen to be somewhat less than those reported in medical literature.) Physicians who gave higher estimates of effectiveness of natural family planning and physicians who were aware of an instructor in their community were more likely to provide women with relevant information about natural family planning. CONCLUSION: Most physicians, especially those unaware of availability of instructors in their areas, underestimate the effectiveness of natural family planning and do not give information about modern methods to women.

Family Planning Services↗

PubMed1998

Women's interest in natural family planning.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, approximately 4% of women of reproductive age use natural family planning (NFP) to avoid pregnancy. It is unclear whether this low number is related to a lack of available information, women's lack of interest, or other factors. Our study examined women's interest in using NFP either to become pregnant or to avoid it. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 1500 women, aged 18 to 50, who were randomly selected from driver's license renewal records in Missouri for the year beginning July 1991 and ending June 1992. RESULTS: Of the 747 returned questionnaires, 484 were from women who were still potentially fertile. Of these women, 22.5% indicated that they would be likely or very likely to use NFP in the future to avoid pregnancy, and 37.4% indicated that they would be likely or very likely to use NFP in the future to become pregnant. Only 2.8% were currently using a method of NFP. Past use of any method of NFP (including the outdated calendar rhythm method) to avoid pregnancy was associated with interest in future use of modern methods of NFP to avoid pregnancy. Past use of NFP to become pregnant and the possible desire for future pregnancy were associated with interest in future use of NFP to conceive. CONCLUSIONS: Many women who are not currently using NFP indicated that they are interested in doing so in the future, either to avoid pregnancy or to conceive. Interest in future use of NFP is associated with, but not limited to, those who have previously used NFP.

Adolescent↗