FAMILY PLANNING

Family planning allows people to attain their desired number of children and determine
the spacing of pregnancies. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the
treatment of infertility (this fact sheet focuses on contraception).

Benefits of Family Planning:

Family planning provides many benefits to mother, children, father, and the family.

Mother
 Enables her to regain her health after delivery.
 Gives enough time and opportunity to love and provide attention to her husband and
children.
 Gives more time for her family and own personal advancement.
 When suffering from an illness, gives enough time for treatment and recovery.

Children
 Healthy mothers produce healthy children.
 Will get all the attention, security, love, and care they deserve.

Father
 Lightens the burden and responsibility in supporting his family.
 Enables him to give his children their basic needs (food, shelter, education, and better
future).
 Gives him time for his family and own personal advancement.
 When suffering from an illness, gives enough time for treatment and recovery.

Contraceptive Methods
Modern Methods

Effectiveness to
Method Description How it works prevent Comments
pregnancy
Combined oral Contains two Prevents the >99% with Reduces risk of
contraceptives hormones release of correct and endometrial and
(COCs) or “the (estrogen and eggs from the consistent use ovarian cancer
pill” progestogen) ovaries 92% as
(ovulation) commonly used
Thickens
cervical Can be used
99% with correct
Progestogen- Contains only mucous to while
and consistent
only pills progestogen block sperm breastfeeding;
use
(POPs) or "the hormone, not and egg from must be taken at
90–97% as
minipill" estrogen meeting and the same time
commonly used
prevents each day
ovulation
Small, flexible Thickens Health-care
Implants rods or cervical >99% provider must
capsules mucous to insert and
 placed under block sperm remove; can be
the skin of the and egg from used for 3–5
upper arm; meeting and years depending
contains prevents on implant;
progestogen ovulation irregular vaginal
hormone only bleeding
common but not
harmful
Delayed return
Thickens
Injected into the to fertility (about
cervical
muscle or >99% with 1–4 months on
mucous to
under the skin correct and the average)
Progestogen block sperm
every 2 or 3 consistent use after use;
only injectables and egg from
months, 97% as irregular vaginal
meeting and
depending on commonly used bleeding
prevents
product common, but not
ovulation
harmful
Monthly Injected
Prevents the >99% with
injectables or monthly into the Irregular vaginal
release of correct and
combined muscle, bleeding
eggs from the consistent use
injectable contains common, but not
ovaries 97% as
contraceptives estrogen and harmful
(ovulation) commonly used
(CIC) progestogen
The patch and
the CVR are
new and
research on The Patch and
Continuously
Combined effectiveness is the CVR provide
releases 2
contraceptive Prevents the limited. a comparable
hormones – a
patch and release of Effectiveness safety and
progestin and
combined eggs from the studies report pharmacokinetic
an estrogen-
contraceptive ovaries that it may be profile to COCs
directly through
vaginal ring (ovulation) more effective with similar
the skin (patch)
(CVR) than the COCs, hormone
or from the ring.
both as formulations.
commonly and
consistent or
correct use.
Longer and
Small flexible Copper heavier periods
plastic device component during first
Intrauterine
containing damages months of use
device (IUD):
copper sleeves sperm and >99% are common but
copper
or wire that is prevents it not harmful; can
containing
inserted into from meeting also be used as
the uterus the egg emergency
contraception
Intrauterine A T-shaped Thickens Decreases
device (IUD) plastic device cervical >99% amount of blood
levonorgestrel inserted into mucous to lost with
 the uterus that block sperm menstruation
steadily and egg from over time;
releases small meeting Reduces
amounts of menstrual
levonorgestrel cramps and
each day symptoms of
endometriosis;
amenorrhea (no
menstrual
bleeding) in a
group of users
Forms a
98% with correct Also protects
Sheaths or barrier to
and consistent against sexually
coverings that prevent
Male condoms use transmitted
fit over a man's sperm and
85% as infections,
erect penis egg from
commonly used including HIV
meeting
Sheaths, or
linings, that fit Forms a
90% with correct Also protects
loosely inside a barrier to
and consistent against sexually
Female woman's prevent
use transmitted
condoms vagina, made sperm and
79% as infections,
of thin, egg from
commonly used including HIV
transparent, meeting
soft plastic film
3 months delay
in taking effect
Permanent
while stored
contraception >99% after 3
sperm is still
to block or cut Keeps sperm months semen
Male present; does
the vas out of evaluation
sterilization not affect male
deferens tubes ejaculated 97–98% with no
(vasectomy) sexual
that carry semen semen
performance;
sperm from the evaluation
voluntary and
testicles
informed choice
is essential
Permanent
Eggs are
Female contraception Voluntary and
blocked from
sterilization to block or cut >99% informed choice
meeting
(tubal ligation) the fallopian is essential
sperm
tubes
Temporary
contraception A temporary
for new Prevents the 99% with correct family planning
Lactational mothers whose release of and consistent method based
amenorrhea monthly eggs from the use on the natural
method (LAM) bleeding has ovaries 98% as effect of
not returned; (ovulation) commonly used breastfeeding on
requires fertility
exclusive or full
 breastfeeding
day and night
of an infant less
than 6 months
old
Emergency If all 100 women
Pills taken to
contraception used progestin-
prevent Does not disrupt
pills (ulipristal only emergency
pregnancy up Delays an already
acetate 30 mg contraception,
to 5 days after ovulation existing
or one would likely
unprotected pregnancy
levonorgestrel become
sex
1.5 mg) pregnant.
Can be used to
identify fertile
Women track days by both
95% with
their fertile Prevents women who
consistent and
periods (usually pregnancy by want to become
correct use.
days 8 to 19 of avoiding pregnant and
Standard Days
each 26 to 32 unprotected women who
Method or SDM 88% with
day cycle) vaginal sex want to avoid
common use
using cycle during most pregnancy.
(Arevalo et al
beads or other fertile days. Correct,
2002)
aids consistent use
requires partner
cooperation.
If the BBT has
Woman takes
risen and has
her body
stayed higher for
temperature at Prevents 99% effective
3 full days,
the same time pregnancy by with correct and
ovulation has
Basal Body each morning avoiding consistent use.
occurred and the
Temperature before getting unprotected
fertile period has
(BBT) Method out of bed vaginal sex 75% with typical
passed. Sex can
observing for during fertile use of FABM
resume on the
an increase of days (Trussell, 2009)
4th day until her
0.2 to 0.5
next monthly
degrees C.
bleeding.
Difficult to use if
a woman has a
Women track vaginal infection
their fertile Prevents or another
96% with correct
periods by pregnancy by condition that
and consistent
observing avoiding changes cervical
TwoDay use.
presence of unprotected mucus.
Method 86% with typical
cervical mucus vaginal sex Unprotected
or common use.
(if any type during most coitus may be
(Arevalo, 2004)
color or fertile days, resumed after 2
consistency) consecutive dry
days (or without
secretions)
 Women track
their fertile
periods by May have to be
observing used with
Prevents 98% with correct
changes in the caution after an
pregnancy by and consistent
cervical mucus abortion, around
avoiding use.
Sympto- (clear texture) , menarche or
unprotected Reported 98%
thermal Method body menopause, and
vaginal sex with typical use
temperature in conditions
during most (Manhart et al,
(slight increase) which may
fertile 2013)
and increase body
consistency of temperature.
the cervix
(softening).

Traditional Methods

Effectiveness to
Method Description How it works prevent Comments
pregnancy
Women monitor
their pattern of The couple May need to
menstrual cycle prevents delay or use with
over 6 months, pregnancy by caution when
subtracts 18 avoiding using drugs
91% with correct
from shortest unprotected (such as
Calendar method and consistent
cycle length vaginal sex anxiolytics,
or rhythm use.
(estimated 1st during the 1st antidepressants,
method 75% with
fertile day) and and last NSAIDS, or
common use
subtracts 11 estimated fertile certain
from longest days, by antibiotics) which
cycle length abstaining or may affect timing
(estimated last using a condom. of ovulation.
fertile day)
One of the least
Man withdraws effective
his penis from methods,
his partner's 96% with correct because proper
Tries to keep
vagina, and and consistent timing of
Withdrawal sperm out of the
ejaculates use withdrawal is
(coitus woman's body,
outside the 73% as often difficult to
interruptus) preventing
vagina, keeping commonly used determine,
fertilization
semen away (Trussell, 2009) leading to the
from her external risk of ejaculating
genitalia while inside the
vagina.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception
https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/1291
DIFFERENT COLORS IN BIRTH CONROL PILLS

The concept of how birth control works can be very confusing sometimes. There are two
types of birth control regimens: a 21-day or a 28-day. On a 28-day regimen, it contains 3 weeks
of active pills, followed by 1 week of inactive pills (also called placebo pills). The 3 weeks of
active pills have estrogen and sometimes progestin, and these help regulate her hormones.
They change the thickness of the uterine lining and cervical mucus, effectively inhibiting
ovulation. That last week of placebo pills is completely safe to take since they contain no active
ingredients.

This transition from active pills to placebo causes a dip in hormone levels that triggers
the uterus to shed the lining that has been retained for the past three weeks, causing menstrual
period to begin. It is noticeable that periods have been lighter and shorter since a woman has
started the pills, and might even miss a few periods altogether. This is due to the suppressed
growth of the uterine lining caused by the estrogen and progestin. Some light mid-cycle
bleeding or spotting may occur during the first 3 months of therapy. This is common in women
who have just started birth control and should be no cause of concern.

This is what the one week of white colored pills in your pack is. They do not contain any
hormone in them, and so they allow you to have a period while you are taking them. In other
words, you do not really need to take them; at least, not taking them does not affect your birth
control. The reason that those pills are included in the pack (rather than just telling you not to
take the pills for a week) is to help you not lose count and not get out of the habit of taking a pill
every day.

However, if you are able to keep track of where you are and you do not feel you are at
any risk of missing any of the real (non white) pills then it is not a big deal for you to miss the
white pills.

https://www.zocdoc.com/answers/6393/what-are-the-effects-of-skipping-the-7-different-colored-
white-pills-in-m
https://www.sapulpapharmacy.com/why-are-there-different-color-pills-in-my-birth-control-pack/