Family Planning
FAMILY PLANNING Family planning lays the foundation for children’s lives. Children are resource intensive. When parent(s) choose when to have children, how many to have and the spacing between them, the child’s and mothers survival rate increases, the child’s education level will probably increase, access to health care and nutrition of the children increases, the status of the female in the family improves, the spread of HIV is contained and our earth’s precious natural resources are spared slowing global warming and the destruction of our planet.
Children require parental guidance and love to develop normally and to lead a life worth living. Increased suicide rate, hospitalization and problems with drugs and alcohol and the law are some of the problems closely linked to a poor family environment. At Familia Feliz we teach important topics that help strengthen the fabric of the family, the individuals and the society as a whole. Fifty percent of the pregnancies nationwide each year is unplanned and the occurrence is far more prevalent among women under the age of 25 or with low income status.
Lack of financial and emotional preparation often derives from unplanned parenthood that subsequently leads to a serious burden to the surrounding family members. Optional government aid becomes the only hope for many who are financially broken. Therefore, for women who are sexually active and have no intentions for parenthood, birth control pills offer a simple and effective deterrent to unplanned pregnancy that can adversely affect both family and women.
Why is family planning critical to successful development programs? Family planning assistance saves lives, improves health, contributes to healthier children, and prevents abortion. Those countries in the developing world that have invested in health and education and have provided women access to family planning and reproductive health programs have experienced faster economic growth than those that have not. When couples can choose the number, timing and spacing of their children, they are better able to adequately feed and educate their children, potentially ending the cycle of poverty. Communities thrive, and in turn, countries fare better. By channeling resources to family planning, nations can save lives, stabilize population growth, slow the spread of AIDS, reduce poverty and improve women’s position in society.
How does family planning help women, their families, and their communities? Family planning can expand life choices for women and girls. Postponing early marriage and childbirth among girls and young brides through family planning increases their chances of receiving a good education. Education is vital not only to women’s individual development, but to that of their children as well as to the social, political, and economic growth of their community. Men and women who participate in family planning programs need to make appropriate decisions about their family size and the spacing of their children.