Family Planning

Family Planning

In family planning, married couples plan when they want to have babies and how many children they want. However, sometimes, the couple does not want to have a baby. They must therefore prevent a sperm from joining with an egg via birth control.

There are two measures of birth control: temporary and permanent. 

Temporary birth control:

In temporary birth control, a couple is able to have children when they wish to. This can be done through using temporary birth control methods.

These are some of the methods:

• Spermicides (kill or immobilize sperms, preventing fertilisation)
• Diaphragms (shallow dome shaped rubber or plastic cups that block the opening to the uterus and prevent sperms from fertilising the egg)
• Male condoms (collects the semen before, during and after intercourse, preventing fertilisation)
• Female condoms (collects semen before, during and after ejaculation, preventing fertilisation)
• Intra-uterine devices (IUD, prevents sperms from fusing with the egg or preventing implantation of a fertilised egg onto the uterine wall
• Contraceptive pills (prevent ovulation or thicken cervival mucus, which keeps sperms from fertilising the egg)

Permanent birth control:

In permanent birth control, a couple is not able to have any more children.

These are the methods:

1) Male sterilization or vasectomy

- removes a section of the sperm duct and the open ends are tied, blocking the sperm ducts and keeping sperms out of the seminal fluid

1. Female sterilization or ligation

• closes off the fallopian tubes where the egg is fertilised by a sperm. Middle portion of the fallopian tubes is removed and the open ends are tied

When a couple accidentally gets pregnant, they may get an abortion: a deliberate termination of a pregnancy before the foetus is developed enough to survive outside the uterus.