"Family Planning: When 'Natural' is Unnatural", PDI, October 27, 2004

Dear Ms. Blanche Rivera,

This is to convey my reaction to your article published today, Wednesday, October 27, 2004, p. A9, entitled "Family Planning: When 'Natural' is Unnatural". In this article you stated that Natural Family Planning (NFP) may be unnatural based on the claims of Mr. Ric Gonzales of The Social Acceptance Project-Family Planning (TSAP-FP) that NFP is difficult to Filipino couples because of the physiological sacrifice and behavioral changes required.

I am greatly concerned about the possible negative impact of your article to people's perception toward NFP. I believe NFP affirms the couples' humanity more than all the other family planning method combined. If couples wish to affirm their human dignity, they ought to use NFP.

My reaction to your article is summarized in the following items:

1. It is scientifically inaccurate for Mr. Ric Gonzales to claim that NFP is unphysiological.
2. To claim that NFP is unnatural because of the behavioral change required (abstinence) is tantamount to saying that human beings are not expected to control their natural instincts when it becomes unreasonable and not to assert their will power.

I will proceed to elaborate on these two items.

It is scientifically inaccurate for Mr. Ric Gonzales to claim that NFP is unphysiological. Couples who practice NFP do not take in drugs that can chemically affect the hormonal state of their bodies. The ones that are really unphysiological are those that take in contraceptive pills and abortifacient drugs as their family planning method. These medicine alter the hormonal and other physiological process inside their bodies. Artificial contraceptive methods are the ones unphysiological.

It is not unphysiological for couples who practice NFP to have sexual intercourse during the female partner's infertile period. They are not altering or manipulating physiological process in their bodies. One of the significant differences between sexual intercourse during fertile and infertile period of the female partner is that the female is easily aroused sexually during fertile period. During infertile times, it takes time for her to be sexually aroused. This difference is not physiological. Sexual arousal has a biological and physiological basis but it is more accurately considered psychological.

Human beings' behavior does not only proceed from instincts and feelings, as animal do. Human beings have will power which ought to be the main determinant of human actions. Thus, there is nothing wrong for couples to have sexual intercourse during the female's infertile period. If they want to do it, they are free do it. It is not correct to label NFP as unnatural just because of the behavioral change required. Abstinence, as a family planning method, is the most natural method of all the family planning methods. The only "unnatural" thing in abstinence is to control one's sexual instinct when the situation dictates that it is unreasonable and irresponsible to follow one's instinct. In abstinence, couples do not take in medicine that could affect their body processes nor use instruments that physically block a natural biological process (i.e. the meeting of the sperm cells and the egg cell). It is more proper and responsible for human beings to assert their will power than to follow unreasonably their sexual instinct. Couples affirm their humanity when they use their will power. Couples deteriorates down to animality when they do not assert their will and just follow their instincts.

To condone couples who cannot abstain all the time and provide them with other contraceptives is the same as allowing these couples to follow their sexual instinct and not to use their will power. Teaching couples responsible parenthood includes teaching them to act using their will power and not their instincts. It is really hard to acquire self-control, but that does not mean that it is inhuman and unnatural. Condoning people for their lack of self-control is the same as accepting their mediocrity. We cannot progress as a nation with this mind set. We ought to teach couple to how to acquire self-mastery.

I hope I made my point clear to you, Ms Rivera. If you need more clarification, please feel free to send me a message. Thank you for your time. Be of good heart and health.