News

By John-Henry Westen

ROME, Italy, June 27, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In an excusive LifeSiteNews.com interview, Mercedes Wilson, founder and President of the Natural Family Planning organization, Family for the Americas, explained the negative effects contraception has on a woman’s body and on a couple’s marriage.  She also described Family for the Americas’ mission to spread knowledge of NFP to the poor and confirmed that when practiced properly, it is 99 percent effective.  Her organization has taught millions in over 100 nations and in 20 different languages about NFP, not only by teaching people how to practice it, but also how to themselves become teachers of NFP.

Q:  How does your organization carry out its mission to spread awareness and knowledge of NFP?

A:  Our main work for the last 10-15 years has been training new teachers. We have developed the most comprehensive training manual for training teachers.

We do this all over the world, including the U.S., the developing world, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia, including China.  We train by using CD ROMs and videos, but we believe the most useful tools are the simplest materials, and that is why our book has been published in 21 languages.  We have training manuals and posters, because many times the poor countries don’t have electricity.  Our systems of posters teach the whole method for women undergoing every situation of the reproductive life, from fertility to pre-menopause.

Q: Which types of birth control methods do you find the people who come to you are using the most and what are the dangers associated with these?

A:  It depends on the country.  In the U.S. women are still using the pill, but less, because the media has given some info on the negative side effects and people are getting scared.  Young people, however, are still using patches and other forms of contraception, and they are falling into this trap because society continues to lure them into being promiscuous; that is the main problem.  By the time they come to us, by the time they get married, they are already wounded because they have tried a lot of things; we are the last resource in the first world.

In the third world, however, they are still using the 3-month injections the most.  It does so much harm to the poor.  They are given it while mothers’ are breastfeeding their babies.  The steroids are going right through the breast milk to the babies and that is a calamity.  It causes cancer, heart disease, you name it; the list is interminable.  And with the lack of the health facilities in the third world, it is criminal.

The pill, IUDs, injections, and the patch are devastating to the poor because they all carry the same steroids, which are known to be toxic and carcinogenic.  21 scientists with the World Health Organization in 2005 confirmed that estrogens in birth control methods are carcinogenic of the number one type, which is the most dangerous type of all.

Q:  Aside from protecting women from bodily harm, how else does NFP benefit those who practice it?

A:  A study of the most important work we have ever done confirms that married couples that practice NFP have a lower divorce rate than couples that use contraception.  In couples where NFP was practiced, we found a miniscule .2% divorce rate.  As well, happiness and success in the family life was very obvious in those families that respect the natural law by practicing NFP.

Q: What do think is the reason for the lower divorce rate?

A: There are many reasons, but the main reason is that both husband and wife are cooperating to bring life into the world or postpone it.  The husband is fertile all the time and the woman is only fertile for 100 hours; most women don’t know this.  God in his wisdom has put this natural science in the women’s body and it’s very obvious.  Just like menstruation is obvious, the fertile time is obvious. It is a matter of paying attention.

The problem is, is there is such a money making business in contraception, so they are very anxious to keep NFP in the dark.

To find more out about the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning visit:
  http:www.familyplanning.net