Abstract

The natural growth rate of the Korean population has decreased from 3.0% in 1960 to 1.0% in 1990. This was done with family planning program which was introduced by the government in 1961. The family planning program focused on birth control rather than the characteristics of the individuals and motivations of contraception. People were simply forced to use the method. Whereas, Natural Contraceptive is a method of family planning based solely on the timing of intercourse with the naturally occurring' physiological manifestation of fertilization and in fertilization during the menstrual cycle. This is the combination of self fertility awareness with periodic abstinence. Natural family .planning(NFP) programs in Korea were first started in the Chun-Chen diocese of catholic church by Bishop Thomas Stewart in 1970 In 1975, the Bishops conference launched the Korea Happy Family Movement in the Catholic Hospital Association, to promote the natural family planning. An average of 70,000 people, including adolescents, college students, unmarried and married persons, arid the clergies were trained during a six-year period (1986-1991). 61.5%(24,542 people) of those who completed 3 cycles during 6 year period (1986-1991) became autonomous users and the range was from 48.1% to 78.2%. In 1986, 22.7% of NFP individuals who drooped out of the program because of the desire for conception (23.4%), the difficulty of the method used(25.8%), and the loss of interest(22.8%). During the six-year period the unplanned pregnancy rate at the NFP was 2.9%. The range of the pregnancy rate was at 1.2-9.8%. The rate was decreased as years passed. The major reason for the failure of contraceptive was error by the individuals(61.1%). The percentage of the success of conception was 18.1% of 2.979 for achieving pregnancy. The highest percentage was 58.2% (99 users) in Kwang-Joo diocese and next was 37.1% (10 users) in Chong Joo diocese.