Abstract Natural Family Planning can have no real ethical debate. This process of birth control is just that. It is controlling when to when not to have a child through the natural menses. There are no negative side-effects to NFP and it is environmentally sound. NFP is easy to learn and if practiced correctly, it is just as effective as any other form of contraception. So why should there be an argument? The truth is, there really are no premises for a debate. Natural Family Planning God designed marriage as an "intimate partnership of life and love" (Gaudium et spes, no. 48). In God's design, marriage is a unique union of one man with one woman "for the whole of life" (The Code of Canon Law, Canon 1055). Marriage is oriented to the good of the spouses and to the creation and nurture of new human life (Gaudium et spes, no. 48). Making decisions therefore, about when and how many children to have in marriage is a sacred responsibility. God gave all human beings on earth free will and has entrusted to husband and wife with this responsibility. This is the foundation of what the Church calls, "Responsible Parenthood"--the call to discern God's will for your marriage while respecting His design for life and love. This is the covenant all married couples make with God on the day that they say, “I do.” There have been many debates on the morality of birth control and which form is acceptable and there is only one that is accepted by the Catholic Church, and that is: natural family planning. Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an umbrella term for certain methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Couples using NFP to avoid pregnancy abstain from intercourse and genital contact during the fertile phase of the woman's cycle. No drugs, devices, or surgical procedures are used to avoid pregnancy. The Catholic Church supports the methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) because they respect God's design for married love. In fact, NFP represents the only authentic approach to family planning available to husbands and wives because these methods can be used to both attempt or avoid pregnancy. When a woman is using a form of birth control or when a man uses a condom, there is little chance that a pregnancy will occur making these methods only for prevention, which does not coincide with God’s plan. NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child. By respecting the love-giving and life-giving natures of marriage, NFP can enrich the bond between husband and wife (Standards for Diocesan Natural Family Planning Ministry, p. 23). Fifty-five to sixty percent of abortions in the United States are done to women who are usi