Empirical research on childlessness would provide a necessary control group for analyses of motivations for parenthood, and of the effects of children on personal and marital adjustment. Knowledge of the conditions under which voluntary childlessness constitutes a viable and satisfactory alternate life style would have implications for more…

Variables important in predicting female contraception usage were found to be those which involved dyadic commitment, conditions of love, self-esteem, and father's occupation (social class). The best predictors of male contraception usage involved experience in dating and internalization of role models via mother's and father's permissiveness.…

The changes in family planning methods in the 1960s and the recognition of population control as a public health problem brought to the nursing profession the issue of the nurse's involvement in family planning counseling. The author reviews the literature defining the functions of the nurse with regard to family planning counseling. (Author/RP)

The author discusses a multi-media library and information center in population and family planning which is associated with a Planned Parenthood affiliate and provides many segments of the community with educational materials and services and strengthens the affiliate's programs. (Author)

A study comparing the processes of arriving at fertility decisions in marriage shows that the husband's preference for children or for childlessness controls more often than the wife's preference in either case. Using two childless samples and one sample with children, the strong effect of male preference was found. (Author)

The increasing popularity of sterilization underscores the need for knowledge about couples choosing male and female procedures. This research delineates four sets of variables that may be important for the decision and examines their relationship with the choice of male or female procedure among a sample of married couples. (Author)

Statement released by the Board of Directors, National Council on Family Relations, May 20, 1971. (Editor)

Involuntary parenthood contributes to population problems and may have deleterious consequences for the mental health of both parent and child. Some suggestions are outlined for counteracting pronatalist policies with alternative strategies for manipulating fertility decision making. (Author)

Young mothers of two children responded to a 49 item questionnaire designed to assess their motivations for and consequences (personal and marital) of having a second child. Results indicated that the second child involved more work, more noise, and decreased marital happiness, but "worth it." (Author)

This paper reviews literature on teenage contraceptive behavior and teenage contraceptive decision making. The paper describes the persistence of a sexual double standard in terms of moral motivation to use contraception and in terms of the relative lack of communication about contraception among young partners. (Author)