ABSTRACT
Most commonly, then, among Catholics, "ineffective" practice is non-practice while among Protestants it is sporadic practice, but there is a sizeable minority in each group for which the reverse is true. The more children an ineffective couple has, however, the more likely are they to be sporadic rather than non-users. This chapter examines the distribution of effective and ineffective contraceptive practitioners at two points in the family cycle: first, before the birth of the last child wanted by the wife and second, after the birth of this last wanted child. In most cases, the association of effective contraception with equal enjoyment accompanies very positive interest in sexual relations on the part of both partners. In contrast, ineffective practice is associated particularly with a sexual relationship in which the wife enjoys sex more than her husband, or in which he enjoys sex but she does not exhibit a positive interest in it.
