Working With Your Body
What is Fertility Awareness?
Fertility Awareness is Acadiana OB/GYN’s approach to helping women understand their fertility, through a better understanding of their own bodies.
The term “NFP” or “Natural Family Planning” has long been used to describe healthy and ethical alternatives to contraception. However, since the phrase “family planning” has essentially become a euphemism for contraception, the term “Fertility Awareness” is a more accurate term to describe these methods of avoiding pregnancy that is both highly effective and completely respectful of all religious traditions’ teachings on marital love.
Working With Your Body
What is Fertility Awareness?
Fertility Awareness is Acadiana OB/GYN’s approach to helping women understand their fertility, through a better understanding of their own bodies.
The term “NFP” or “Natural Family Planning” has long been used to describe healthy and ethical alternatives to contraception. However, since the phrase “family planning” has essentially become a euphemism for contraception, the term “Fertility Awareness” is a more accurate term to describe these methods of avoiding pregnancy that is both highly effective and completely respectful of all religious traditions’ teachings on marital love.
Working With Your Body
What is Fertility Awareness?
Fertility Awareness is Acadiana OB/GYN’s approach to helping women understand their fertility, through a better understanding of their own bodies.
The term “NFP” or “Natural Family Planning” has long been used to describe healthy and ethical alternatives to contraception. However, since the phrase “family planning” has essentially become a euphemism for contraception, the term “Fertility Awareness” is a more accurate term to describe these methods of avoiding pregnancy that is both highly effective and completely respectful of all religious traditions’ teachings on marital love.
Fertility Awareness Methods
We have found that the best methods of Fertility Awareness include both the “mucus only” methods (Billings, Crieghton, etc.) and the symptothermal (STM) methods as they are inexpensive, easy to learn, and highly effective both for postponing and achieving pregnancy.
These approaches are also very useful in evaluating infertility and gynecological problems. We do not recommend the repackaged versions of the more antiquated calendar methods now being promoted (Standard Days Method, Cycle Beads, etc.) since they are less effective and rely on a woman to have more predictable and regular cycles.
Effectiveness of Fertility Awareness Methods
Despite the common misconceptions among those unfamiliar with modern Fertility Awareness methods, these approaches are highly effective with proper training. For example, studies show that they are at least as effective as birth control pills and far more effective than the highly promoted latex barrier methods. Best of all, these methods have no harmful side effects whatsoever, and do not require that women have regular cycles.
These methods are especially useful when women have irregular cycles or abnormal bleeding because they can help chart and track other health indicators that provide a background for diagnosis and treatment.
Fertility Awareness methods can also be useful for couples who are trying to conceive. The types of charting used in these methods can also give women information about the most fertile times in their cycle.