The effectiveness and significant
advantages of NFP address the
needs of diverse populations with varied religious
and ethical beliefs. They also provide an alternative
for women who want to use natural methods for
medical or personal reasons.
|
Of married women
worldwide using some form of family
planning, approximately 8% claim to
use a form of periodic abstinence. Yet
a very small percentage of these couples
actually are using a natural method
correctly. |
|
~Levels
and Trends of Contraceptive Use, United
Nations, 1999 |
|
New Simple Methods of
Natural Family Planning
| The
Standard Days Method®
The Standard Days Method (SDM) is a new
simple fertility awareness-based method.
It relies on a "standard rule"
or a fixed "window" of fertility
that makes it easy for women to know when
they are likely to become pregnant.
The fact that it involves no calculation
or observation makes the SDM easy for service
providers to teach and for women to learn
and use. To avoid pregnancy, a woman with
cycles between 26 and 32 days long should
not have unprotected intercourse on cycle
days 8 through 19.
A color-coded string of beads, called Cycle
Beads™, are used to help women keep
track of the days of their menstrual cycle
and see which days they are likely to get
pregnant. More on
the SDM...
|
|
|
Clinical
trials conducted in Bolivia, Peru,
and the Philippines determined
the effectiveness of the Standard
Days Method. It is more than 95%
effective when used correctly.
|
|
~Contraception,
2002 |
|
|
The TwoDay Method®
The TwoDay Method is a new simple approach
to NFP. It relies on a simple algorithm
to help women identify when they are fertile,
based upon the presence or absence of cervical
secretions.
If the woman notices any secretions on
the current or previous day, then she is
probably fertile today and should not have
unprotected intercourse if she wants to
avoid pregnancy.
If she notices no secretions today and yesterday
(two days in a row without secretions),
then she is not fertile today. More
on the TDM... |
|
|
Results
of TwoDay Method clinical trial conducted
in Guatemala, Peru and the Philippines
showed that the method is more than
96% effective in preventing pregnancy
when used correctly. |
|
~Fertility
and Sterility, 2004 |
|
Other Natural Family Planning
Methods
The Ovulation Method
The Ovulation Method, also call the Cervical
Mucus Method, is based on understanding
and interpreting changing cervical secretions
that are produced at the neck of the uterus
(cervix). At the time of greatest fertility,
these secretions become clear, stretchy,
slippery and wet.
Couples who wish to avoid pregnancy abstain
from intercourse from the onset of cervical
mucus symptom until three days after the
last day of fertile-type secretions. |
 |
Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
Women using the Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
Method identify their fertility by observing their
body temperature each morning before beginning
any activity.
The body temperature is lower before ovulation
and rises slightly to about .2 degrees Celsius
or .4 degrees Fahrenheit after ovulation.
Couples who wish to avoid a pregnancy abstain
from intercourse from the onset of menses until
three days after the woman's basal body temperature
has risen, to about .2 degrees Celsius or .4 degrees
Fahrenheit, signifying the end of the fertile
phase.
Symptothermal Method
The Symptothermal Method involves observing
changes in the cervical secretions, along
with changes in the basal body temperature,
and the position and feel of the opening
of the cervix. Other fertility signs such
as mid-cycle pain or bleeding may accompany
ovulation.
Couples who wish to avoid pregnancy abstain
from intercourse during the fertile period
identified by all of the fertility indicators.
|
|
Lactational Amenorrhea Method
The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) is based
on scientific evidence that a woman is not fertile
and unlikely to become pregnant during full lactation
or exclusive breastfeeding. Full lactation describes
breastfeeding when no regular supplemental feeding
of any type is given (not even water) and the
infant is feeding both day and night with little
separation from the mother.
LAM provides maximum protection as long as:
- Menstruation has not resumed
and
- Bottle feeds or regular
food supplements are not introduced and
- Baby is less than 6 months
of age.
Effectiveness
of Natural Family Planning Methods
Successful use of natural methods to prevent
pregnancy depends upon:
- The accuracy of the method
in identifying the woman's actual fertile days
- A couple's ability to correctly
identify the fertile time
- The couple's ability
to follow the rules of the method they are using
Unintended pregnancies among women practicing
natural methods are primarily related to user
error. A sizable but unknown portion of the unintended
pregnancies is attributable to improper teaching
and poor use of the methods. Experts at the World
Health Organization (WHO) suspect that among users
of NFP, sexual-risk taking during fertile days--that
is, having intercourse even when they know the
woman is fertile--accounts for more unintended
pregnancy than does inability to accurately identify
the fertile time.
Couples who use natural methods correctly to
prevent pregnancy have only a 1% to 9% chance
of becoming pregnant during one year of use, depending
on which method they use.
Couples who do not use their method correctly—that
is, they have intercourse on days when the method's
guidelines tell them that the woman is fertile—-have
a much greater chance of unintended pregnancy.
The following is the probability of pregnancy
for women using natural methods:
| |
Unintended
Pregnancies
with Natural Methods
Number
of pregnancies per 100 women
per year of use |
|
Perfect
Use % |
Typical
Use % |
| Standard
Days Method |
5 |
12 |
| TwoDay
Method |
4 |
14 |
| Lactational
Amenorrhea Method |
0.5
- 1.5* |
2* |
| Billings
Ovulation Method |
3
- 5 |
20 |
| Symptothermal
Method |
2
- 5 |
20 |
Sources:
Guida M., et al. Gynecological Endocrinology
1997.: Arévalo M., et al. Contraception
May 2002, World Health Organization, Fertility
and Sterility, 1981, Trussell, et al., Family
Planning Perspectives, 1990
* 6 month life table |
Advantages
and Disadvantages of Natural Family Planning Method
Advantages
- Increased self-awareness
and knowledge of their fertility
- Increased reliance
on their own resources rather than a family
planning program or other sources of contraception
- Increased independence
from costly or distant medical services
- Freedom from artificial
substances and the side effects or potential
medical risks of other methods
- Reduced re-supply costs
associated with commodity-based methods
- Enhanced communication
and intimacy with partner
- Encourages male involvement
in family planning
- For some, the ability
to adhere to religious and cultural norms
Disadvantages
- The commitment, motivation
and cooperation of both partners is necessary
- For women using symptom-based
methods, keeping daily records of fertility
signs and symptoms
- When used for pregnancy
prevention, a couple may experience stress as
a result of not being able to have unprotected
intercourse for several days in a row during
the fertile days
|
