Natural family planning (fertility awareness)
Natural family planning is a method that teaches you at what time during the month you can have sex without contraception and with a reduced risk of pregnancy.
It works by plotting the times of the month when you’re fertile and when you’re not. You learn how to record fertility signals, such as your body temperature and cervical secretions (fluids, or mucus), to identify when it’s safer to have sex. Natural family planning is more effective when more than one fertility signal is monitored.
You can't learn natural family planning from a book. It has to be learned from a specialist teacher.
It works by plotting the times of the month when you’re fertile and when you’re not. You learn how to record fertility signals, such as your body temperature and cervical secretions (fluids, or mucus), to identify when it’s safer to have sex. Natural family planning is more effective when more than one fertility signal is monitored.
You can't learn natural family planning from a book. It has to be learned from a specialist teacher.
Advantages and disadvantages of natural family planning
Advantages
Disadvantages
Advantages
- it does not cause any side effects
- natural family planning is acceptable to all faiths and cultures
- most women can use natural family planning, providing they are properly trained by a teacher in fertility awareness, and keep accurate records
- once you have learned the techniques there should be no further need for input from health professionals
- natural family planning can be used to avoid pregnancy or to become pregnant, according to your wishes
- it does not involve chemicals or physical products
- it can help you recognise normal and abnormal vaginal secretions, so you can be aware of possible infection
- it involves your partner in the process, which can help increase feelings of closeness and trust
Disadvantages
- Natural family planning does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia or HIV.
- You will need to avoid sex, or use contraception such as condoms, during the time you might get pregnant, which some couples can find difficult.
- If you do decide to abstain there can sometimes be up to 16 days during which you cannot have sex, depending on your cycle.
- It can be much less effective than other methods of contraception. Depending on how accurately it is used, as many as one in four women using natural family planning may get pregnant.
- It will not work without the continuing commitment and co-operation of both you and your partner.
- It can take several menstrual cycles before you become confident in identifying your fertile time. This can be two or three cycles for measuring body temperature and monitoring your cervix, and up to six cycles for using the calendar method. During this time you will have to use barrier contraception, such as condoms.
- You will need to keep a daily record of your fertility signs.
- It is not suitable if you have persistent irregular periods.
- Factors such as stress, illness, travel, lifestyle and use of hormonal treatments can disrupt your fertility signs. This includes oral emergency contraception. If you use the emergency contraceptive pill you will need to wait for two complete cycles before relying on natural family planning again.
For more information visit: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/contraception-guide/Pages/contraception.aspx