Family planning is not only concerned with avoiding pregnancy, but also with couples
choosing whether and when to have a baby.
The ideal method of family planning should not be damaging to health or
fertility, and should not affect the enjoyment of the sexual relationship.
Most women rely on medical advice when looking for a method of family planning.
It is usually the woman who makes the decisions, although the majority of women would prefer to share the decision-making with their
partner.
What is fertility awareness?
- Understanding basic information about fertility and reproduction.
- Identifying the signs and symptoms of fertility during the woman‘s
fertility cycle.
- Applying this information to oneself, discussing it with a partner, and
with health professionals.
Why is fertility awareness important?
- Fertility Awareness is fundamental to understanding and making informed
decisions about family planning choice and reproductive health.
- Fertility Awareness is fundamental to understanding and using natural
family planning, whether to plan or avoid pregnancy.
- Fertility Awareness helps women to value their fertility, which can be
easily damaged by infections, especially sexually transmitted diseases, many
of which can result in fertility problems.
Fertility Awareness is relevant throughout a woman‘s fertile life:
- Puberty and adolescence
- Considering an appropriate method of family planning.
- Preparing for pregnancy
- Following childbirth and during breast-feeding
- Approaching the menopause
What is Natural Family Planning (NFP)?
-
Natural methods of family planning use fertility awareness to identify the
fertile and infertile phases of a woman‘s menstrual cycle. This involves
observing the natural signs and symptoms or clinical indicators of fertility.
NFP can help to increase the chance of pregnancy:
-
As many as one couple in six experience some difficulty in conceiving. Fertility
Awareness can help couples to maximize their chances of conception, by
recognizing signs of fertility and optimizing the timing of intercourse.
NFP can be used to avoid pregnancy:
-
Couples learn to identify the fertile and infertile phases of the cycle and to
abstain from intercourse during the fertile phase if pregnancy is to be avoided.
This method requires observation of more than one clinical indicator of
fertility - a multiple index approach - usually a combination of waking
temperature and cervical mucus. This ensures the highest degree of efficiency in
avoiding pregnancy.
Efficiency - When motivated couples are taught by experienced teachers,
natural methods can be up to 98% effective. (Range 85-98% effective - FPA 1996)
Advantages and disadvantages of natural family planning
Advantages of NFP
- No interference with the woman‘s normal physiology
- Requires no drugs or devices
- No known physical side effects
- Can be used at all stages of reproductive life
- Both partners share the responsibility for family planning.
- May improve communication about sexuality
- May help sub-fertile couples to conceive
- Enables a couple to take control of their fertility
- Women can monitor their health and observe changes in sexual health.
- Morally and culturally acceptable when artificial contraception is
unacceptable.
- Cost-effective - Once properly taught, couples do not require medical
supervision.
Disadvantages
- It takes time to learn to recognize and chart fertility symptoms
- Requires initial teaching from an experienced NFP teacher
- Some women find charting difficult.
- There may be fear of unplanned pregnancy because though method failure is
low, there is a higher user failure rate particularly during the learning
phase.
- Both partners require a high degree of motivation, and commitment.
Modifications to sexual behaviour are needed to ensure abstinence during the
fertile phase.
- There may be difficulty using natural methods at times of stress, after
childbirth, after taking the contraceptive pill and during the
pre-menopause.