Despite the influx of hormone-based birth control pills, injections, implants and patches; many women in today’s society still embrace the practices of Natural Family Planning (NFP). According to a study conducted by the University of Iowa, one in three women use the NFP method and one in five women would use it as an option if there was more education available on it.
What is NFP?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, “Fertility awareness is a collection of methods using your body’s natural functioning to determine the days of the month you are most likely to get pregnant. It is also called Natural Family Planning (NFP), and other variations include the sympto-thermal method, and ovulation method or billings method.”
Let’s examine the different methods.
The Sympto-Thermal Method
According to Whitney C Harris and Karin A Bilich of parents.com, “This method combines the temperature and ovulation methods. It involves taking your temperature every day, checking your mucus, and looking for other signs of ovulation, including breast tenderness, abdominal cramps, vaginal spotting, and a change in the position and firmness of the cervix.
Using this method involves abstaining from sexual intercourse from the day you first notice feelings of vaginal wetness until the third day after the rise in temperature or the fourth day after the “peak” day of mucus production.”
The Ovulation or Billings Method
This is one of the most widely used methods of NFP worldwide. It’s simple to learn and has been statistically proven more effective than any other natural method of birth control. This method is based on monitoring and learning the significance of the natural secretion that appears mid-cycle.
According to plannedparenthood.com, “The hormones that control your menstrual cycle also make your cervix produce mucus — the gooey stuff on your cervix that comes out of your vagina as discharge. Your cervical mucus changes in colour, texture, and amount during your menstrual cycle (especially around ovulation).
To use the cervical mucus method to prevent pregnancy, you check out your mucus every day and write the results on a chart. The changes in your mucus help you figure out when you’re going to ovulate and are able to get pregnant. During your safe days, you can have unprotected vaginal sex. On your unsafe (fertile) days, don’t have vaginal sex, or use another method of birth control.”
The cervical mucus method is also called the ovulation method or the Billings method. It’s best to start this method with the help of an expert, like a doctor, nurse, or a family planning counsellor, because it can be hard to learn on your own.”
Is it reliable?
While these methods have been proven sound, as with artificial types of birth control it’s not 100 percent perfect. If followed correctly, studies have shown that this method can be 99% effective.