Fertility Awareness

Family Planning, Natural, Natural Family Planning

Why It Is Done

Fertility awareness is done to help a woman learn when she is likely to ovulate. This information can help a woman:

• Become pregnant. Pregnancy is most likely to occur when sexual intercourse occurs close to the time of ovulation.
• Avoid pregnancy. A couple may use fertility awareness for birth control if:
  • Their religious beliefs do not allow the use of other methods of birth control.
  • They wish to use a "natural" method of birth control that does not use medicines, surgery, or other devices.
  • They are willing to pay close attention to the woman's cycle.
  • They are willing to not have sex or to use another birth control method during fertile days.
  • Preventing a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is not a concern.

To use fertility awareness as a birth control method:

• The woman should have regular menstrual cycles.
• The woman must watch her body for changes during her menstrual cycle. She must keep good records of her cycles.
• Both partners must do this method together. The couple must be willing to not have sex or to use a barrier contraceptive on days when the woman is fertile.
• The couple must be willing to have an unplanned pregnancy if this is their only method of birth control.

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Author:	Carrie Henley Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: August 31, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
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