Providing sexual health education to clients is a significant part of the nursing role at the Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic. The following information was designed to provide a general information teaching sheet about Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). A final copy will be published and used by Alberta Health Services while educating clients about the basic components of NFP and FAM. Clients will then be referred on to obtain special training from an expert in the field of NFP/FAM.
What is Natural Family Planning?
Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods help a woman to know when she is most fertile and can become pregnant. To avoid pregnancy, it is best not to have sexual intercourse (abstinence) during the fertile days. Special training is needed for these methods. 1 in 4 women may become pregnant using NFP.
What is Fertility Awareness Method?
Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) works almost the same way NFP does. These methods also help a woman to know when she is most fertile and can become pregnant. A woman will choose to use FAM to avoid pregnancy, or to become pregnant. To avoid pregnancy, it is best not to have sexual intercourse during the fertile days or to use a barrier method, such as a condom. To become pregnant, a woman should have sexual intercourse during her fertile days.
Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness Methods:
1. Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) – used by women who are exclusively breastfeeding infants that are less than 6 months of age.
2. Symptothermal Method– women will check and record changes in cervical mucus (discharge or wetness), body temperature and the position of the cervix (opening of the uterus) to know when they are fertile.
3. Ovulation Method– women will check and record changes in cervical mucus to know when they are fertile.
4. The Standard Days Method– women are given a range of fertile days where they should not have sexual intercourse. This method may only be useful for women with menstrual cycles (first day of one period to the first day of the next period) that are 26 to 32 days long.
5. The TwoDay Method– women will check and record if they have cervical mucus or not to know if they are fertile.
6. The Rhythm Method–To use this method, women will keep track of their menstrual cycles for 6-12 months. A calculation will then be done to find their range of fertile days.
Natural Family Planning/Fertility awareness may be difficult if you:
• Have irregular periods (starting your first period or are near menopause).
• Have just stopped a hormonal method of birth control, like the Pill or Depo Provera.
• Have just had a baby or are breastfeeding (unless using LAM).
Does it work?
With perfect use, NFP methods are 91-99% effective. With typical use, they prevent pregnancy 75-80% of the time.
How is Natural Family Planning Used?
• Women will keep track of the days of their menstrual cycle and any other necessary information depending on their NFP method (such as cervical mucus and/or body temperature).
• Women should not have sex during their fertile days.
Thinking About Natural Family Planning?
This choice may be for women:
• Who are comfortable talking about sexual intercourse and birth control.
• Who do not want to use hormones or barrier methods (i.e. condoms).
• If an unplanned pregnancy would be okay.
This choice may not be for:
• Women that do not want to talk about sex and birth control.
• Women that do not want to keep track of their menstrual cycles and fertility.
• Women who may choose to have unprotected sexual intercourse during their fertile days.
What are the advantages of Natural Family Planning?
• It is low cost and does not require hormones.
• Women can become more in-tune with their menstrual cycles and it can promote body awareness.
• It is accepted by many religions.
• It is safe and effective. It can be easy to learn and many women around the world have used these methods to prevent pregnancy.
Things to Think About:
• Emergency Contraception should be used if a condom breaks during sexual intercourse or if a condom is not used. It works best if taken within 24 hours, but can be used up to 5 days after.
• It takes many months to get to know your menstrual cycles and you must keep track of them.
• Your fertile time may be more than a week each month.
• It does not protect against STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) if condoms are not used.
Sexual Decision Making
• You can choose to have sex or not – you have the right to make that decision.
• You can choose to protect yourself from getting pregnant and STI.
• Use a condom every time you have sex to lower your risk of STI.
• Talk with your partner about these choices before you have sex.
For More Information:
http://sexualityandu.ca//en/birth-control/natural-methods
http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp024.cfm
Sexual and Reproductive Health
Education/Health Promotion: 403-955-6515
Clinical Services
Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, 5th floor 1213–4th St SW (403-955-6500)
South Calgary Health Centre, 31 Sunpark Plaza SE (403-943-9510)
Sunridge Professional Building, Suite 406 2675–36th Street NE (403-944-7666)
East Calgary Health Centre, 4715 – 8th Avenue SE (403-955-1071)
Alberta Health Services Sexual Health Website
http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/programs/sexualhealth
For 24-hour nurse advice and health information, call Health Link Alberta at 403-943-LINK (5465) in Calgary or 1-866-408-LINK (5465) toll free. ________________________________________________________________________ This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. If you have specific questions, please consult your doctor or appropriate healthcare professional.
References:
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.(2011). Natural family planning, retrieved from http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp024.cfm
Arevalo, M., Yeager, B. Sinai, I., Panfichi, R., & Jennings, V. (2010). Adding the standard days method to the contraceptive method mix in a high-prevalence setting in Peru. Rev Panam Salud Publica, 28(2) 80-85.
Dunson, D.B., & Weinburg, C.R. (2000). Modeling human fertility in the presence of measurement error. Biometrics, 56(1) 288-292.
Frank-Herrmann, P., Gnoth, C., Baur, S., Strowitzki, T., & Freundl G. (2005). Determination of the fertile window: reproductive competence of women - European cycle databases. Gynaecological Endocrinology, 20(6) 305-312.
Kane, A. (2002). Family planning education and the childbirth educator. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 20(6) 305-312.
Miller, R., & Hanvey, L. (2004). Canadian contraception census. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, 143(1) 363-365. Retrieved from http://www.sogc.org/jogc/pdf/abstracts/200404347.pdf
SexualityandU. (2010). Birth control: natural methods. Retrieved from http://sexualityandu.ca//en/birth-control/natural-methods
Sinai, I., Lundgren, R., Arevalo, M., & Jennings, V. (2006). Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning: predictors of correct use. International Family Planning Perspectives, 32(2) 94-100.
Srikanthan, A., & Reid R.L. (2007). Religious and cultural influences on contraception. Women's Health JOGC. Retrieved from http://www.sogc.org/jogc/abstracts/full/200802_WomensHealth_1.pdf
Trent, A.J., & Clark, K. (1997). What nurses should know about natural family planning. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecological & Neonatal Nursing, 26(6) 643-648.
Trussell, J., Koenig, J., Ellertson, C., & Stewart, F. (1997). Preventing unintended pregnancy: the cost-effectiveness of three methods of emergency contraception. American Journal of Public Health, 87(6) 932-937.
World Health Organization. (1993). Natural family planning: what health workers need to know. Retrieved February 10, 2011 from http://www.whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1993/WHO_MCH_FPP_93.2.pdf
Great Information, thank you. GT
ReplyDelete