HOW DOES NFP WORK?

After completing a certified NFP class, women observe their daily signs of fertility. Depending on the NFP method, these signs include cervical mucus, waking temperature, cervical changes, and/or fertility monitor readings. By accurately recording & interpreting this data, women can determine precisely when they are fertile and infertile - with 99% accuracy. ​ From there, the choice is theirs whether to have intercourse on fertile days, or to wait until infertile days return.

HOW MUCH ABSTINENCE IS THERE?

In an average 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs mid-cycle, around day 14. Most women will be fertile several days before ovulation and also a few days after. On average, women can expect around 7-10 fertile days per month. ​ Of course, each woman is unique, and so is every cycle she experiences. Some cycles include more fertile days than others.
But here's the good news: overall, NFP users enjoy similar rates of intercourse as birth control users.

FERTILITY AWARENESS - Natural Alternative to Birth Control

Women have many options when it comes to birth control.
But how many women fully understand all the risks and benefits? A growing number of women are choosing Fertility Awareness (Natural Family Planning) as an effective alternative to prescription birth control.

NFP is 99% effective when learned from a certified instructor. It's not the Rhythm Method.
It works with irregular cycles.

MYTH 2: NFP is only 76% Effective

FACT: ONLINE STATS WERE MISLEADING Up until May 2019, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website stated NFP had a 24% failure rate. This was based on a 2011 study with flawed research methods. The main flaw was that researchers mixed ALL natural methods - including the ineffective Rhythm Method - into a single statistic. That would be like combining all artificial birth control into a single statistic - the pill, implant, IUD, injection, etc. This would certainly never be considered accurate reporting! ​ After being corrected by various fertility awareness groups, the CDC has updated its information. It now states that NFP methods have between a 2-23% failure rate. This is far more accurate than before, and we need to share these updated statistics as much as possible.

MYTH 3: NFP won't work with Irregular Cycles

FACT: ANYONE CAN USE NFP EFFECTIVELY The rumor that NFP won't work for irregular cycles is based on the myth that NFP is just the Rhythm Method. ​ As explained above, NFP does not use any calculations, averages, or estimates to guess when a woman is infertile. NFP uses daily fertility recordings (waking temperature, cervical mucus, and other signs) to pinpoint exactly where a woman is in her cycle, one day at a time. ​ That means a woman with 28-day cycles can use NFP equally well as a woman whose cycles vary between 20-50 days, or any other length.

MYTH 1: NFP is just the Rhythm Method

FACT: NFP is FERTILITY AWARENESS, not Rhythm Decades ago, the only natural option for spacing births was the Rhythm Method. Users didn't chart their fertility signs, but instead tracked their monthly cycle length, then guessed which days were infertile based on standard calculations.​ Rhythm Method was notoriously ineffective, since it didn't work for women with irregular cycles, or women who didn't have perfect 28-day cycles each month.​ Aside from periodic abstinence, Rhythm and NFP have nothing in common. Rhythm was based on guesswork, not actual fertility chart data.​ Modern NFP, in contrast, is firmly based on Fertility Awareness concepts. There are no math equations to estimate infertile days. NFP uses empirical evidence to achieve 98-99% effectiveness.

MYTH 5: I can learn NFP on my own

FACT: NFP CLASSES ENSURE SUCCESS It seems new fertility-tracking apps become available every day, encouraging women to gain insight & control of their fertility. ​ Unfortunately, very few of these apps are certified to effectively avoid pregnancy. (For a 2018 review & rating of fertility apps, click here) ​ A surprisingly large number of NFP users are self-taught, and as a result, they generally do not experience the 98-99% effectiveness of NFP as taught by a certified teacher. ​ The best way to learn NFP is from a certified instructor. Classes are available both online and in person, and some methods even offer self-paced courses.

MYTH 4: My doctor doesn't recommend NFP, so it must not be scientific

FACT: MEDICAL STUDENTS AREN'T TAUGHT NFP Brace yourself for this: Pharmaceutical companies control much of what's taught in medical school. ​ That shouldn't be too shocking. Big Pharma controls a lot about our healthcare, from insurance reimbursements to TV ads for prescription drugs. (And did you know the US is one of only three countries in the world that allows those television ads?) ​ The fact is, birth control is a multi-billion dollar industry. Pharmaceuticals would lose enormous profits if women chose Fertility Awareness over artificial methods. ​ As a result, the majority of medical students never learn about Fertility Awareness at all, despite it being scientifically proven since before the 1960's.

SYMPTO-THERMAL METHOD (STM)

This is among the most common methods for new NFP users to learn. STM is taught in a 3-part class series. ​ Students learn how to chart & interpret 3 fertility signs:

• Basal body temperature
• Cervical mucus
• Cervical changes (optional)

CREIGHTON METHOD

Creighton users learn how to interpret their fertility based on precise examinations of cervical mucus. ​ After an introductory session, clients can schedule a series of private classes with a certified FertilityCare Instructor or Practitioner. Physicians trained in NaPro Technology rely heavily on Creighton charts to diagnose & treat women's health. For more information, please visit: www.fertilitycare.org www.creightonmodel.com www.naprotechnology.com

OVERVIEW

There are several NFP methods available. Each method utilizes Fertility Awareness concepts to help couples achieve 98-99% accuracy in spacing pregnancies. Each method can be used with irregular cycles. Postpartum & Premenopause classes exist as well. ​ For most methods, both online and in-person classes are available. Instructors provide many chart reviews to ensure students feel confident using NFP.

MARQUETTE METHOD

The Marquette Method utilizes the ClearBlue Easy Fertility Monitor, a device used at home which measures hormone levels in urine to estimate the beginning and end of fertility in a women's menstrual cycle. The monitor can be used in conjunction with observations of cervical mucus, basal body temperature, or other biological signs of fertility. ​ For more information, please visit: http://nfp.marquette.edu/

BILLINGS OVULATION METHOD

Billings relies on cervical mucus sensations to track fertility. Women use their own vocabulary to describe observations, as each woman's fertility is unique. 4 simple rules can be used at any stage of a woman's reproductive life. Instruction and private follow-up from an accredited instructor strongly recommended. ​ For more information, please visit: www.boma-usa.org www.learnnfponline.com

HOW DOES NFP WORK?

After completing a certified NFP class, women observe their daily signs of fertility. Depending on the NFP method, these signs include cervical mucus, waking temperature, cervical changes, and/or fertility monitor readings. By accurately recording & interpreting this data, women can determine precisely when they are fertile and infertile - with 99% accuracy. ​ From there, the choice is theirs whether to have intercourse on fertile days, or to wait until infertile days return.

HOW MUCH ABSTINENCE IS THERE?

In an average 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs mid-cycle, around day 14. Most women will be fertile several days before ovulation and also a few days after. On average, women can expect around 7-10 fertile days per month. ​ Of course, each woman is unique, and so is every cycle she experiences. Some cycles include more fertile days than others.
But here's the good news: overall, NFP users enjoy similar rates of intercourse as birth control users.

FERTILITY AWARENESS - Natural Alternative to Birth Control

Women have many options when it comes to birth control.
But how many women fully understand all the risks and benefits? A growing number of women are choosing Fertility Awareness (Natural Family Planning) as an effective alternative to prescription birth control.

NFP is 99% effective when learned from a certified instructor. It's not the Rhythm Method.
It works with irregular cycles.

MYTH 2: NFP is only 76% Effective

FACT: ONLINE STATS WERE MISLEADING Up until May 2019, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website stated NFP had a 24% failure rate. This was based on a 2011 study with flawed research methods. The main flaw was that researchers mixed ALL natural methods - including the ineffective Rhythm Method - into a single statistic. That would be like combining all artificial birth control into a single statistic - the pill, implant, IUD, injection, etc. This would certainly never be considered accurate reporting! ​ After being corrected by various fertility awareness groups, the CDC has updated its information. It now states that NFP methods have between a 2-23% failure rate. This is far more accurate than before, and we need to share these updated statistics as much as possible.

MYTH 3: NFP won't work with Irregular Cycles

FACT: ANYONE CAN USE NFP EFFECTIVELY The rumor that NFP won't work for irregular cycles is based on the myth that NFP is just the Rhythm Method. ​ As explained above, NFP does not use any calculations, averages, or estimates to guess when a woman is infertile. NFP uses daily fertility recordings (waking temperature, cervical mucus, and other signs) to pinpoint exactly where a woman is in her cycle, one day at a time. ​ That means a woman with 28-day cycles can use NFP equally well as a woman whose cycles vary between 20-50 days, or any other length.

MYTH 1: NFP is just the Rhythm Method

FACT: NFP is FERTILITY AWARENESS, not Rhythm Decades ago, the only natural option for spacing births was the Rhythm Method. Users didn't chart their fertility signs, but instead tracked their monthly cycle length, then guessed which days were infertile based on standard calculations.​ Rhythm Method was notoriously ineffective, since it didn't work for women with irregular cycles, or women who didn't have perfect 28-day cycles each month.​ Aside from periodic abstinence, Rhythm and NFP have nothing in common. Rhythm was based on guesswork, not actual fertility chart data.​ Modern NFP, in contrast, is firmly based on Fertility Awareness concepts. There are no math equations to estimate infertile days. NFP uses empirical evidence to achieve 98-99% effectiveness.

MYTH 5: I can learn NFP on my own

FACT: NFP CLASSES ENSURE SUCCESS It seems new fertility-tracking apps become available every day, encouraging women to gain insight & control of their fertility. ​ Unfortunately, very few of these apps are certified to effectively avoid pregnancy. (For a 2018 review & rating of fertility apps, click here) ​ A surprisingly large number of NFP users are self-taught, and as a result, they generally do not experience the 98-99% effectiveness of NFP as taught by a certified teacher. ​ The best way to learn NFP is from a certified instructor. Classes are available both online and in person, and some methods even offer self-paced courses.

MYTH 4: My doctor doesn't recommend NFP, so it must not be scientific

FACT: MEDICAL STUDENTS AREN'T TAUGHT NFP Brace yourself for this: Pharmaceutical companies control much of what's taught in medical school. ​ That shouldn't be too shocking. Big Pharma controls a lot about our healthcare, from insurance reimbursements to TV ads for prescription drugs. (And did you know the US is one of only three countries in the world that allows those television ads?) ​ The fact is, birth control is a multi-billion dollar industry. Pharmaceuticals would lose enormous profits if women chose Fertility Awareness over artificial methods. ​ As a result, the majority of medical students never learn about Fertility Awareness at all, despite it being scientifically proven since before the 1960's.