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.

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.

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.