Ogden Women's Clinic

Natural family planning methods are ways to avoid pregnancy (or seek pregnancy) without the use of contraceptive drugs, chemicals, or devices. NFP methods teach a woman to identify the days of her menstrual cycle when she is likely to get pregnant if she has sexual intercourse, and the days of her menstrual cycle when she is very unlikely to get pregnant if she has sexual intercourse. Many women and men are surprised to learn that the days that pregnancy is possible are different than what they have heard about in the past.

Not the "rhythm method"
NFP is often confused with the outdated calendar "rhythm" method, but modern NFP is much more advanced. Modern methods of NFP can be used by women who have irregular cycles or who are breast feeding, as well as women with regular cycles.

Why people choose NFP
Some couples have religious reasons to prefer NFP methods. Other couples use NFP methods for non-religious reasons, such as wishing to use something natural or to avoid side effects of contraceptive medications. Some couples simply find that NFP fits their lifestyle better than other methods. NFP methods are low cost. Women and men who learn NFP learn more about a woman's body and her menstrual cycle.

A couple's method
Both the man and the woman must be involved for NFP to be successful. If a couple has sexual intercourse on a fertile day, they are likely to get pregnant. NFP does not provide protection from sexually transmitted infection.

Learn from an instructor
Research suggests that the most effective way to learn an NFP method is to meet with a qualified instructor, who can answer your specific questions about your own situation. In Utah, a standardized and medically advanced system of NFP is available, known as the Creighton Model Fertility Care System.

Creighton Model FertilityCare System
The Creighton Model FertilityCare System teaches women to identify days of fertility based on the biomarkers of vaginal secretions. It teaches women to identify the time of ovulation (the Peak Day). It can be used with irregular cycles. It is a standardized system that includes medical protocols for infertility and women's health problems (natural procreative technology, or NaProTechnology).

The Creighton Model FertilityCare System requires at least 4 sessions of instruction to learn optimally, and it may require additional sessions for women with irregular cycles or medical conditions that affect their cycles.

The perfect use pregnancy rate for the Creighton Model FertilityCare System to avoid pregnancy is <1%. This is the lowest possible pregnancy rate if the method is used perfectly. The typical use pregnancy rate is higher because couples sometimes have intercourse on fertile days.

To find out more about the Creighton Model FertilityCare System click here:
http://www.intermountainfertilitycare.com

Other NFP methods
There are several other NFP methods, and instruction for some of these is also available in Utah. These include the Billings Ovulation Method and the Sympto-Thermal Method. For more information on these methods, call 801-364-7662, or click here
Instructors http://www.intermountainfertilitycare.com/nfpteachers.htm
Billings Method http://www.woomb.org