What is Fertility Awareness?
Fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) involve charting the menstrual cycle by tracking physical signs of the female body. FABMs can provide detailed information about fertility and reproductive health and can be used in three primary ways:
Avoiding pregnancy
The biomarkers used to chart the events of the menstrual cycle provide us with detailed information about the fertile and infertile phases of the cycle. This information allows the users of FABMs to alter their sexual behaviour in order to avoid a pregnancy. Perfect use of all fertility awareness based methods to avoid pregnancy entails abstinence from penile-vaginal intercourse or other sexual activity that might result in semen coming into contact with cervical mucus during the fertile phase of the cycle.
Achieving pregnancy
Information about the fertile and infertile phases of the cycle provided by cycle charting allows the users of FABMs to time intercourse in order to achieve a pregnancy. Identifying the fertile phase of the cycle accurately is especially valuable for people in situations where the fertile phase might be hard to identify (eg. very irregular cycles) or shorter than normal (eg. perimenopause). Additionally, charting the menstrual cycle can help identify factors that might reduce fertility and enable people to address health issues impairing their fertility even before they start trying to achieve a pregnancy.
Monitoring health
The biomarkers used to chart the events of the menstrual cycle provide an overview of the state of an individual’s reproductive health. The information gained from menstrual cycle charts enables the users of FABMs to be more active participants in assessing and addressing their reproductive health concerns as well as in managing their general and long-term health.
Find a Fertility Awareness Educator
Are you interested in finding a certified fertility awareness educator who can teach an evidence based FABM to you or your patients? In our educator directory, you find educators that are certified by NUFA’s standards.