Natural Womanhood
Choosing a Fertility Awareness-based Method
A fertility awareness method (FAM) is a modern, evidence-based method of charting one’s menstrual cycle, through observable biological signs unique to each woman, that helps a woman know more about her hormones, overall health, and when during her cycle she is naturally fertile or not.
With the information obtained by observing and charting, a woman is equipped to reach health goals with greater precision and family planning goals, such as avoiding or achieving pregnancy, with high rates of effectiveness.
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Benefits
- It respects your body: Taking contraceptives has a major impact on your reproductive system.
- It’s good healthcare: Contraceptives may mask important medical issues such as ovarian cysts, PCOS, or endometriosis. These problems can be better detected and more effectively treated if you use a natural approach.
- It takes no risks with your health: Hormonal contraceptives that contain estrogen (most do) have been classified as a class one carcinogen by the World Health Organization. It means that they are included in the same list of cancer-causing substances as arsenic, asbestos and tobacco.
- It’s free: No messing with insurance and doctors or trips to the drugstore. The only cost is an initial training fee; then you’re set for life.
- It's scientifically proven: Over the past 50 years, scientific research has proven, that typical use of fertility awareness-based methods is between 86% and 98% effective in helping couples avoid a pregnancy, and perfect use up to 99.6% effective. FABMs allow for a more accurate diagnosis and treatment of the root causes of reproductive health problems such as PMS, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), irregular cycles, infertility, etc.
No More Mystery
Be informed, be empowerd: Learning to keep track of the signs of fertility is referred to as charting. FABMs teach you to observe and chart the natural signs of your body to become aware of the different phases of your cycle including your fertile window. Couples who are sexually active should always consider that pregnancy can happen and that having a child is an important responsibility. FABMs can be used to avoid getting pregnant in a natural, hormone-free way.
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About Hormonal Contraceptives
How Does Hormonal Contraceptives (Birth Control) Work?
Hormonal contraceptives have three recognized mechanisms to disrupt a woman’s fertility. All women have the right to be informed about the way hormal contraception affects their bodies and the long-term health effects that can come from their use.
The Effects on a Woman's Fertility
- They prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovary into the fallopian tube).
- They inhibit sperm migration by thickening and altering cervical mucus (making it harder for sperm and egg to meet)
- They prevent implantation of a fertilized egg into the endometrium (the lining of the uterus where the new life attaches and grows until birth)
- In any given cycle, one or all of these mechanisms could be working to prevent a pregnancy. Which of these mechanisms is predominant is influenced by the type of hormonal contraceptive being used.
Getting Pregnant on Contraception
Woman do become pregnant while taking hormonal contraceptives. Sometimes ovulation still occurs, and the egg is fertilized creating a unique human life (i.e. conception). If that new human life is unable to implant in the endometrium, that individual (i.e. zygote) will die. This is the abortifacient effect of contraception. A woman would abort without knowing she was pregnant.
It is also important to know that these contraceptive drugs do not protect a woman from sexually transmitted infections or diseases. In fact, the drying effect of the artificial hormones may make her more prone to infections because the altered mucus may no longer act as a barrier to filter out unhealthy sperm and infection.
See Natural Womanhood's for information on complications from hormonal contraceptives including blood clots, stroke and heart attack, cancer, and other known health risks.
Information on Brand-Specific Contrceptives:
Hormonal IUDs (Mirena, Skyla, Liletta)
What about the Morning After Pill?
Choosing to Wait, Choosing Abstinence
There is More Than One Choice
We see and talk to a lot of young people coming in and out of abortion facilities. Some are there for birth control, some for STD or STI tests, some for a "well-woman" exam or pap smear, some for a pregnancy test/ultrasound, some considering abortion, some not. Some are in bad relationships. We don't know what brings you here today, but we would like to give you something to consider as you go on your way.
What we propose might seem really radical to you. Maybe no one has ever told you this before. Maybe you don’t think you are strong enough to do it. But here it is:
Imagine the true freedom you would have in your life if you chose to wait until you are married to have sexual relations.
- Natural family planning - With natural family planning, both husband and wife are taught to understand and live the true design for married love. NFP methods promote a holistic approach to family planning which both respects procreation and has the potential to deepen the intimacy of husband and wife. NFP relies on couple communication and behavior change; it requires both husband and wife to cooperate with each other in the most intimate area of their lives. When living the NFP lifestyle, husband and wife learn that they have a shared responsibility for safeguarding the gifts of human sexuality, marriage and family. Click here to learn more about natural family planning. Click here to find a provider.
- Just think about it - you could focus on your goals, move forward without fear and all the baggage that comes with hooking up. If you are in a relationship with a guy and you told him no sex until marriage - would he leave you? And if he would, then why do you want him? He has no interest in committing to you for a lifetime. You will always wonder if and when he has moved on to someone else. Has this already happened - where you feel used and your heart was broken? You see your friends go through the cycle over and over again, and they are left with the constant fear of pregnancy, STDs, and a host of other physical, mental, and spiritual results. So what would your life look like if you said no to sex before marriage? Can you see your own true dignity and worth?
- You are beautiful - made in the image and likeness of God. You are loved not for what you will do, but for who you are. If you can earn it, it’s not love. You can stop the cycle of use and discard. Love people, use things, not the other way around. It is your body and soul. Choose to respect and love yourself enough to say no and to take care of yourself. Be truly feminine. Be a woman of grace who demands respect. This is what we are made for: strength, beauty, and honor. We encourage you to consider this. Real love waits. No matter your past, you can start today. We are praying for you.