Natural Family Planning

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING • an educational process of planning or preventing pregnancy based on observation by the couple of naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of the woman’s menstrual cycle

Mainstreaming Natural Family Planning  IMPORTANT: - full information to couples about their choices of family planning methods - Fertility Awareness: so that NFP can be easily understood and applied • FA – refers to the recognition of a woman’s fertile and unfertile phases of her reproductive cycle.

NFP STATISTICS • 95% - 99% effective • Theoretical failure rate: 1%-5% depending on the NFP method used:  Sympto-thermal method = 99%  Cervical mucus & BBT method = 98%  Standard days method = 95.25%

ADVANTAGES OF NFP • no chemical agents taken nor objects placed in body • no invasive procedures like injections or surgery • no side effects, • high method effectiveness • ensure safe motherhood • empowers family • provides value-based marital bonding.

DISADVANTAGES OF NFP • periodic abstinence • daily charting

TRADITIONAL METHODS OF NFP •

Rhythym or calendar method

•

Withdrawal – Coitus Interuptus  while the married couple are having sexual intercourse, the penis is withdrawn out of the vagina before ejaculation – This is NOT EFFECTIVE

MODERN METHODS OF NFP • Cervical mucus method – ovulation or Billing’s method – monitoring cervicalmucus changes to predict when ovulation occurs – as ovulation approaches, the cervical mucus thins and becomes increasingly elastic and transparent

MODERN METHODS OF NFP • Basal Body Temperature – the body temperature measured immediately after awakening and before any physical activity has been undertaken – In women, ovulation causes an increase of one-half to one degree Fahrenheit (one-quarter to one-half degree Celsius) in basal body temperature (BBT) – monitoring of BBTs is one way of estimating the day of ovulation

MODERN METHODS OF NFP • Sympto-thermal method – Combination of BBT & CMM – Mucus temperature method – method that helps you observe three main indicators of fertility: changes in basal body temperature, cervical mucus changes and your own calendar calculation

• Lactational Amenorrhea method – Birth control by breastfeeding – suppresses ovulation because suckling suppresses the pituitary so that ovulation does not occur

MODERN METHODS OF NFP • Standard days method – Is an effective, new natural family planning method developed through scientific analysis of the fertile time in a woman’s reproductive cycle – To prevent pregnancy: • Use of condom • Abstaining on cycle days 8-19 • CycleBeads – color-coded string of beads to represent a woman’s cycle to help her monitor and know her fertile days

MODERN METHODS OF NFP • Two-days wet and dry method

National NFP Strategic Plan Year 2002-2006 Goal: • Reduce health risks to women and children due to short birth intervals and too frequent pregnancies and childbirth.

National NFP Strategic Plan Year 2002-2006 • Objectives:

– Raise FA of at least 75% of young women immediately before or soon after menarche and of 75% of young men at puberty in preparation for responsible sexuality and family life. – Train or retrain at least 75% of frontline health providers on modern NFP methods – Raise NFP use rate to 20% among currently married women/couples who are not yat using any method of contraception

National NFP Strategic Plan Year 2002-2006 •

Strategies:

3. 4. 5.

Policy and organizational strengthening Advocacy and orientation on Fertility Awareness Training and certification of frontline health providers Raising capability of facilities and services Networking and development of support groups at all levels especially in the community Monitoring and evaluation

6. 7. 8.

National NFP Strategic Plan Year 2002-2006 Timetable: • Year 1 - Awareness-raising and basic technical capability building and networking • Year 2 - Monitoring of progress, expansion of services and networks, sustenance of awareness-raising and capability building activities • Year 3 - Mid-term evaluation and redirection • Year 4 - Expansion of coverage and higher quality improvement of services • Year 5 - End of term evaluation and phase out or strategic planning for next 5 years