Avoiding Pregnancy

NFP empowers couples to integrate their sexuality in harmony with their fertility. It recognises that their bodies and love are beautiful and unique. Couples gain a heightened self-awareness. Their bodies reveal their secrets, enabling couples to acquire personal control of their own fertility.

NFP is simple, inexpensive, lifelong, reversible and has no medical side effects. The NFP experience is best described as: Natural & Healthy...No drugs - No devices...Effective... and by helping the couple  communicate about the most intimate part of their relationship, builds mutual respect and a greater sense of co-operation. This shared responsibility facilitates their decision-making regarding the timing and spacing of children.

The Symptothermal Method

Natural Fertility Services, Melbourne instructs couples in the Symptothermal Method, which is the modern, scientifically-proven multi-indicator Method of NFP. Couples learn to observe, record and interpret cyclical changes based on:

Primary fertility signs

• Basal body temperature
• Cervical mucus
• Cervical changes

Secondary fertility signs

• Mid Cycle Pain (Mittleschmerz)
• Breast changes
• and others depending on the couple’s personal experience

Cycle calculations

• Projected calculations based on 12 months’ cycle analysis

Effectiveness

The Symptothermal Method’s effectiveness in avoiding pregnancy compares favourably to the Pill.¹

Scientifically, its effectiveness results from the Symptothermal Method’s multi-indicator “cross-check”. Rather than relying on just one fertility symptom, the Symptothermal Method combines at least 3 signs to verify a couple's unique fertility.

It must be recognised that the Symptothermal Method is a behavioural form of family planning. In other words, its effectiveness is the couple’s own responsibility and depends on:

• Instruction and early stage support by an ACNFP accredited NFP teacher
• Co-operation and ongoing motivation of both partners

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1.    Hum. Reprod. (2007) 22(5): 1310-1319 Study conducted at Dept Gynecological  Endocrinology in Germany, by Dr Petra Frank-Herrmann 2007

The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine p. 153 by Pallone, S. and Bergus, G. “Fertility awareness-based methods: another option for family planning,” 

Contraceptive Technology, R.A. Hatcher, et al.,  Nineteenth Revised Edition, New York: Ardent Media, 2007