Frequently Asked Questions

		Frequently Asked Questions > How effective are the Natural Fertility Management methods for contraception? > I am very irregular, will I be able to use these methods? > Can these methods be used with barrier methods? Do I have to abstain when I use these methods? How many days will I have to abstain or use barrier methods using these methods? > When I told my doctor I was going to use natural methods of birth control he laughed and said he'd see me in his clinic pregnant before long. Now I am confused and worried. Can I rely on these methods?

		How effective are the Natural Fertility Management methods for contraception? Studies have shown the methods learnt in The Natural Fertility Management Contraception Kit™ have effectiveness rates similar to the pill, when used as instructed. The average success rate s is 99 percent, which means that for one hundred sexually active women using these methods for a year, only one is likely to get pregnant. It is important for men and women using any form of contraception to know that the difference between theoretical and actual success rates can vary considerably - for the pill as much as for condoms. To enjoy a success rate closer to the theoretical than the actual (population average) requires the user to give the instructions, and the learning phase, the enthusiastic attention that such an important endeavour warrants. Back to Top

		I am very irregular, will I be able to use these methods? Yes. The methods learnt in The Natural Fertility Management Contraception Kit™ are not based on rhythm calculations and as such do not rely on regularity. The methods rely on observing the easily recognised cyclical symptoms of fertility, charting these observations, watching your own patterns of fertility emerge from the charts and using this knowledge to determine when you are fertilie and when you are not. You can then use this information to plan for contraception or conception. Irregular cycles may be a sign of hormonal imbalance for which you can seek help from a natural therapist specialising in reproductive health, fertility or women’s health. Back to Top

		Can these methods be used with barrier methods? Do I have to abstain when I use these methods? How many days will I have to abstain or use barrier methods using these methods? During the fertile times of your cycle, you can choose to use a barrier method of contraception, or to enjoy non-genital-to-genital sex or to abstain from sex altogether. The choice is yours. During the learning phase condoms are the best barrier method to use as they do not interfere with mucus checking. During the infertile times of your cycle, you can confidently use no contraception at all (unless infection is a consideration). Once you have learnt the natural fertility management methods, as given in the Natural Fertility Management Contraception Kit™, you may have as little as a few fertile days each month to be concerned with, however this varies from individual to individual and from time to time. Seven days per cycle is the average number an experienced woman would consider fertile, which includes both actual fertile days and safety margins. Back to Top

		When I told my doctor I was going to use natural methods of birth control he laughed and said he'd see me in his clinic pregnant before long. Now I am confused and worried. Can I rely on these methods? It is very unlikely that your doctor is familiar with the Natural Fertility Management combination of methods. Many doctors favour the pill and lump all ‘natural’ methods in with the rhythm method - which is notoriously unreliable. Others doctors may have seen patients who have fallen pregnant whilst using the Billings method or sympto-thermal method (combination of mucus and temperature). Whilst the these methods are very useful for determining the approach and occurance of mid-cycle ovulation, it is not as effective as the Natural Fertility Management combination of methods, which includes the lunar biorhythmic cycle – important for predicting when a spontaneous ovulation may occur. Make a clear assessment as to whether your doctor has enough information about all methods of contraception, natural and unnatural, before considering him or her the expert to advise you. You may decide to become your own expert about your body, using health professionals when you need their specific skills. Back to Top For more information visit the <NFM Methods> page