Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) or Natural Family Planning (NFP) is one of the oldest forms of birth control. This means you track the phases of the menstrual cycle and avoid unprotected sex during the time that you are most likely to get pregnant, during ovulation. Ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg to be met by a sperm.
Natural Family Planning is 98% effective in preventing pregnancy when used perfectly. In real life though, it's more like 76-88% effective.
Today, many people use apps to track their cycle, which will tell them when they are expected to ovulate. This is not enough to use NFP as a form of birth control. There are other important factors to track in order to use NFP as an effective form of birth control.
This method works best if you have regular cycles. A person with irregular cycles will have a difficult time tracking their ovulation window.
How to Track Ovulation
A basal body temperature must be taken daily before getting out of bed. Ovulation is happening when the basal body temperature rises, usually by 0.2-0.5 degrees for 3 days in a row.
Tracking cervical mucus is another piece of NFP. Cervical mucus can be checked in the morning with basal body temperature or throughout the day. Cervical mucus will become clear, thin and stretchy like egg whites when it is ovulation time.
Tracking periods on a calendar also helps to predict when you should expect to see the changes in your temperature and cervical mucus.
If you use all 3 of these tracking methods together and avoid intercourse during the 3 days of elevated temperatures that predict ovulation, you are using natural family planning to prevent pregnancy.
Learn More About Birth Control Options
This article is part of Haven Health Education, where we explain birth control options so you can make informed decisions about your reproductive health.
Natural Family Planning Support in Greensboro and Across North Carolina
If you are interested in Natural Family Planning or the Fertility Awareness Method as a form of birth control, Haven Health provides education and counseling in Greensboro, North Carolina and by telehealth across the state.
Many patients want a non-hormonal approach to pregnancy prevention and have questions about how to correctly track ovulation, basal body temperature, and cervical mucus. Haven Health helps you understand how to use Natural Family Planning effectively based on your cycle and lifestyle.
Patients from Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Summerfield, Kernersville, and surrounding Guilford County communities visit Haven Health for personalized reproductive care.
If you live anywhere in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Asheville, Wilmington, or other North Carolina communities, you can schedule a virtual visit to talk through your birth control options without needing to come into the office.
Haven Health offers patient-centered, evidence-based reproductive care both in person and online across North Carolina.