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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Becky Sarah, MPH, Natural Family Planning Teacher, 16 Whittier St, Cambridge, MA 02140, 617-491-7508, bsarah@alum.bu.edu

Natural Family Planning and barrier methods together can be used by some women as a contraceptive that is far more effective than either alone. These combined methods are also easier for women and couples to use consistently than Natural Family Planning or barrier methods alone.

Most pregnancies, and most barrier method failures, occur in the highly fertile three to five days preceding and at ovulation. The knowledgeable user can make an informed decision about how much contraception she needs on a given day.

She can abstain or use two barrier methods on the most fertile three to five days, rely on one barrier method on possibly fertile days, and use no barrier method on infertile days, with Emergency Contraception as backup on fertile days.

By requiring little or no abstaining from sexual intercourse, acknowledging that many women have maximum sexual interest on their most fertile days, and allowing about 10 days with no use of barrier methods, these combined methods are more acceptable to women and less conducive to user errors than either barrier methods or Natural Family Planning alone. For some women, the extra effort is well worth it for a highly effective method of contraception. This presentation will show detailed strategies for several different ways women can combine methods, and describe teaching methods.

Learning Objectives:

• • Analyze why the most fertile days are the days women are most likely to make contraceptive errors.
• • Identify at least three different ways women can combine barrier methods and Natural Family Planning, depending on their needs and preferences.
• • Identify the best time in the menstrual cycle to fit the diaphragm.

Keywords: Contraception,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered