Fertility Awareness Method - Research & Effectiveness
The Justisse FAM is 99.6% effective to avoid pregnancy with perfect use.
Perfect use to avoid pregnancy means that the woman charts her cycles strictly according to the Justisse Methodology and strictly observes the rules for avoiding pregnancy set out by the method.
If barrier methods or the withdrawal method are used on fertile days the effectiveness to prevent pregnancy becomes that of the barrier or withdrawal method, reduced to 70% - 80%.
Learning the method of fertility awareness from a skilled certified HRHP educator drastically improves the effectiveness of the fertility awareness method for women looking to avoid or achieve pregnancy. It cannot be overemphasized, the importance of learning to observe, chart and interpret the three primary signs of fertility: cervical mucus secretions, basal body temperature, and cervical position from a skilled professional.
According to a comprehensive study undertaken by the World Health Organization reported in the early 1980's and referenced in The Canadian Consensus Conference on Contraception published in 1998 by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, this is what is known:
It is important to note that the effectiveness rate for perfect use of the ovulation method rivals the effectiveness rate of hormonal birth control methods. This study was undertaken using the ovulation method as taught within a Catholic context, meaning there was no accommodation for the use of barrier methods during the fertile period.
Other Research Papers Evaluating Effectiveness
FABM Effectiveness 2007 Hermann
The effectiveness of a fertility awareness based method to avoid pregnancy in relation to a couple’s sexual behavior during the fertile time: a prospective longitudinal study.
FMEC evaluation of FABM 2013
Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning: A review of effectiveness for avoiding pregnancy using SORT.
Effectiveness of the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning: an international study.
Rice FJ, Lanctôt CA, Garcia-Devesa C. Int J Fertil. 1981;26(3):222-30.
Fertility Awareness Based Methods another Option Pallone and Burgus
Fellow HRHP colleague Amy Sedgwick has written a Blog post examining the body of research and effectiveness of natural birth control methods. She echoes what I have said myself, to read her Blog post click here.
The Justisse FAM is 99.6% effective to avoid pregnancy with perfect use.
Perfect use to avoid pregnancy means that the woman charts her cycles strictly according to the Justisse Methodology and strictly observes the rules for avoiding pregnancy set out by the method.
If barrier methods or the withdrawal method are used on fertile days the effectiveness to prevent pregnancy becomes that of the barrier or withdrawal method, reduced to 70% - 80%.
Learning the method of fertility awareness from a skilled certified HRHP educator drastically improves the effectiveness of the fertility awareness method for women looking to avoid or achieve pregnancy. It cannot be overemphasized, the importance of learning to observe, chart and interpret the three primary signs of fertility: cervical mucus secretions, basal body temperature, and cervical position from a skilled professional.
According to a comprehensive study undertaken by the World Health Organization reported in the early 1980's and referenced in The Canadian Consensus Conference on Contraception published in 1998 by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, this is what is known:
- 95% of women are able to learn the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning, meaning a method that incorporates observations of cervical mucus and basal body temperatures (BBT).
- Perfect use can result in pregnancy rates of less that 5% in couples using the sympto-thermal method.
- In a large study, a success rate of 99.6% was achieved for couples that only had intercourse on those days, both pre-ovulatory and post-ovulatory, determined by the ovulation method, to be infertile days (based on observation, charting and interpretation of cervical mucus secretions alone).
- Failure of these methods may be attributed to: improper teaching and understanding of the method, not practicing abstinence during the fertile times, conception occurring due to mathematical calculation of the "safe" days of the cycle that may or may not correlate with real symptoms of fertility (e.g. rhythm method, calendar method, cycle beads, standard days method).
It is important to note that the effectiveness rate for perfect use of the ovulation method rivals the effectiveness rate of hormonal birth control methods. This study was undertaken using the ovulation method as taught within a Catholic context, meaning there was no accommodation for the use of barrier methods during the fertile period.
Other Research Papers Evaluating Effectiveness
FABM Effectiveness 2007 Hermann
The effectiveness of a fertility awareness based method to avoid pregnancy in relation to a couple’s sexual behavior during the fertile time: a prospective longitudinal study.
FMEC evaluation of FABM 2013
Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning: A review of effectiveness for avoiding pregnancy using SORT.
Effectiveness of the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning: an international study.
Rice FJ, Lanctôt CA, Garcia-Devesa C. Int J Fertil. 1981;26(3):222-30.
Fertility Awareness Based Methods another Option Pallone and Burgus
Fellow HRHP colleague Amy Sedgwick has written a Blog post examining the body of research and effectiveness of natural birth control methods. She echoes what I have said myself, to read her Blog post click here.
