Natural family planning

What the packet says

What is it?

How it works

Natural family planning is a method of contraception that works by being able to identify the signs and symptoms of fertility during the menstrual cycle so you can avoid pregnancy. It works by identifying and recording the symptoms of fertility (such as the presence of cervical mucus and raised body temperature) and avoiding sex or using protecting during these periods.

How does this compare?

Frequency

  • During intercourse
  • Daily
  • Monthly
  • 1 - 3 Months
  • 1 - 3 Years
  • 3 - 5 Years
  • Permanent

Similar to

Clinical effectiveness

99% if used perfectly

What does this mean?

Contains hormones

  • Yes
  • No
What does this mean?

What you said

These stats are based on 31 reviews

Side Effects

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After Effects

Moods & Emotions

Periods

Body Weight

Sex Drive

Reviewer data

Time Taken

Age of Reviewers

Reviewers had children

Reviewers currently using

Detailed information

How to get started

  • If you’re interested in learning to use natural family planning, make sure you’re taught by a qualified fertility awareness teacher. Find an NHS fertility awareness clinic in your local area. You need to receive good instructions and support.
  • Your awareness teacher will be able to show you how to regularly monitor the length of your menstrual cycle, body temperature and cervical mucus in order to give you a more accurate picture of what you’re likely to be most fertile. You can use fertility charts and other fertility monitoring devices like computerised thermometers and dipstick hormone tests to record your measurements.

How to stop

  • Stopping using the natural planning is easy, you just stop abstaining from sex when you are fertile.
  • These methods have little to no after effects, but check out our survey results to learn about anything women have experienced.

Things that can go wrong

  • Ultimately, you may have sex accidentally without protection when you are fertile and that could lead to pregnancy. It’s not an exact science and can take several months to learn natural planning effectively; lots of factors (illness, lifestyle, stress or travel) may make fertility indicators harder to interpret.
  • Using hormonal emergency contraception will upset your normal hormone pattern and alter your fertility indicators. After using hormonal emergency contraception you should not rely on your natural family planning indicators for two complete menstrual cycles. This allows time for your cycle to return to normal and for your natural family planning indicators to be reliable.

Reviews

19/01/2020

Natural family planning

Three years ago I switched from hormonal contraception to tracking my cycles and using a combination of fertility awareness and…

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07/10/2019

Natural family planning

Fertility awareness has made a positive impact in my life in every regard. I would suggest it to anyone who is interested in le…

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07/10/2019

Natural family planning

Is much easier to figure out and use than I was made to believe. Has given me a sense of control and understanding of my body I…

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11/09/2019

Natural family planning

I previously tried the pill and Nuva ring and I got all the side effects from them – weight gain, body hair, headaches, d…

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10/09/2019

Natural family planning

I have been using FAM (TCOYF/Sympto-thermal method) to avoid pregnancy successfully for 9 months. Prior to this, I was on the …

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20/08/2019

Natural family planning

I stopped the pill as I had low sex drive and mood swings. After the pill it took my periods a long time to become regular agai…

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10/07/2019

Natural family planning

I’ve never used any forms of hormonal birth control and I’m 35. I’ve been using this method, now with an app,…

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10/07/2019

Natural family planning

My partner and I have been using FAM for a little over a year after being on the pill for 10 years. I suddenly was taken off th…

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09/07/2019

Natural family planning

I’ve been successfully using the Fertility Awareness Method of birth control (sympto-thermal) for over a year without any…

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