| Dear friend, Being a woman means being familiar with bleeding. A regular, relatively painless period is a key indicator of a woman’s good reproductive and overall health. Irregular bleeding, on the other hand, is often a sign that something is wrong. This week, FEMM instructor Taryn Oesch DeLong discusses the phenomenon of cervical ectropion, which can cause irregular bleeding outside of one’s period—and which, for some women, may be a lesser-known side effect of their hormonal birth control. Also this week, Anne Marie Williams, RN, explores the phenomenon of women searching for ways to temporarily stop or postpone their periods through various means (some of which are stranger than others!), and imagines instead how we could better empower women by teaching them to see their cycles not as an inconvenience, but as part of the intricate and powerful design of their bodies. Of course, one way we can accomplish this empowerment of women and couples is by teaching them fertility awareness. Unfortunately the current Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently removed instruction in fertility awareness-based methods from the list of covered services under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). You can read an article explaining the history of this coverage from Natural Womanhood Co-founder and CEO, Gerard Migeon, below. You can also see my commentary on this issue in various media outlets in “Natural Womanhood in the News” below. Action call this week: Are you a patient, healthcare provider, or FABM instructor who has obtained insurance coverage or reimbursement for receiving or providing FABM instruction? Please share your experience with us by replying to this email or by sending a message to info@naturalwomanhood.org. And, if you haven’t yet, please visit our brand-new landing page on Choosing a FAM, and share it with all the newly-married and engaged couples in your life. They may not hear this important information from anywhere else!Wishing you all the best, Grace Emily Stark Editor Natural Womanhood |
| The internet is rife with ways to stop your period for a night. Do any work–and are they safe? Whether it’s for an upcoming vacation, a wedding (and honeymoon!), a work trip, or a job interview, most women have experienced the desire to stop or delay their period for a little while. While wanting to delay a period is certainly understandable and may be very tempting, trying to do so can have serious consequences, as actress Sydney Sweeney learned the hard way last year. Click here to read the full article. |
| Cervical ectropion: A potential fertility awareness curveball Imagine this: you’ve decided to get off the pill for good and start a fertility awareness method (FAM). You’re beginning to chart your cycles when you’re thrown the curve-ball of irregular bleeding and stop-and-start (or continuous) discharge. What could this be, and can you successfully navigate the challenge this poses to cycle charting? The answer might be something called cervical ectropion—and yes, with help! Click here to read the full article. |
| The right to get your Fertility Awareness-Based Method training reimbursed by insurance is now at risk In 2016, “instruction in fertility awareness-based methods” was added to the list of “preventative care and screenings” for which the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits insurers from imposing cost-sharing measures on patients. In other words, as of 2016, insurance providers were required to pay for FABM instruction when rendered by a licensed medical professional. While this was a welcome change and a huge win for the FABM industry, it is now being challenged by the Biden Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Click here to read the full article. |
Natural Womanhood in the News:
“No, Catholics Are Not ‘Coming for Your Birth Control,’ but Biden’s HHS is Coming for Your NFP”
Article by Grace Emily Stark in The National Catholic Register
Click here to read the full article.
“Biden Touts Abortion, Not Family Planning”
Appearance by Grace Emily Stark on Tipping Point with Kara McKinney
Click here to view the segment.
“While Touting Abortion, Biden Admin Moves To Drop Natural Family Planning From Insurance Coverage”
Article by Grace Emily Stark at The Federalist
Click here to read the full article.