Fertility awareness methods (FAM) can provide insightful health information to women of all ages and stages of fertility, from the start of menstruation until menopause. Fertility awareness methods can also serve as effective forms of natural family planning (NFP).
Click a topic to learn more about:
- Natural birth control
- Effectiveness rates
- Relationship health
- Talking with your partner about NFP
- Talking about NFP with your doctor
- Pregnancy health
- Postpartum
- Breastfeeding
- Perimenopause and menopause
This page was last updated April 4, 2024.
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Misconceptions your doctor might have about NFP and fertility awareness, and how to respond to them
By Clare Sharp • August 17, 2023When I had my first visit with an OB-GYN, I was already in my mid-twenties. I was blessed… -
Tired of the Critical Comments about Your NFP Use and Pregnancy or Parenting Choices? Boundaries Can Help
By Julia Hogan-Werner, LCPC • July 29, 2022“When are you having kids?” “Have you tried XYZ treatment for infertility?” “Congratulations on the new baby! We… -
When NFP is Used to Abuse: Part II of II
By Jeanette Flood • April 28, 2022Trigger warning: Spousal abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, pornography addiction Part II: Advice for NFP instructors and couples… -
When NFP is Used to Abuse: Part I of II
By Jeanette Flood • April 28, 2022Trigger warning: Spousal abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, pornography addiction At Natural Womanhood, we write frequently about the… -
Abstinence and NFP: The Woman’s Perspective
By Christina Valenzuela • November 27, 2021It was right smack dab in the middle of our fertile phase. The kids were in bed. I… -
Men and NFP: When the challenges of periodic abstinence feel unbearable
By Gerard Migeon • November 4, 2021Numerous studies show that the large majority of couples who practice NFP feel it improves their marital relationships,… -
How I Overcame Resentment toward NFP for Less Frequent Sex
By Joseph Mariston • April 17, 2019For a man, sometimes practicing Natural Family Planning can feel like a no-sex plan. In July 2018, Natural… -
The Unique Challenges of Practicing NFP as a Military Family
By Grace Emily Stark • October 27, 2018Sometimes promoters of Natural Family Planning (NFP) or Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs) get criticized for painting too rosy… -
Husbands Share Their Thoughts on NFP
By Lindsay Schlegel • October 19, 2018It’s fair to say that using Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs) to achieve or avoid a pregnancy will change… -
Tips for When Your Husband’s Not On Board With NFP
By Lindsay Schlegel • September 29, 2018They say it takes two to tango . . . and it also takes two to practice natural…