Understanding fertility is increasingly seen as an essential part of family planning and women’s reproductive health courses.

Lectures on Fertility Awareness / NFP can be adapted to suit the course.

The content and style will depend on the course.

A relaxed, student-centred learning approach is frequently chosen - to encourage student participation.

Audience

GP’s Practice Nurses, Midwives, Family Planning Nurses as part of Courses and Updates:

• Family Planning Faculty (Doctor’s basic Family Planning Courses)

• Family Planning modular courses for nurses

• Women’s Sexual Health modules

• Midwives courses and updates

• ‘Family Planning Appreciation’ Courses for nurses and midwives

Suggested lecture time - 1 hour 30 minutes.

Less time is manageable but reduces student participation time and overall enjoyment (and learning)

Aims for lecture

• To increase understanding of fertility

• To increase awareness of the subjective assessment of fertility indicators

• To consider appropriate advice for couples planning pregnancy

• To understand the scientific basis of physiological methods of family planning

• To consider appropriate resources and referral for clients requesting NFP

• To consider the options for further training and integration into existing practice

Many students comment that the lecture helps them to understand the physiology of the menstrual cycle (often for the first time) as it is presented alongside the clinical indicators of fertility and the subjective assessment of fertility.

Content

• How knowledgeable are women about fertility issues?

• Definition of Fertility Awareness

• Natural Family Planning (NFP) WHO Definition

• Scientific Basis of Fertility Awareness

• Hormonal control of the menstrual cycle

• Subjective Assessment of Fertility - Clinical Indicators
  • Physiological changes in the cervix

  • Cervical mucus - physiology

  • Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

  • Recording cycle length

• Efficiency studies of Sympto-Thermal method

• Breast-feeding as a Contraceptive - Lactational Amenorrhoea Method (LAM)

• Fertility monitoring devices e.g Persona - the personal hormone monitoring system.

• Advantages and Disadvantages of NFP

• Family Planning choices - Suitability of method - Including cyclic irregularity

• Resources

• Referrals

• References to Scientific papers

This lecture provides an insight into fertility awareness, and the use of NFP.

It encourages students to consider appropriate advice for couples planning pregnancy and provides the theoretical / scientific basis of physiological methods.

It helps to identify students who may want to continue further study in this area to support clients avoiding pregnancy.

To Request a Lecturer - Contact Jane Knight at ‘FertilityUK‘