Frequently asked questions

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is exactly that: natural! It is a holistic practice of family planning that teaches women and couples how to observe and interpret natural signs of fertility throughout a woman's reproductive cycle, such as cervical mucus, temperature, and/or urinary hormones.

Using this information, couples can choose to act in ways to either achieve or avoid pregnancy, practicing abstinence during fertile periods when pregnancy is not desired. Women in general can also use it to monitor and understand their reproductive health.

• According to the CDC, NFP methods have a failure rate of 2–23%, making them "at least as effective as the Pill, patch, ring, or injectable birth control methods" (opens in a new tab).
• Studies have shown Marquette Method typical-use pregnancy rates to be as low as 2 per 100 women per year (opens in a new tab).
• NFP methods are "consistently viewed as being beneficial to couples’ self-knowledge, their relationship, and satisfaction with frequency of sexual intercourse" (opens in a new tab).

The Marquette Method (MM) is an NFP method that uses technology to track urinary hormone metabolites (estrogen and luteinizing hormone). It gives a daily, objective reading of low (not fertile), high (fertile), or peak (ovulating) to help identify your fertile window.

It can be used alongside other NFP methods, but on its own it is 98% effective at avoiding pregnancy (opens in a new tab): out of 100 women, the unintended pregnancy rate over 12 cycles is 2.

• A hormone monitor or test strips: the Clearblue Fertility Monitor (opens in a new tab), the Mira monitor, or generic LH strips
• An app or online chart (both are available)
• A few minutes each morning: it is as simple as testing a urine stick for your result

There are also special protocols designed for postpartum and breastfeeding women to help identify ovulation before your period returns.

NFP is not just for Catholics! Why not use a family planning strategy with no medical side effects, that increases intimacy in relationships, strengthens the marital bond, and increases reproductive knowledge? NFP helps couples achieve pregnancy, and it is also an effective method for avoiding it.

According to the USCCB (opens in a new tab), "NFP reflects the dignity of the human person within the context of marriage and family life, promotes openness to life, and recognizes the value of the child." By maintaining this dignity and openness to life, "NFP does not separate the unitive and procreative nature of marital love," which is in line with Catholic teaching.

Natural Family Planning uses periods of abstinence instead of any form of contraception. "These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom." See more in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Love of Husband and Wife" (§2370) (opens in a new tab).