Expanded contraceptive counseling increases knowledge about fertility and awareness of preconception health
At FACTS, our focus is to share the science supporting the important role of fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) and restorative reproductive medicine to enable our colleagues to help patients achieve their reproductive health goals. The reproductive life plan provides an ideal way to introduce information to patients and encourage them to carefully consider their family planning goals. The aim of this study summarized by a FACTS elective participant was to gauge the influence of Reproductive Life Plan Counseling (RLPC) on future pregnancy outcomes and lifestyle habits in women receiving standard contraceptive counseling.
Redefining “Normal:” FABMs as an Advocacy Tool
This week marks National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and we are featuring an interview with Nora,* a woman whose journey to fertility awareness began with overexercise, disordered eating, and painful, irregular cycles — and ultimately culminated in a diagnosis of endometriosis years later. Kathy Ordas, DO, a former FACTS elective participant, interviewed Nora about the utility of FABMs as a means of knowledge and self-advocacy to find medical professionals willing to listen and explore a comprehensive diagnosis.
Allopregnanolone, The Hormone that Connects Mental Health and Menses?
This research published in Psychoneuroendocrinology by researchers Kimbal et al. analyzed the allopregnanolone-to-progesterone ratio across the menstrual cycle and in menopause. Deepa Manda, a former FACTS elective participant, summarized this 2020 study, discussed how allopregnanolone might connect to mental health, and noted that this hormone might one day become a part of the hormonal assessment done in various fertility awareness-based methods.
Natural Family Planning and the Effects of Periodic Abstinence on Marital Relationships
In honor of Valentine’s Day this week, we are highlighting a research summary of a 2021 article published by researchers Richard J. Fehring and Michael D. Manhart in The Linacre Quarterly. The study — summarized by Michelle Asuncion-Castor, a former FACTS elective participant — concluded that couples who used natural family planning (NFP) methods had improved self-esteem, stronger marriages, and lower divorce rates than those who relied on sterilization or contraception alone.
FABMs help couples make well-informed decisions about their Family Planning Goals
This week marks National Marriage Week, and we are featuring an interview with Lilly, an emergency medicine physician assistant, who used both the Sympto-Thermal Method and the Marquette Method when growing her family. Savannah Maddox, a former FACTS elective participant, interviewed Lilly about her story and why she’s grateful that more physicians are becoming educated in fertility awareness-based methods.
Irregular adolescent menstrual cycles and associated risks in young adults
Irregular adolescent menstrual cycles and associated risks in young adults By: Danielle Coleman, DO Editor’s Note: To mark American Heart Month, we are featuring research that assessed the relationship between irregular menstrual cycles of school-aged women and...