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Educating students is the first step in training a new generation of medical professionals who recognize fertility as healthy and normal. Give students the gift of knowledge by donating today!
This interview with a user of fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) is part of our series that highlights the reality of using FABMs, including benefits as well as challenges of the various methods. Dr. Macy Rupprecht conducted this interview – a hopeful example of a couple that benefited from an FABM as a powerful adjunct to not only diagnose the root cause behind infertility but also to restore fertility.
The FACTS Advisory Council consists of a talented and diverse group of individuals whose guidance and support are crucial to the success of our organization. This year, we have featured one of our Council members each month to highlight their unique and generous contributions to our mission. Our series continues this week with Matthew Larkin, whose strategic thinking and business experience remain a tremendous asset to FACTS.
This week’s post is part of our series highlighting the reality of using fertility awareness based methods (FABMs), their benefits and challenges. This interview, conducted by a nursing student, looks at one couple’s knowledge of the Sympto-Thermal Method (STM) and how they used it as they struggled with infertility.
This week’s post features a review of research published in 2016 about the effectiveness of cycle computers to indicate the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. The study joins the expanding body of research assessing devices, apps, and other female technology (fem-tech) growing in popularity as women seek non-hormonal ways to plan their families and monitor their health. The summary was written by Dr. Matthew Thigpen as part of a two-week online elective taught by FACTS executive director, Dr. Marguerite Duane, at Georgetown University College of Medicine.
For years, fertility was measured by how “regular” the woman was (i.e., the length and frequency of her menstrual cycles). With the onset of hormonal testing, scientists developed ways to more easily and objectively track a woman’s invisible hormonal physiology. This post, written by Dr. Rachel Engle, is a review of research published in 2013 which examines the characteristics and variability of individual normal menstrual cycle profiles using at-home monitors to test urine and serum and measure hormone metabolites. Click to read more.
Our Advisory Council series continues this week as we introduce Dr. Victoria Jennings, a researcher whose career in reproductive health and family planning represents diverse expertise spanning more than three decades. Dr. Jennings is the director of the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) at Georgetown University. The IRH conducts research, provides technical assistance, and engages in global leadership related to fertility awareness based methods. In her earlier global health work, Dr. Jennings recognized FABMs as an under-utilized approach to family planning, fueling a growing interest in FABMs and leading to the research and development of new technologies in the field of fertility awareness. Read more about Dr. Jennings here!
We continue focus on PCOS Awareness Month this week with our patient interview series. Dr. Kaitlyn Hite conducted this interview with Ms. K, an 18 year-old woman with a history of PCOS and hypothyroidism. Her story, told as a medical history with additional details, raises awareness about the medical applications of FABMs beyond their more familiar use in family planning. FABMs like the Billings Ovulation Method and the Creighton Model offer versatile options to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of conditions like PCOS.
September is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month, and we join the many organizations raising awareness and providing education about this common condition. PCOS affects 10-15% of women and is the leading cause of female infertility. It is also associated with medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, among others. Learn here how PCOS can affect infertility.
Our Advisory Council series continues this week as we introduce Dr. Peter Danis, a board-certified family physician who serves on the faculty at Mercy Family Medicine Residency and as an adjunct professor at St Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Danis has published in a variety of journals and is a regular speaker on the local and national level on topics addressing women’s health, fertility awareness, and the medical applications of NaPro Technology. Learn more about Dr. Danis here!