Natural family planning is a form of birth control using natural signs (such as body temperature) to identify when a woman is at her least and most fertile during each menstrual cycle.
The woman can then avoid pregnancy by only having sex during her infertile periods.
Natural family planning methods fall into two main categories:
- Methods based on fertility awareness, which involve avoiding sex during your fertile periods.
- The lactational amenorrhoea method, which can be used during the first six months after giving birth. You are unlikely to fall pregnant during this period providing you are breastfeeding fully and your periods have stopped.
See How it works for more information.
How reliable is natural family planning?
If used precisely, natural family planning methods are an effective way of preventing pregnancy (see box, left) without the use of chemicals or hormones and without any side effects.
However, if a woman's menstrual cycle is irregular, fertility-awareness methods are less reliable.
Also, as fertility-awareness methods depend on calculations and/or judgments about imprecise signs of fertility, many couples find them too difficult to use. They rely on a woman knowing her body well.
Natural family planning is the least reliable form of birth control compared with contraceptives such as condoms and the Pill.
Combining natural family planning with a contraceptive such as condoms is recommended for couples who wish to avoid pregnancy at all costs.
For more information, see Advantages and Disadvantages.
Who can use it?
Most people who learn and fully understand natural family planning can use it effectively.
For some women, natural family planning may not be the most suitable method of contraception, and some women may not be able to use the lactational amenorrhoea method at all (see Cautions).
