NFP works to achieve, avoid pregnancy and more
Above: Interested in NFP and how it works? Call 315-472-6754 ext. 2 or email [email protected] with your questions. Pictured is Kristin Dievendorf of Family/Respect Life Ministry.
By Tami S. Scott, associate editor
When most people hear the phrase “Natural Family Planning” (NFP), their first thought might be that it’s just the Catholic equivalent of birth control. But the reality is that it offers so much more.
In essence, NFP is a natural way to manage fertility and “a way to understand fertility as a gift that comes from God,” said Family Life & Natural Family Planning coordinator Kristin Dievendorf. “It gives a couple information about the overall health and wellness of a woman, of the wife, and how to honor and respect what is best for that family at that time, without rejecting the gift of life, without rejecting God as the author of life.”
National NFP Awareness Week is this year celebrated from July 21-27 and its theme, “Love Beyond Measure,” is focused on supporting God’s gifts of love and life in marriage.
NFP promotes intimacy, stronger marital relations
Early in the interview, Dievendorf mentioned that fertility is often misunderstood as a woman-centered issue, but it’s really about a relationship, she explained. “It isn’t just about the woman. It’s very important that a husband is able to communicate and understand his wife and all that she’s going through … It’s actually a gift that God has given us for a very beautiful purpose.”
Dievendorf’s response aligns with the studies and statistics that support this holy form of family planning, which is in line with Catholic teaching on God’s design for marriage and sexuality. Unsurprisingly, the divorce rate among NFP users is 3% based on the latest poll, compared to the national average of 40-50%.
“This is largely due to the couples’ respect and reverence for one another and for God’s design,” Dievendorf said. “Many couples who practice NFP will acknowledge it’s not always the easiest path, but it is a path that serves to orient them to greater respect, communication and deeper love and commitment.”
“It’s loving with a full and complete love of the mind, heart and will,” she added.
The gift of knowledge
Because NFP is an organic process for charting fertility, women learn how to recognize where in their cycle they may be through different methods involving self-observation. And through these means couples can, for serious reasons and without rejecting God’s design for their bodies, determine if they wish to try to achieve or avoid pregnancy.
NFP has other significant benefits, too, in that it does not mask symptoms of potential health problems. “Our fertility shows a lot about our overall health,” Dievendorf said. “So as women, if you learn these different methods of natural family planning, there are benefits to each one.”
For example, some emphasize the ability to detect underlying conditions related to infertility by monitoring various signs and signals of the body. This approach can uncover autoimmune issues or assess the risk of miscarriage, enabling targeted intervention. In contrast, relying solely on synthetic birth control can mask these conditions without addressing their root causes.
“For many women, early diagnosis of cysts or cancers of different natures is very important,” said Dievendorf, adding that she herself has been able to identify certain cysts due to her in-depth knowledge of her cycle. “I’ve been able to bring my charts to my physicians and show them what is abnormal bleeding to me.” Her self-advocacy has led doctors to order sonograms, then identify, monitor and address the issues appropriately.
“I can name at least six of my friends who have experienced previous miscarriages — they had low progesterone, but through tracking and receiving proper doses of progesterone at the proper part of their cycle, were able to carry successful pregnancies and bear healthy babies.”
Others, like Dievendorf and her husband who have struggled with infertility throughout their marriage, sometimes discover it can be due to cofactor or male factor issues. Medically speaking, 30% of infertility issues stem from females only, 30% stem from males only, 35% from both and 5% is unexplained or unknown. Natural Procreative Technology (NaPro Technology) through the Creighton Model is especially designed for couples struggling with infertility and recurrent miscarriages. It even helps single women who have cycle concerns such as imbalanced hormones, painful periods and PMDD, endometriosis and PCOS.
The methods
NFP monitors fertility using natural, scientifically based methods, each with high effectiveness rates (from 89% to 99%) if followed correctly. They must be taught by trained instructors to assist women in learning how to chart their cycle. Learn about the Billings Ovulation Method, the Creighton Model, the Marquette Method and the Sympto-Thermal Method at syracusenfp.org/methods-of-nfp; call 315-472-6754 ext. 2 or email [email protected].
The Syracuse NFP webpage also offers a short video from an Ascension series about a couple named Jackie and Bobby and their experiences using NFP (https://syracusenfp.org/nfp-vs-contraception/). More videos from the same couple on NFP and other Catholic topics can be found on YouTube.
