Fertility Awareness
Fertility Awareness (FA)
refers to basic knowledge on the male and
female reproductive systems, as it relates
to fertility. It is knowledge about the
signs, symptoms and patterns of fertility
throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle,
the male reproductive potential, and combined
male and female fertility.
Why is Fertility Awareness important?
- Enhances
women and men’s understanding about
female and male fertility
- Explains in simple terms
the signs and symptoms that indicate when
a woman is fertile
- Enables women to recognize
the signs and symptoms of fertility and
identify the fertile days
- Helps children and adolescents
understand their changing bodies
- Empowers women, men and youth
with the information and skills to protect
their reproductive health.
How does fertility awareness help women,
men, and youth protect their reproductive
health?
|
|
 
|
- Teaches how to identify what is
healthy and normal throughout the life cycle;
- Helps identify signs and symptoms
that may indicate a need to seek health care;
- Contributes to practicing behaviors
that have a positive effect on reproductive
health;
- Influences the development of
communication and self-advocacy skills to deal
effectively with partners and health care providers
about reproductive health.
Fertility Awareness
and Youth: New Institute Initiative
Many parents, schools, youth organizations, and
religious institutions are often ill-prepared
to help young people understand and prepare for
puberty. Thus, young people often lack skills
and information to deal with the many physical,
social, and emotional changes associated with
this time of rapid change. When young people are
better aware of how their bodies work and what
changes to expect, as they become adults, they
are much better prepared to deal with sexual and
reproductive health issue and challenges.
While many excellent curricula on reproductive
health for youth exist, few address the information
and skill-building inherent to fertility awareness
education. Furthermore, more research is needed
to build the evidence base regarding strategies
to address the reproductive health needs of youth
ages 10 to 14. In response to this, the Institute
for Reproductive Health, in collaboration with
Family Health International, developed My
Changing Body: Fertility Awareness for Young People,
a manual designed to teach girls and boys ages
10 to 14 about their fertility and the changes
they experience as they approach puberty. In addition,
the Institute, with funding from the United States
Agency for International Developed, will lead
research to determine whether a fertility awareness
information and skills intervention for younger
adolescents will:
- Increase their knowledge about
the body, fertility and the changes they experience
as they approach puberty
- Build their negotiation and communication
skills regarding reproductive health issues
- Improve the ability of parents,
teachers, and other stakeholders to communicate
with and support positive sexual and reproductive
health behaviors of
younger adolescents.
What are Fertility Awareness-based
methods?
Also known as natural methods, Fertility Awareness-based
methods help individuals achieve their reproductive
goals to either prevent or achieve pregnancy by
- Tracking the menstrual cycle and
avoiding unprotected intercourse on an identified
fertile window as with the Standard
Days Method; or
- Observing and tracking a woman’s
fertility signs and avoiding unprotected intercourse
on her fertile days as with the TwoDay
Method.
Fertility Awareness
Resources
The following are a list of materials developed
by the Institute in collaboration with other organizations:
Fertility and Sexuality Self-Care for
Adolescents: Guide for Facilitators.
A manual developed in cooperation with the Ecuadorian
organization, Centro Medico de Orientacion y Planificacion
Familiar (CEMOPLAF). It is intended for teachers,
parents, and health professionals who work with
adolescents (especially those for 14 - 16 years
of age). It addresses such topics as communication,
fertility, self-esteem, sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs) and HIV/AIDS, and family planning. The
manual enables teachers to develop class activities
based on its content. Each of its main modules
is arranged according to theme, objectives, basic
concepts, timeframe, materials, activities and
evaluation. The manual is available in Spanish
and can be obtained from CEMOPLAF (Fax: 593-2-233713
or e-mail: cemoplaf@uio.satnet.net)
Reproductive Health Awareness for Young
Adults: A Manual for Educators and Counselors.
Developed in collaboration with the Fundacion
Mexicana para la Planeacion Familiar (MEXFAM),
this manual serves as a resource for teachers
and others who work with youth. It is organized
into six educational sessions, each of which consists
of exercises and content. Manual is available
in Spanish from MEXFAM (Fax: 525-573-23-18 or
e-mail: director@mexfam.org.mx).
Health Promoter's Guide to Body Awareness
and Self-care
A resource developed by Asociacion Benefica PRISMA,
a Peruvian NGO.Designed for health workers, it
addresses the following issues: understanding
sexuality; anatomy and physiology of the reproductive
systems; observing and feeling the changes in
life; planning our families;staying healthy; preventing
STDs and HIV/AIDS; and improving communication.
Each chapter begins with an outline of the chapter's
major concepts and is full of illustrations. Available
in Spanish. Contact: PRISMA (fax: 511-4-452-9758
or e-mail: diegofc@prisma.org.pe)
|