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The frequency of coitus during breastfeeding.

BACKGROUND: New mothers and clinicians would benefit from an understanding of typical sexual behavior during breastfeeding. Unfortunately, little information is available about both the typical length of time to resumption of coitus and the frequency of sexual relations during breastfeeding. This paper describes the commencement and frequency of coitus among breastfeeding women in a variety of settings. METHODS: The analysis draws on data from two separate research studies. The first was undertaken in three sites (Birmingham, United Kingdom; Montreal, Canada; Sydney, Australia), the purpose of which was to correlate natural observations of fertility with the underlying hormonal profile among breastfeeding women using the symptom-thermal method of natural family planning. The second was a clinical trial of the lactational amenorrhea method of family planning conducted in Manila, the Philippines. RESULTS: Coital frequency reported by these populations of breastfeeding women appears to be lower than that reported in other studies for married women in general. As other research demonstrated, we found coital frequency and postpartum resumption of coitus to be associated with age, but not with the number of children in the household. CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of the level of sexual activity among breastfeeding women could inform and improve programs that offer postpartum support and counseling about family planning.

Adult↗

Symptothermal and hormonal markers of potential fertility in climacteric women.

One hundred seventy-seven menstrual cycles in 36 women between 45 and 53 years of age were studied prospectively. All the women were experienced in the symptothermal method of natural family planning. The objective was to determine the symptothermal and hormonal indices of potential fertility by measuring urinary estrone glucuronide and pregnanediol glucuronide. Thirty-three percent had regular cycles consistent with potential fertility, 19% had cycles consistent with infertility, and 47% had a mixture of both types of cycle.

Biomarkers↗

Efficacy of three variations of periodic abstinence for family planning in Indonesia.

A prospective study to determine the efficacy of three alternative guidelines for the practice of periodic abstinence (PA) for family planning was conducted in Indonesia. The three methods studied were the Billings ovulation method, the Dorairaj modified mucus method, and a local version of the mucus method. For each method, the study encompassed a three-month learning phase and an additional 12-month effectiveness phase. Data from a total of 850 acceptors showed that, despite some variations in the sociodemographic characteristics of the acceptors, the Billings ovulation method had the lowest (10.4 per 100 women) and the local mucus method had the highest (26.5 per 100 women) overall life-table discontinuation rates in the effectiveness phase. One-year life-table unplanned pregnancy rates ranged from 2.5 per 100 women for the Billings method to a high of 11.5 per 100 women for the local method acceptors. Unplanned pregnancy was the main reason for termination.

Adult↗

Breastfeeding and the symptothermal method.

This prospective study was conducted among experienced users of periodic abstinence methods in Sydney, Montreal, and Birmingham (England) in order to describe the relationship between a laboratory measurement of ovulation and the natural symptoms of fertility during breastfeeding. Daily urinary estrogen and pregnanediol glucuronide assays were used to estimate the date of ovulation and to determine potentially fertile days. A standard set of Symptothermal Method (STM) rules was applied to daily STM records to assess the correspondence of the natural symptoms of fertility to the underlying hormonal profile. The STM symptoms and rules accurately identified 77-94 percent of the women's potentially fertile days, but abstinence was also recommended on about half of the days when the women were not fertile. An integrated set of common rules for STM use during breastfeeding is highly sensitive but not specific in its ability to screen for ovulation.

Adult↗

A study of the vaginal contraceptive sponge used with and without the fertility awareness method.

The actual effectiveness rates of natural and barrier methods of family planning are lower than the theoretical ones. If couples accurately defined the limits of the fertile phase and used barriers at that time, then actual effectiveness might increase. A randomized, controlled clinical trial was initiated to determine the effectiveness of the contraceptive sponge used only during the fertile time and to compare this with sponge use at every intercourse. Recruitment problems and discontinuation forced the early termination of this study, but qualitative information about compliance and acceptability was collected. Common sponge problems were reported as were misuses of the sponge, but problems and misuse were not related. Determination of the fertile phase was reportedly easy, but complaints of and discontinuation for inconvenience occurred. For unplanned pregnancies, contraceptive behaviors around the time of conception are presented.

Adolescent↗

Study confirms values of ovulation method.

In order to determine the effectiveness of the ovulation method in spacing or achieving pregnancy as well as couple satisfaction with the method, the Natural Family Planning Program of St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay, WI, studied 453 couples who had participated in the program. The program's director reports that the study results suggest the method provides a safe, effective approach to birth control and assists some women to become pregnant who have not succeeded prior to using this method.

Adult↗

Characteristics of ovulation method acceptors: a cross-cultural assessment.

Five programs of instruction in the ovulation method (OM) in diverse geographic and cultural settings are described, and characteristics of approximately 200 consecutive OM acceptors in each program are examined. Major findings include: the religious background and family size of acceptors are variable, as is the level of previous contraceptive use. Acceptors are drawn from a wide range of socioeconomic and religious backgrounds; however, family planning intention was similarly distributed in all five countries. In sum, the ovulation method is accepted by persons from a variety of backgrounds within and between cultural setting.

Adult↗

Simplifying NFP: preliminary report of a pilot study of the 'collar' method in Brazil.

Natural methods of fertility regulation are acceptable in most cultures. Many couples worldwide do not wish to use contraceptives or do not have access to them but wish to limit their family size or lengthen the time between births. Barriers to expanding use of natural family planning (NFP) methods include a lack of providers who can teach NFP and a lack of time to teach and follow couples during the initial months of NFP use. If simple yet effective methods of NFP are available, then NFP could be introduced to a wider audience. Recently, calendar rules have been revised that use a set interval to identify fertile days. These new rules provide better coverage of fertile days and require less abstinence than the rules traditionally used with the calendar method. One of these new rules is being field tested in a pilot study in Brazil. Couples are asked to abstain from day 9-19 (inclusive) of the menstrual cycle, using a beaded necklace (the 'collar') as a mnemonic device. Focus groups with the teacher-monitors and in-depth interviews with female and male users were carried out to evaluate the acceptability of the 'collar' method. A preliminary analysis of these focus groups and interviews from the first site is presented.

Brazil↗

Prospective European multi-center study of natural family planning (1989-1992): interim results. The European Natural Family Planning Study Groups.

Since 1989 an international multicenter prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of natural family planning (NFP) methods in Europe has been conducted by the NFP Research Center at the University of Düsseldorf in collaboration with the European Zone of the International Federation for Family Life Promotion (IFFLP). Fourteen NFP-organizations from nine European countries participate in the study. Cycle data from women in the fertile age group are transferred to a special standard computer sheet by the respective organizations and forwarded at three-monthly intervals to the study center for analyses. To date, 10,045 cycles from 900 women aged between 19 and 54 years have been analyzed. This paper presents the pregnancy rate for the women aged between 19 and 45 years of age, who contributed 9284 cycles. In the analyses the cycles were subdivided into two categories consequent to sexual practices during the fertile phase: group I (NFP only--4277 cycles) use only NFP to avoid a pregnancy; group II (FA/mix--5007 cycles) where barrier methods or coitus interruptus during the fertile phase, at least in some cycles, were used to avoid a pregnancy. The women used different clinical indicators such as basal body temperature (BBT), cervical mucus, calculations, cyclical cervical changes or combinations of these to determine the beginning and the end of the fertile phase necessitating a further division into four subgroups, A, B, C, D, and different efficiency rates for each of these groups. In group A (symptothermal method, double check) 15 unintended pregnancies (UIP) occurred in 7404 cycles, giving a pregnancy rate of 2.4 Pearl Index (PI); in group B (muco-thermal method) there were 12 UIP in 1352 cycles with a pregnancy rate of 10.6 (PI); in group C (mucus to detect the beginning and mucus and BBT to determine the end of the fertile phase) there was one UIP in 434 cycles, and in group D (mucus method only) there was one IUP in 70 cycles. The numbers in group C and D are too small to calculate a pregnancy rate (PI). No pregnancy was observed in women over 40 years of age. Our conclusion from these preliminary results is that in the continent of Europe, the symptothermal method when used with periodic abstinence (NFP only = group I) and fertility awareness with the use of barriers during the fertile phase (FA/mix = group II) are effective methods of family planning.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗

Natural family planning.

Natural family planning (NFP) methods can be effective if taught well and practised by well-motivated couples. Midwives should be able to give couples an understanding of the basic principles of the methods. The observable signs of the fertile cycle are changes in basal body temperature, in the consistency of cervical mucus and in the texture and position of the cervix. Practised properly the ovulation method can have a failure rate of as little as 2.2 pregnancies per 100 woman-years. The ovulation method is a suitable method for mothers who have breastfed to detect the onset of ovulation.

Family Planning Services↗