Introduction

In your community you have an important role to play, helping people choose a contraceptive method that is personally and medically appropriate for them. To do this effectively, it’s important to understand the various ways and methods by which unwanted or unplanned pregnancy can be prevented. These contraceptive methods are generally classified into natural and artificial (modern) methods. Natural family planning uses changes in the body to identify when a woman is fertile and could become pregnant. This is also known as a fertility-based awareness method.

In this study session, you will learn about the concepts, types, mechanism of actions, the advantages and disadvantages of each natural family planning method. These include the temperature method, calendar method, cervical mucus method, lactational amenorrhoea method (LAM) and coitus interruptus, or the withdrawal method.