Explaining ovulation awareness-based family planning methods

Quality of care in family planning demands that obstetrician/gynecologists be knowledgeable about every birth control method in order to educate a patient about all her options. An important component in helping a patient choose an appropriate contraceptive method is to consider her preferences as well as medical eligibility criteria.

As is true for many other contraceptive methods, FAB methods are very effective when used correctly (Table 1).^1-4 Moreover, they pose no threat to either the woman or-should pregnancy occur-to the developing fetus.^5,6 Some FAB methods (e.g., Ovulation Method, Symptothermal Method) require patients to attend several instruction sessions lasting a few hours or more.^1-4 In contrast, you can teach patients about two more recent methods, the Standard Days Method (SDM) and the TwoDay Method, in one brief session.

Most likely, FAB methods were not stressed in your medical school or residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. Our goal is to bring you up-to-speed in educating patients about these options by summarizing the currently available FAB methods to make it easier for you to incorporate them into a typical ob/gyn practice. Although we'll focus on the SDM and the TwoDay Method because their simplicity makes them much easier to teach to patients, we'll also refer readers to other sources for more detailed information on the Ovulation and Symptothermal Methods.

FAB methods

Not surprisingly, effectiveness is highest when FAB methods are used correctly. But your patients can achieve correct use with appropriate instruction and support. Since incorrect use involves having unprotected intercourse during a woman's fertile time, pregnancy rates may be high depending on when-and how often-during the fertile time she has unprotected intercourse (with estimates of pregnancy rates with incorrect use higher than 22%, according to some studies). It's important to consider the efficacy of FAB methods in the context of other user-directed methods. Table 1 compares both the correct and typical use failure rates of FAB methods to other user-directed methods. Women who've chosen the FAB method who use barrier methods on fertile days have a somewhat higher risk of pregnancy than do those who abstain, because of the inherent failure rate of barrier methods.