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School Program Manual - Philosophy

The purpose of the program is to educate young people about their fertility. Experience has taught that people in general are tremendously impressed by information about the complexity of fertility. Teenagers' self-esteem receives a lift in knowing that they are the possessors of such an impressive power. They naturally want to know how to protect it. Such information has obvious implications for sexual behaviour.

The Benefits of Fertility Awareness

Young men naturally seem to respect and value fertility. They respond to this information very positively, enjoy learning about their own fertility and are impressed by the complexity of the female reproductive system. Often they express real concern about a threat that they now realize is being posed to the fertility of a girl friend or acquaintance. Such gallant concern and their innate respect for fertility serve as a good starting point for a discussion of the implications of pre-marital sexual behaviour. Any factor which contributes to a respect for women's bodies and for their fertility will have a positive influence on attitudes toward women, perhaps even altering attitudes which make violence against women possible.

Young women seem to need a great deal of time to adjust to puberty and often have a negative attitude toward their own fertility. Partly, attitudes may be shaped by menstruation, an uncomfortable experience at best. Menstruation has, in the past, defined the cycle because it was the only part of the cycle that could be recognized. Thus the cycle, as a whole, took on a negative connotation. Now a positive connotation can be given to the cycle by redefining it in terms of fertility. This will have a positive impact on women valuing themselves as women.

Advertising has made its own negative contribution to women's attitudes with its own negative contribution to women's attitudes with its message that a woman is limited by menstruation and needs the "freedom" that is emphasized by such product names as Freedom, Stay Free etc. The theme of not being quite fresh or dainty is emphasized repeatedly. This, coupled by society's attitude that women's fertility is a disposable item, preferably suppressed except for the few occasions when needed for pregnancy, devalues an essential part of a woman's identity.

In learning to understand her cycle, a girl begins to take ownership of her fertility, and this heightens her sense of self worth. Fertility is no longer an abstract proposition but a concrete experience. Since much sexual activity takes place because fertility doesn't seem real to girls, this kind of learning is important. Moreover, fertility awareness often generates a protective attitude toward fertility, providing motivation to avoid the risks posed by premarital sex (sexually transmitted diseases, cervical cancer, abortion), drug use, and unwise medication. The Teen Star Program (see resource materials for gr. 9/10), developed by Dr. Hanna Klaus, teaches girls to chart their fertility while considering wider issues that inform sexual decision making. This program has produced a significant reduction in sexual activity. These findings indicate that such learning has an impact on behaviour, not just attitudes.

Moreover, when a girl is ready to marry, she then will have most of the information she will need in order to learn and use a natural method of family planning with ease and confidence. She will have a good grasp of the scope of her fertility, and in cases of low fertility, will be forewarned that pregnancy may take some time to achieve. This is important information for family planning decisions. Today, women often take their fertility for granted and postpone starting a family until their late twenties or early thirties. This leaves them with very little time if difficulties arise. Not only is their fertility diminishing because of age, but if they are naturally less fertile, the situation is very much more serious. Much stress and heartbreak, not to mention costs to the health care system, could be avoided if women had a good grasp of the scope of their fertility when deciding on the best time to start their families. The benefits of understanding fertility and how to protect it are obvious.

Fertility Awareness and Contraception

Sometimes people are concerned that such information will be abused and remove the last deterrent to sexual activity - fear of pregnancy. Because of the impact on attitudes discussed earlier, this is unlikely. Moreover, throughout the program, teachers must repeatedly make clear that the program information is not adequate for avoiding pregnancy. Specific information is given that reliability in avoiding pregnancy depends on clinic instruction and follow up. Young women are advised to attend an Ovulation Method clinic about six months before their wedding to give themselves time to master the method before the demands of wedding plans take over. The role of an Ovulation Method Clinic is explained with regard to:

• providing instruction on how to achieve or avoid pregnancy, including special rules involved;

• charting instruction and follow up to determine that the client understands the Ovulation Method and is charting correctly.

It is worth noting again, that in the Teen Star Program, where girls are taught to chart their fertility, the effect is to deter pre-marital sexual activity.

The manual may be ordered by Ovulation Method teachers at our printing cost. Others, such as high school teachers, will need to be in-serviced in order to provide these programs.

The Natural Family Planning Association - Ontario is affiliated with the World Organization Ovulation Method Billings (WOOMB) Canada and WOOMB International.

© 2006 Natural Family Planning Association - Ontario. All rights reserved.