The FemCap is a barrier contraceptive but this medical study shows how it can be used for Natural Family Planning (NFP) and the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM).
Cervical mucus observations are favoured by some NFP and FAM practitioners as an indicator to their fertile state which helps to pinpoint the moment that they are ovulating.
Enhancement of Conception or Contraception by a Unique and Novel Approach
Alfred A. Shihata, MD, Scripps Institution of Medicine and Science, San Diego, CA, USA Steven A. Brody, MD, PhD, University Of California School Of Medicine, Dept. Endocrinology, La Jolla, CA, USA
Objectives:
A) To pinpoint the time of ovulation and thus enhance conception or contraception.
B) To simplify the cervical secretion collection and increase the quantity collected, facilitating more accurate evaluation.
C) To narrow the fertile window to 3 days for conception and 7 days for contraception.
Background:
Women currently collect cervical secretions by subjective observation and thus may miss the fertile window. The fertile window is unique to every woman. The raw egg-white cervical secretions and biphasic basal body temperature (BBT) are the main signs of ovulation.
Design and Methods:
We conducted a pilot study of women collecting a large quantity of their cervical secretions, using the FemCap, a cervical cap available in Europe and the US.
We recruited 35 women with regular periods, ages 21-38 who did not desire to become pregnant for the duration of the study.
We instructed the subjects to wear the FemCap, and replace it every 12 hours to collect their cervical secretion, starting two days after the completion of menses, for a total of 9 days.
Subjects recorded the color, clarity, consistency and stretchability (Spinnbarkeit) of their cervical secretions on their BBT chart. They also recorded the uriñe luteinizing hormone (LH) surge test results daily, for 10 days starting the day after the completion of menses.
Results:
Thirty women followed this protocol for three cycles. Twenty nine women (96.6%) could identify their preovulatory raw egg white cervical secretions. This was verified by a positive urinary LH surge test result and microscopic examination of the secretions for ferning. The BBT charts were biphasic and concordant with the LH surge and the characteristics of the preovulatory cervical secretions.
Conclusions:
The FemCap allowed women for the first time to collect large quantities of their cervical secretions and identify ovulation and their fertile window with astonishing precisión. This methodology shortened the fertile window to 3 days for conception and 7 days for contraception. This simple non-invasive and low cost method can maximize the chance of conception or contraception in healthy women
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