A study was recently published in the May 2013 Journal of Advanced Nursing entitled, “Fertility-awareness knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women seeking fertility assistance.” There was a lot of great information regarding women TTC (Trying To Conceive) and using the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method:
- 68.2% believed they had timed intercourse mainly within the fertile window of the menstrual cycle in their attempts at conception
- but only 12.7% could accurately identify this window
- only 24% knew the mucus type that indicates the fertile time
- only 21% could describe the mucus change that indicates the beginning of the fertile time
- and only 5% understood how the temperature method indicates the occurrence of ovulation
Of the women surveyed, “94% believe that a woman should receive fertility-awareness education when she first reports trouble conceiving to her doctor.”
And where should she get that fertility-awareness education from??? A Certified Fertility Awareness Educator, of course :)
"Most women seeking assistance at assisted reproductive technology clinics attempt timed intercourse within the fertile window of the menstrual cycle. However, few accurately identify this window, suggesting that poor fertility-awareness may be a contributing cause of infertility.”
Yikes! This study says that not knowing when to time sex may be part of the cause to not getting pregnant ;) Charting your cycle can give you that valuable information in addition to other useful knowledge about your reproductive health!
