The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review

Abstract

Fertility awareness constitutes fundamental knowledge for every woman and is an important tool for health professionals. The objective of this review is to show how fertility awareness can be useful in the assessment of a woman's health. The main techniques for detecting ovulation are explained, and then the events that characterize a normal menstrual cycle are discussed. The relevance of cervical mucus from the perspective of female fertility is highlighted. Finally, the usefulness of fertility awareness 1) to identify fertile and infertile periods, 2) to help to detect several pathologies, and 3) in regards to how it exerts an important role in the success of programs in education for affectivity and sexuality are discussed.

Figure 1

Normal menstrual cycle with a length of thirty-two days E₁G: estrone glucuronide (solid line), PdG: pregnanediol glucuronide (broken line).

Figure 2

Some crystallization patterns of human periovulatory cervical mucus observed under light microscopy

Figure 3

Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of human cervical mucus A. A network-shaped mesh of periovulatory (estrogenic) mucus. In this mesh there are a large number of variable size pores, scale bar = 10 μm. B. A compact network-shaped mesh of progestational (gestagenic) mucus, scale bar = 1 μm.