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. 2025 Jul 8:00243639251347842.
doi: 10.1177/00243639251347842. Online ahead of print.

The State of the Science of Natural Family Planning: A Report from NFP Scientists' Meeting Held in Orlando, FL, September 4, 2024

Michael D Manhart  1 , Richard J Fehring  2
Affiliations

The State of the Science of Natural Family Planning: A Report from NFP Scientists' Meeting Held in Orlando, FL, September 4, 2024

Michael D Manhart et al. Linacre Q. .

Abstract

A one-day meeting was held as a pre-conference to the Catholic Medical Association Annual Educational event in 2024. A panel of eighteen physicians, scientists, and researchers involved in NFP work was convened to review the available evidence in four topical areas: (i) evidence for effectiveness of NFP methods to postpone and achieve pregnancy, (ii) evidence for effectiveness in the postpartum and perimenopause transition periods, (iii) evaluate the current state of technology in NFP (specifically app and quantitative hormone monitoring), and (iv) evidence examining the impact of NFP on marital relations. In each topical area, the panel worked to reach a consensus opinion on the currently available evidence and identified priorities for further research. Results from these discussions and a set of priorities for further work are presented here. Summary: An expert panel was convened to review the current evidence supporting use of NFP in various settings, utilization of new technology, and the impact of NFP on marital dynamics. Results from these discussions and a set of priorities for further work are presented here.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Divorce; Fertility awareness; Fertility awareness information technology; Fertility health; Infertility; Menstrual cycle; NFP; Perimenopause; Postpartum.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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