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.
fertility awareness women's health assessment, menstrual cycle health indicator, vital sign menstrual cycle, fertility awareness screening tool, reproductive health biomarkers, cervical mucus health assessment, menstrual cycle monitoring clinical, FABM health benefits, fertility charting diagnostic use, ovarian function assessment
PMID 30082987 30082987 DOI 10.1179/002436312804827109 10.1179/002436312804827109
Cite this article
Vigil, P., Blackwell, L. F., & Cortés, M. E. (2012). The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review. *The Linacre Quarterly*, *79*(4), 426-450. https://doi.org/10.1179/002436312804827109
Vigil P, Blackwell LF, Cortés ME. The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review. Linacre Q. 2012;79(4):426-450. doi:10.1179/002436312804827109
Vigil, P., et al. "The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review." *The Linacre Quarterly*, vol. 79, no. 4, 2012, pp. 426-450.
This pilot qualitative case study was able to elicit rich data enabling a description of how women went through the journey of achieving pregnancy using fertility awareness-based methods. Findings und...
Natural family planning (NFP) empowers women to control their reproductive health and approach fertility as a normal biological process. Although substantive literature supports their comparative effe...
This study explores differences in the use of CycleProGo™ (CPG), a fertility-tracking app developed by Couple to Couple League (CCL), between those exposed to it as a part of natural family planning (...
By encouraging doctors and scientists to improve the regulation of births through the observation of natural fertility rhythms, Humanae vitae promoted the development of natural family planning (NFP)....