CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Contraception - Management
What natural family planning methods are recommended for use in the UK?
Natural family planning methods (to avoid conception) that are recommended for use in the UK fall into two categories: fertility awareness–based methods (which involve abstinence), and the lactational amenorrhoea method (which does not involve abstinence):
- Fertility awareness–based methods:
- These methods are based on one or more indicators of fertility, such as:
- Monitoring changes in basal body temperature.
- Monitoring changes in cervical secretions and the feel of the cervix.
- Calendar day method: calculating the length of the menstrual cycle and using this to estimate the time of ovulation and the fertile days of the menstrual cycle.
- Monitoring changes in hormone concentration levels in the urine.
- For more information, see Fertility awareness-based methods.
- Several fertility monitoring devices can be bought from pharmacies. They are based on a variety of methods: for example, monitoring changes in temperature, or changes in hormone levels in urine or saliva. The fertility monitoring device most commonly used in the UK is the Persona®, a small computerized monitor which uses dipsticks to follow changes of hormone concentrations in the urine.
- Dipstick tests for luteinizing hormone and ovulation predictor kits are intended to help women conceive. They are not effective as a natural family planning method.
- The lactational amenorrhoea method:
- The lactational amenorrhoea method can be used by women provided that the following conditions are met:
- Complete amenorrhoea, and
- Fully or very nearly fully breastfeeding, and
- No longer than 6 months since birth of the baby.
- The indicators of fertility used in natural family planning methods that involve abstinence are unreliable in women who are breastfeeding. However, women who are primarily or solely breastfeeding can use the lactational amenorrhoea method for the first 6 months. This is because conception is unlikely in the 6 months after delivery while they are breastfeeding and amenorrhoeic. The likelihood of conception in women using the lactational amenorrhoea method increases with time since delivery and as other foods are substituted for breast milk.
[FFPRHC, 2006a]
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on guidelines published by the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH), formerly the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare (FFPRHC) [FFPRHC, 2006a].
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement