Use of Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Its Effect on Couple Relationships and  Sexual Satisfaction: A Multi-Country Survey of NFP Users from US and Europe

Matthias Unseld; Elisabeth Rötzer; Roman Weigl; Eva K Masel; Michael D Manhart

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00042

Contraception · Family Planning Use and Attitudes

Use of Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Its Effect on Couple Relationships and Sexual Satisfaction: A Multi-Country Survey of NFP Users from US and Europe

Unseld M, Rötzer E, Weigl R, Masel EK, Manhart MD

Published March 30, 2017 Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 42

DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00042 PMID 28349048 PMC PMC5346544

RRM Academy Synopsis

Natural Family Planning Users Report Stronger Relationships

Most men and women said natural family planning (NFP) made their relationship stronger, according to a 2017 survey of 2,560 NFP users in the United States and Europe. About three in four of both sexes said they were happy with how often they had sex.

Key Findings

In the survey of 2,560 people, 74% of men said NFP strengthened their relationship, and 65% of women agreed; fewer than 10% of either sex reported harm.
Among those in a relationship, 63% of men and 62% of women reported a better sex life after starting NFP; 37% of women and 25% of men saw no change.
Happiness with how often they had sex was common: 73% of men and 75% of women said they were satisfied or very satisfied with it.
Body awareness grew the most for women: 95% said NFP helped them understand their body better, compared with 55% of men.
Among women surveyed, more than half reported conceiving within six months when they tried, and fewer than 9% took longer than a year.

Interpretation

This survey asked 2,560 NFP users in the United States and Europe about their relationships and sex lives. Most respondents were married, well educated, and reported good or very good finances; about three in four were women. The relationship and sex-life questions were asked only of those with a spouse or partner. The authors note that respondents were drawn from the mailing lists of two NFP organizations. The findings support larger studies of NFP's effects on relationship satisfaction.

RRM Context

NFP is a type of fertility awareness-based method (FABM). The sympto-thermal method used here tracks cervical mucus and body temperature together. Studies have found it works well: fewer than 1 in 100 careful users get pregnant by accident. Other FABM surveys, of people who track mucus alone or temperature alone, found similar gains in talk and closeness between partners. This study, with more people from more countries, backs that up.

Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.

Abstract

Purpose

Birth control is a persistent global health concern. Natural family planning (NFP) comprises methods to achieve or avoid pregnancy independent of mechanical or pharmacological intervention. The sympto-thermal method (STM) of NFP employs daily observation of cervical fluids and measurement of basal body temperature. This multi-country study was undertaken to describe the characteristics of STM users, understand their perceptions of NFP, and its perceived impact on relationships.

Methods and Results

Questionnaires for women and men were developed in German and translated to English, Polish, Italian, Czech, and Slovak by native speakers. A total of 2,560 respondents completed the online questionnaire (37.4% response). Participants were married (89%) and well educated, and their self-perceived financial status was described as "good" or "very good" by 65% of the respondents. Forty-seven percent had previously used contraceptives. Ninety-five percent of women and 55% of men said using NFP has helped them to know their body better. Large majorities of men (74%) and women (64%) felt NFP helped to improve their relationship while <10% felt use of NFP had harmed their relationship. Most women (53%) and men (63%) felt using NFP improved their sex life while 32% of women and 24% of men felt it was unchanged from before they used NFP. Seventy-five percent of women and 73% of men said they are either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their frequency of sexual intercourse.

Conclusion

This survey demonstrates STM of NFP is a well-accepted approach to family planning across several Western cultures. It is consistently viewed as being beneficial to couples' self-knowledge, their relationship, and satisfaction with frequency of sexual intercourse.

Topics

Contraception › Family Planning Use and Attitudes › Relationships and Family Outcomes · Fertility Awareness › Use and Experience › User Satisfaction

Matthias Unseld, Elisabeth Rötzer, Roman Weigl, Eva K Masel, Michael D Manhart

M Unseld, E Rötzer, R Weigl, E Masel, Mike Manhart, M Manhart

PMID 28349048 28349048 DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00042 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00042 Unseld et al. 2017, Unseld 2017