The Signal Hill

Signal Hill is an advocate for human rights that provides information on life issues, women's health and family support.

" Every woman has the right to know how her body works by uncovering for herself the mystery of her own fertility."

Our Fertility

The Signal Hill The power of reproduction resides in each of us. It is a mysterious, wonderful power that draws two people together in a mutual bond, and from that bond, the potential for new life springs.

Men and women’s fertility differs. A woman’s fertility is cyclical and can be tracked by reading the natural signs of her body. Men are fertile all of the time, and have no pattern of infertility.

Learning to understand the rhythms of fertility and infertility in the female body is extremely helpful for a number of reasons.

"Promotes positive body awareness."(1)
"It is an effective method of [natural] birth control."(2)
A cycle that is well tracked can also help in the diagnosis of gynecological problems(3) such as poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis or even cancer.
The male partner becomes involved in the woman’s fertility. His understanding of her unique cycle is greatly enhanced and it fosters communication and cooperation between couples.
Women report feeling honoured by their spouses who work to understand their fertility. Women also report not feeling alone in reproductive decisions.
There are no harmful side-effects.(4) It allows a couple to either avoid or achieve pregnancy naturally without having to rely on artificial contraceptives.

Natural Ovulation Methods – Fertility Care

For any method of pregnancy prevention to be effective, the way in which it is used has to be perfect or near perfect. Condoms must be used 100% effectively 100% of the time. Pills and other hormonal methods must also be taken without fail. This is true with methods that use the natural patterns of fertility and infertility.

Scientists have studied the delicate workings of the female reproductive system for decades and have developed systems for women to keep track of when they are fertile and infertile. Two of the most well known systems used internationally are called the Billings Ovulation Method and the Creighton Model System. Both of these systems can be used effectively with irregular cycles because they depend on mucous observation to determine ovulation (the time when a woman is fertile).

Learning the pattern of her own cycle is an empowering step in the life of any woman. It may be more challenging for a teenage girl, but it is equally important. Teens should be able to understand how their bodies work and be able to discuss these issues with a parent or health-care practitioner. Tracking her cycle is also an effective way for any woman to be aware of any potential health problems.

How accurate are these methods? Once the patient understands her own fertility patterns, certain tests can be timed to the appropriate parts of the cycle with high accuracy. This step alone will frequently result in the couple achieving pregnancy. Of couples referred to the Fertility Care center in Omaha, Nebraska for inability to achieve pregnancy (for an average of 3 years), 20-40% had achieved pregnancy within six months of use of the CrMS, before any further medical evaluation and treatment was undertaken. For couples with normal fertility it was 98% effective within the same time period. (American Academy of Fertility Care Professionals; www.aafcp.org). For adult couples, even with irregular menstrual patterns, the Creighton Model Fertility Care method for avoiding pregnancy is 99.5% effective. Accounting for typical use it is 96.8% effective.

See study on Outcomes From Treatment of Infertility With Natural Procreative Technology published in JABFM, October 2008

Women’s Health Sciences – Achieving Pregnancy and Optimum Health

NaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology) is a breakthrough women's health science that monitors and maintains a woman's reproductive and gynecological health. It provides medical and surgical treatments that cooperate completely with the reproductive system.

NaProTECHNOLOGY uses the Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System biomarkers to monitor the occurrence of various hormonal events during the menstrual cycle. NaProtracking provides valid information that can be interpreted by a woman and by physicians who are specifically trained in this system.

Unlike common suppressive or destructive approaches, NaProTECHNOLOGY works cooperatively with the procreative and gynecologic systems. When these systems function abnormally, NaProTECHNOLOGY identifies the problems and cooperates with the menstrual and fertility cycles that correct the condition, maintain the human ecology, and sustain the procreative potential.

For couples trying to achieve pregnancy, NaProTECHNOLOGY has been more successful than standard in vitro fertilization and other reproductive technologies.

Find out more about NaproTechnology (www.naprotechnology.com)

" 'Biomarkers’ tell a couple when they are naturally fertile and infertile, allowing the couple to use the system either to achieve or to avoid pregnancy. These biomarkers also telegraph abnormalities in a woman's health. The CrMS allows a woman to unravel the mysteries of the menstrual cycle."

Footnotes:

2. ibid.

3. Ibid

Related Links

Our Fertility

Natural Ovulation Methods – Fertility Care

Women’s Health Sciences – Achieving Pregnancy and Optimum Health