Cycle Monitors and Devices in Natural Family Planning

Journal für Reproduktionsmedizin und Endokrinologie - Journal of Reproductive Medicine and Endocrinology 2010; 7 (Sonderheft 1): 90-96

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Keywords: Fertilität,  Kontrazeption,  Menstruation,  contraception,  fertility,  menstrual cycle

For fertility awareness based methods- (FAB-) users charting and checking of menstrual cycle symptoms may be supported by different instruments and devices. These cycle monitors promise to detect the fertile and infertile days by using direct and indirect markers of fertility in a woman´s menstrual cycle. In this article we use data of our own studies, data out of the literature research in Medline and PubMed and from our own German NFP (natural family planning) database. We tried to rate the efficacy of the tested monitors. We figured out that only for one hormone- and for one temperature-computer reasonable prospective studies exist. To get more comparable results we have performed in 2000 a small pilot study on 6 devices and the symptothermal method of NFP (NFP-DAG) together with “Stiftung Warentest”. The efficacy of the various devices differed significantly. We therefore urgently need more clinical studies on menstrual cycle monitors for reliable information of users.