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Dear Healthcare Professional, I'm sure you've heard the old joke, "What do you call people who use natural family planning? ... Parents." Surprisingly, this joke is something that many people, including healthcare providers, still believe is true. A study published this month in the "Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health" explores the reasons behind this lack of knowledge about natural family planning among healthcare professionals. The study also looks at how appealing natural family planning options, and in particular CycleBeads, are to users when they are readily available and understood. To read this study, click here. (Note that the link provides an abstract. To read the full article, you will need to subscribe to the journal. Online subscribtion is free).
Natural family planning may not be for everyone, but for many women - those who are concerned about side effects, want to better understand their bodies, are considering getting pregnant in the future, or who have any of a number of other reasons for choosing a natural option - it can be a great choice. And it's important that providers are able to offer it.
Therefore, this issue of the CycleBeads Newsletter focuses on trainings and resources available to help providers offer this natural option. Also included is a brief story about one clinic's experience in offering CycleBeads to their patients. And for the record, that old joke that asks "What do you call people who use natural family planning?" The punchline should read, "Parents... when they choose to be."
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One Clinic's Experience The mission of the Family Planning of Clallam County (FPCC) clinic in Port Angeles, Washington is to assure that all individuals in their area have access to quality healthcare, education, and social services relating to human sexuality and fertility.These services enable individuals to make responsible decisions according to their own value system. As part of FPCC's effort to offer a full range of contraceptive options, they offer CycleBeads. In advising their patients about their contraceptive choices, FPCC first evaluates each person in terms of her history, previous contraceptive choices, sensitivity to hormones, etc. "CycleBeads are favored by women who want a non-hormonal method of birth control. It is based on good science and if people follow the rules, it is 95 percent effective" says Nurse Practitioner, Lynda Bishop. "I also recommend using condoms and emergency contraception after condom breaks that happen during ovulation. If your cycles are regular, you are in a monogamous relationship and prefer to use options other than hormonal methods, I suggest trying CycleBeads." | |||
Free Training & Materials There are numerous training options and materials available for healthcare providers. TRAINING OPTIONS
Online Training for MD's - The July issue of Contemporary OB/GYN features an article on fertility awareness based methods of family planning. The paper provides detailed information on CycleBeads and has been selected as the Continuing Medical Education accredited paper of the month. Physicians may elect to complete an on-line test on the contents of the paper and earn continuing medical education credit. To learn more about the Contemporary OB/GYN training and CME's, click here.
Live Trainings - Live trainings are available for all healthcare providers at many conferences .To find out about other upcoming trainings or to organize a training in your area, please contact us.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS Counseling Guide - We now provide a free comprehensive Counseling Guide for all orders of CycleBeads. If you offer CycleBeads, but do not have a Counseling Guide in your office, please contact us and we will send a Counseling Guide to you free of charge. The Counseling Guide provides information on counseling patients to use CycleBeads correctly, how to identify patients who should NOT be using CycleBeads, and how to address 'special' situations such as when a woman has recently been pregnant or is transitioning from using a family planning method that may have disrupted her cycle. Client Brochures - Client brochures are a great way for women to learn about CycleBeads and how they work.
Posters - Attractive 11 x 17 and 8 x 11 posters are available. The smaller version also includes useful information on the back such as effectiveness comparisons, information on the research on which CycleBeads is based, etc.
Introductory Video or CD-ROM - A short, but informative video is available for providers to share with patients either in your waiting room or during a counseling session. A VHS tape or CD-ROM is available free of charge with purchase.
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