Perspectives of Women who Choose the Billings Ovulation Method: A Review By: Shyamsundar Ramasubramaniam Director’s Note: The research article reviewed this week was published in 2023 in BMC Women’s Health and is titled, “Understanding the Perspective of Women who Use the Billings Ovulation Method.” [1] This focus group study explored reasons for choosing  the Billings Ovulation Method as well as positive and negative experiences with learning and using this natural family planning or fertility awareness-based method (FABM). The research was summarized by Shyamsundar Ramasubramaniam, a ..read more

Teaching & Healing Through Fertility Awareness Charting By: Andrea Rice Director’s Note: April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In this compelling interview, Miranda* shares a deeply personal testimony involving the healing role of FABMs in her own life as a victim of child sexual assault. Implementing FABMs has helped her come to a healthy understanding of sexuality and sex boundaries. Andrea Rice, a former FACTS elective participant conducted this interview and noted that despite the challenges that FABMs can present, charting with these methods can also bring empowerment and tran ..read more

Pharmacological Strategies to Delay Ovarian Aging: A Review   By: Olivia Beck Director’s Note: As the average maternal age at first pregnancy rises, so has interest in methods to delay ovarian aging to maximize fertility and overall health. Through her summary of the article, “Can Ovarian Aging be Delayed by Pharmacological Strategies?” [6] by Zhang et al, former FACTS elective student Olivia Beck reviews potential interventions ranging from antioxidant supplementation to epigenetic strategies. She also highlights how charting with fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) can help iden ..read more

FACTS Teacher Series: Lisa Gilbert, MD  Breaking Barriers to Fertility Awareness: From West Africa to Western Kansas By: Gracie Stotzer Director’s Note: As part of our FACTS Teacher series, we highlight the diverse set of physicians and clinicians who contribute their time and expertise to help us educate the next generation of medical professionals through the FACTS elective. Our series continues with Dr. Lisa Gilbert, a family physician trained in the Creighton Model. Growing up in Africa, Dr. Gilbert’s travels over the years have taken her from West Africa to Western Kansas. Presentl ..read more

Comparing Days of Fertility Using Different Apps: A Review of Research​ By: Sandra Spychalska, MD Director’s Note: Today, we are highlighting research published by FACTS executive director, Dr. Marguerite Duane, and FACTS Board member, Dr. Mike Manhart. Their research compared the fertile windows identified by two popular fertility apps: CycleProGo and Natural Cycles. Dr. Sandra Spychalska, a family medicine resident and former FACTS elective participant, summarized this 2022 study [1] and discussed the limitations of the Natural Cycles app, especially when compared to fertility awarene ..read more

Finding Root Causes of Menstrual Cycle Abnormalities in Adolescents: A Review By: Jessica Kraft Director’s Note: In today’s blog, former FACTS elective student Jessica Kraft summarized the review article titled, “Proactive Management of Menstrual Cycle Abnormalities in Young Women” [1] published in The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. In this review of menstrual cycle abnormalities in adolescents, the author, Mary Lee Baron, discusses factors that may be at play, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and eating disorders. The author hopes by shifting to a more ..read more

National Endometriosis Awareness Month Lessons in Infertility and Resilience: We All Need to Start Asking, “Why?” By: Emily Dobrzynski, DO Director’s Note: March marks National Endometriosis Awareness month. Research shows this condition affects up to 10% of reproductive-aged women, and it occurs in up to 50% of women with infertility. Yet, the diagnosis is often delayed. In this poignant interview conducted by Dr. Emily Dobrzynski, a former FACTS elective student, we highlight the story of Isabel* who struggled with unexplained infertility until she encountered a doctor trained in NaPr ..read more

Fertile Phase Variability in the Menstrual Cycle: A Review of Research By: Seth Chauhan, MD Director’s Note: This week we feature research summarized by Dr. Seth Chauhan, a first-year family medicine resident and former FACTS elective participant. Previous studies have established a standard physiologic fertile window of up to 6 to 7 days during which a woman can conceive. The study by Fehring and Schneider [1] reviewed below explores the potential window of fertility as determined by cervical mucus and/or urinary hormone observations. In this study,  “Variability in the Hormonally Esti ..read more

Hormone Testing for Personal Fertility Monitoring: A Review of Research By: Alexandra Davidson Director’s Note: The evidence supporting fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) has expanded to include methods that track biomarkers such as cervical mucus and urinary hormone monitoring. Alexandra Davidson, a former FACTS elective participant, summarized the 2021 study by Bouchard et al titled, “Quantitative versus qualitative estrogen and luteinizing hormone testing for personal fertility monitoring.” [1] The authors compared two urinary hormone monitors that can be utilized with the Marquett ..read more

International Women’s Day GUEST POST:  Birthday Blessings By: Therese M. Duane, MD, MBA Director’s Note: In honor of International Women’s Day, we are delighted to feature a guest blog by longtime FACTS supporter – Dr. Therese Duane, sister of our FACTS Executive Director Dr. Marguerite Duane. A trauma critical care surgeon, Dr. Therese Duane is dedicated to providing life-saving care to her patients in the United States and internationally! Most recently, her work has taken her to Uganda, where she serves with Mercy Trips Healthcare Outreach to provide critical care for patients, inclu ..read more