Sex & Fertility
Natural Fertility
True love cannot be contained; it always gives life in some form. For most couples, this will result in the biological birth of a child. For others, it will be expressed in a shared effort to generously give of their time and talents to others. Love gives Life When we love someone deeply, we want…
Read MoreNewsflash: Pope says sex is ‘a gift from God’
In his latest document, Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), Pope Francis writes extensively about many aspects of marriage and family life. In amongst a lengthy and rich document is a section that is dedicated to affirming the sexual relationship of the married couple as good and holy. While this is not all that radical…
Read MoreNatural Fertility Methods
There are a number of natural methods of fertility management, but only a few (notably, the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM), the Creighton Method (CrM) and the Sympto-Thermal Method (STM)) have been demonstrated to be consistently reliable in avoiding and also achieving a pregnancy. Unlike the old Rhythm Method, these modern methods of natural fertility management…
Read MoreUnderstanding Fertility
Male Fertility Under normal circumstances, men are fertile all the time. Sperm are produced continuously by the testes at a rate of around a hundred million per day. The testes begin sperm production at puberty and continue until the man dies, although the number and quality decline with age. Female Fertility Combined Fertility If there…
Read MoreBirth Control Methods & References
The ‘why’ of Natural Fertility Methods Promotes shared responsibility Draws a couple closer Heightens your sense of awe in lovemaking Allows for God’s involvement in your discernment The most effective and healthiest way to cooperate with each other and with God is to use a natural fertility method. There is no need to overwhelm a…
Read MoreLiving the Truth in our Bodies
The Moral Difference Some people ask, “If natural fertility methods are so effective, what is the moral difference between them and contraception? After all, the result might be the same – pregnancy is avoided.” As in any moral decision, couples need to consider not just the ‘end’, but also the ‘means’ by which that end…
Read MoreA Vision For Life and Love
In our society there is a strong culture of self-entitlement when it comes to sex. Society tells us that sex is about our individual personal fulfilment and that sexual satisfaction is our right. Rather than helping couples develop deeply intimate and meaningful intimacy, these attitudes lead them into selfish and often disordered sex lives. Scripture…
Read MoreIntentional Lovemaking
Avoiding Pregnancy…confidently If a couple using Natural Fertility Methods wish to avoid a pregnancy at a particular time, they must abstain from intercourse during the time of their combined fertility. The reliability of different birth control methods in avoiding pregnancy is summarised in the appendix on page 5.3. The Billings Ovulation Method, Creighton Method and…
Read MoreOne Flesh Union
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except perhaps by…
Read MoreNatural Fertility Methods
‘Openness to life’ does not require any specific number of children but rather is an attitude that invites God into your decisions about when to conceive a child. It is a continual awareness of his presence in the mystery of your love. Happily, science has now provided a completely reliable yet perfectly natural way to…
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