Women's views of a fertility awareness and hormonal support approach to subfertility

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the satisfaction among subfertile women of a fertility awareness-based approach, including hormonal therapy to achieve a pregnancy by natural conception. Eighty four women attending a natural fertility service completed a postal questionnaire exploring (1) the acceptability of the sympto-thermal method and (2) the acceptability of using hormone support. Acceptability rates for the fertility charting, clinical service and clinical care were 64.9–91.6%. Acceptability rates were higher in women who did conceive or had experienced past recurrent miscarriages. Taking hormonal luteal support, by any method, was more acceptable for women over 35 years compared to those under 35 years (100% vs. 69.4%, p = 0.014). Vaginal pessaries were the preferred route of administration. The use of a fertility awareness-based method appears to be acceptable amongst subfertile women intending to conceive naturally. Most women using such a method for conception would be open to the use of hormonal support during the fertility cycle or early pregnancy.

Keywords::

• Fertility awareness-based method
• subfertility
• conception
• acceptability
• progesterone

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to acknowledge of Doctors Terrence Kent and Alison Bignell, the work of the midwives and administration staff in the Natural Fertility Services, Mater Mothers’ Hospital, Brisbane.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no declarations of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.