Learning to use FAM for birth control was one of the best decisions of my life.
Yet many people have no idea what FAM is or how it works!
I personally never wanted to use synthetic hormones for birth control. After my copper IUD failed, I tried a low-dose hormonal IUD. It totally wrecked my mood and gave me wild anxiety! I needed to find something safe, effective and natural— and finding FAM was a huge gift.
As a symptothermal FAM educator, I want you to know all your options when it comes to choosing the best birth control for you. So, let’s clear up some confusion…
Ten things you need to know about FAM:
FAM is not the rhythm method.
NO WAY. The rhythm method (or calendar method) simply guesses when you might be fertile based on past cycles. FAM considers where you are hormonally today, in this very cycle.
Rhythm methods also assume a 28 day cycle, which most menstruators don’t actually have.
The rhythm method is counting. FAM is science-backed.
FAM works by identifying your fertile window, the time that it’s possible to become pregnant.
FAM teaches you to observe and record biomarkers (like basal body temperature and cervical fluid) to paint a picture of your fertility. You record this data on a chart, which makes it visually clear when you can/can’t conceive.
You learn to tell when you’re potentially fertile and when you’re definitely unable to get pregnant. Then, you can make choices based on your intentions.
For example, if you wish to avoid pregnancy, you might choose to abstain during your fertile window. Alternatively, you might choose to have intercourse and use physical barriers in your fertile window (which means you rely on the efficacy of those barrier methods at that time).
There are different FABMs (fertility awareness based methods) and certain ones may work better for you.
I teach a symptothermal method, which involves observing and recording fertility signs like basal body temperature and cervical fluid.
Symptohormonal methods have you use at-home urine tests in addition to cervical fluid observations. There are also temperature-only and mucus-only methods. A FAM educator can help you figure out what’s best for your situation.
Research shows the symptothermal method is 99.6% effective when learned through an instructor.
This is comparable to birth control methods like the pill and IUD, but without the health risks and side effects.
There are no formal studies showing the efficacy of self-taught FAM users, though tons of people use FAM successfully after teaching themselves. To achieve the official 99.6% efficacy, I suggest you take a course.
BTW: After ovulation is confirmed, FAM is 100% effective, since pregnancy is impossible at that point.
Ovulation is the main event of your menstrual cycle.
FAM revolves around ovulation! You’re only fertile about 5-7 days per cycle, and once you ovulate, the egg only survives a max of 24 hours. We can’t predict exactly when ovulation will occur in the future, but we can definitively confirm that it happened after the fact.
Why pump synthetic hormones into your bloodstream every day when most days you physically can’t get pregnant?
Without ovulation, we wouldn’t get periods. Ovulation is necessary in order to become pregnant. Even if you don’t want to conceive, ovulation is important for your health since it leads to the production of progesterone, a very important hormone.
FAM can be used for birth control, conception or health tracking.
FAM users have different “intentions” for charting: TTA (trying to avoid pregnancy), TTC (trying to conceive) or CFH (charting for health).
The same concepts can help you either prevent or achieve pregnancy. You collect your body’s data, then use that data to make an informed choice on whether or not to have unprotected sex.
People who chart for health are able to tell whether they’re ovulating (which is a key factor in overall health), and they can find clues that point toward potential hormone imbalances or issues connected to their fertility (such as thyroid health).
FAM only takes a few minutes a day.
Once you learn the method, things start to click. I personally take my temperature every morning and notice my cervical fluid when I go to the bathroom. This barely takes any time at all, but it keeps me mindfully connected to my body in addition to tracking my fertility and health!
You can use FAM even if your cycles are irregular.
Learning through an instructor is especially important if your cycles are irregular. Charting helps you identify your own, unique cycle— no guessing or app algorithms.
You can still chart even if you just got off hormonal birth control, have PCOS, are breastfeeding, are going through perimenopause or have stress-related cycle issues.
By knowing whether or not you’re ovulating (which you’ll know by charting), you’ll get crucial data about your health.The data you collect about your health can be a pre-diagnosis tool.
You know how when you go to the doctor for an exam, they ask when you last had a menstrual period? The cycle is a vital sign.
Charting gives you so many clues about your health. Through FAM, you might notice that something funky’s going on with your estrogen, progesterone, thyroid, stress and more.
In fact, had I been charting while I was on the copper IUD, I would have noticed that I was pregnant before it turned into a life-threatening experience. I could have saved my tube!
A side effect of FAM is a deep appreciation for your body and tuning into yourself.
My favorite thing about FAM is that it makes you empowered AF in your body.
When you pay more attention to your body and cycles, you find more ease, confidence and empowerment in them— and who doesn’t want that?!
FAM helped me heal my body and reconnect with it after years of neglecting and suppressing my inner nature.