|
A fixed follow-up schedule is not necessary. However, close supervision is required in the initial weeks and months of NFP use. Thereafter, less frequent visits are required, depending upon the individual needs of the clients. Most couples can become autonomous NFP users after charting for about four to six cycles.
|
The goal of NFP training is for couples to reach autonomy - the ability to correctly interpret the woman's fertility signs and avoid or achieve a pregnancy according to the couple's wishes. One comparative study shows that poor follow-up of clients leads to fewer couples becoming autonomous, while closer supervision leads to greater numbers of autonomous users. More research is required to determine optimal follow-up schedule in various settings.
- World Health Organization. Natural family planning: a guide to provision of services. Geneva: WHO, 1988.
- Kambic R, Gray R. Factors related to autonomy and discontinuation of use of natural family planning for women in Liberia and Zambia. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1991;165:2060-2.
|
