I know people who have passed away from Cancer and others who are fighting hard to win their battles. It’s been difficult and is definitely prompting lifestyle changes. I go to restaurants, grocery stores, even clothing stores and there is an organic option. Organic means natural, chemical free and people have been making the change because they want increased health and reduced risk of cancer and other diseases.

It makes sense. Less processed sugar and flour. I check the carcinogen level of my make up and bath products against the skin deep cosmetic database. I even try and use natural alternatives when dealing with minor illnesses.

So when it comes to my reproductive health, I could not imagine taking a group of chemicals that have been rated by the center for disease control as a type 1 carcinogen (along with tobacco, asbestos, and arsenic).

Also, women who take birth control have an increased risk of breast and cervical cancer. This defeats the whole purpose. Now I have heard people arguing back and forth about the data but when it comes to my health I don’t want to take any chances. Cancer aside, I’ve had friends who have had to deal with clots and other side effects. I see no reason to take these risks.

So thankfully I found the Creighton Model of natural family planning. There are others, but I chose Creighton because it has a use effectiveness (not method effectiveness) of 96.8% in the first year of use, and effectiveness only goes up as you get more knowledgeable. I like it because it does not matter if you don’t have a “regular” cycle and if you are having difficulty trying to get pregnant. . It’s pretty effective compared to other types of birth control that have a use effectiveness between 91-99%. Condoms are only 82% effective.

So the side effect to NFP is having a baby right? No, not unless you want one. Again the effectiveness is over 96%. It’s easy to learn. Much easier than learning how to prepare kale or see if my foundation has kaolin clay or other carcinogens inside. The best way to learn about Creighton is to find a practitioner. Contact Options United to learn more about Natural Family Planning (NFP) or find a NFP teacher or class.