My Dad sent along a link to an ABC News Online health report where one Dr. Jennings, of the Center for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University (rumored to at one time have been a Catholic institution) talks about a new way to track your reproductive cycle using beads.  Yes, cycle beads.  The interviewer asks Dr. Jennings if this is really just the rhythm method, and Dr. Jennings responds that it simply allows you to see what day of your cycle you’re on, with no weird calculations.  She points out how in countries around the world this is effective, and it’s well received among those willing to try it.

Now, I am as happy as anyone to see an allegedly Catholic school talking about any type of NFP.  But, it’s important to make it clear that, #1, this is not a new discovery, and #2, this is not as effective or as useful as the sympto-thermal method of NFP that the Kippleys have been teaching for 30 years, first under the auspices of the Couple to Couple League, and now in their new organization, NFP International.  These cycle beads only work for women with cycles of 26-32 days.  Sympto-thermal works for all sorts of weird cycle durations.  And, all the cycle beads do is help you to guess when you are fertile provided you have a normal cycle length of 26-32 days.  To avoid pregnancy, it requires a period of abstinence of about 10 days (which is enough to run off some folks right away.) Contrast that with sympto-thermal which could see an abstinence period as brief as 5 days.  And, of course, if you have one cycle where ovulation is just a little late or a little early, you become a parent – with sympto-thermal, you’re looking for actual signs of ovulation – so it’s more effective.  It’s not guessing.

Georgetown ought to be out there promoting the Kippleys’ method which has already been tested for 30+ years showing an effective rate of 99% under perfect use!   But then, there’s apparently some reason to hide sympto-thermal.  No money in it, I guess.

And one more thing…until Georgetown stops using the word “risk” with the word “pregnancy,” they haven’t returned to true Catholic teaching.

So, go watch the video…