Creighton Model FertilityCare System

The Creighton Model FertilityCare System (Creighton Model, FertilityCare, CrMS) is a form of natural family planning which involves identifying the fertile period during a woman's menstrual cycle. The Creighton Model was developed by Thomas Hilgers, the founder and director of the Pope Paul VI Institute. Hilgers describes the Creighton Model as being based on "a standardized modification of the Billings ovulation method", which was developed by John and Evelyn Billings in the 1960s.^[1] The Billingses issued a paper refuting the claim that the CrMS represents a standardization of the BOM.^[2]

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History

Hilgers began research in 1976 which led to the development of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, which was first fully described (as the Creighton Model) in 1980.^[3] In 1981, the American Academy of Natural Family Planning was founded to promote use of the Creighton Model as a form of natural family planning (the term for methods of birth control approved by the Roman Catholic church).^[4] In 1985, Hilgers created the Pope Paul VI Institute to medically support the directives given by Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae: On the Regulation of Birth.

In 1991, Hilgers self-published a manual titled The Medical Applications Of Natural Family Planning: A Physician’s Guide to NaProTECHNOLOGY through his Pope Paul VI Institute Press. NaProTechnology is described as Natural Procreative Technology. In 2001, the AANFP was renamed the American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals, to reflect the relabeling of the Creighton Model as FertilityCare. In 2004, Hilgers self-published a reference manual titled The Medical and Surgical Practice of NaProTECHNOLOGY. Hilgers refers to the Creighton Model FertilityCare System as "the foundational family planning system to NaProTechnology".

Overview

The CrMS teaches women to observe certain biological signs to monitor their own gynaecological health, and to identify times of fertility and infertility. These biological signs include cervical mucus and bleeding patterns, and can be observed and analysed in all types of menstrual cycles. These signs are charted daily to give a picture of the woman's individual cycle.

Doctors can use the fertility charts which couples are taught to keep as the basis for further investigations if needed.

Blood tests for Oestrogen levels prior to ovulation and for both Progesterone and Oestrogen levels after ovulation, ultrasound follicular tracking, and other diagnostic procedures, can be accurately timed according to the woman's cycle, using the data recorded on a couple's fertility chart. This allows doctors to make a more precise diagnosois of abnormalities, e.g. subtle hormonal deficiencies, various ovulation defects etc.

Uses

As a form of fertility awareness or natural family planning, the CrMS may be used to avoid pregnancy, or to increase chances of conception depending on the couple's intentions. The Pope Paul VI Institute reports a perfect-use effectiveness rate of at 99.5% in the first year, when used to avoid pregnancy.^{[citation needed]} In studies of similar methods, the failure rate is defined as the number of pregnancies among couples who told researchers they intended to use the method to avoid pregnancy. In clinical studies of the CrMS conducted at the Pope Paul IV Institute, researchers excluded most pregnancies from the failure rate calculation, on the grounds that they believed the affected couples had used the method to deliberately attempt pregnancy.^[5] Therefore, typical failure rates of the CrMS cannot be compared to typical failure rates for similar methods.

The CrMS is used in conjunction with NaProTechnology (Natural Procreative Technology), which aims to restore fertility naturally, by identifying and then correcting the underlying causes of the couples' infertility. Hilgers regards methods such as IVF as approaching infertility as though it were a disease.^{[citation needed]}

Treatment

• Use of natural hormones and other medications to correct any hormonal disturbances or ovulation abnormality.
• Use of medications if necessary to correct any other abnormalities e.g. cervical mucus deficiency, biochemical or haematological deficiencies, endocrine (glandular) deficiencies etc. to restore normal physiologic function, and thereby enhance fertility.
• Referral to a gynaecologist if there are physical abnormailities needing surgery, for example
  • blocked fallopian tubes
  • endometriosis
  • adhesions

References

1. ^ Creighton Model
2. ^ Some Clarifications Concerning NaProTECHNOLOGY and the Billings Ovulation Method
3. ^ Creighton Model
4. ^ American Academy of FertilityCare Professionals
5. ^ [1]

See also

• Basal body temperature
• Billings ovulation method
• Fertility awareness
• Natural birth control
• Natural family planning
• Toni Weschler