News/ Studies

• Current Medical Research (USCCB medical review, Fall 2011)
• See especially:
• Past Use of Oral Contraceptives Associated with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
• Most European Women Want to Be Informed of Post-Fertilization Effects of Contraceptive Methods
• Common Form of Hormonal Contraception Increases Cardiovascular Risk
• Birth Control Pills May Keep Nuns Healthy (FoxNews)–more coming on this
• Wisconsin Catholic Hospitals Reimbursed Under Family Planning Waiver (read: Catholic Hospitals violate Catholic Health Directives)
• Involving Men in Family Planning (Inquirer.net)–This article refers largely to contraceptive services, but I think there are points and lessons here on getting men to promote NFP.

Editorial & Commentary

• The Church of Kathleen Sebelius (Wall Street Journal)
• How Evil is Your Birth Control Manufacturer? (Jezebel)
• Yaz, Yasmin & Ortho Evra Patch increase risk of blood clots (Society of Menstrual Cycle Research blog)
• Leadership in Pharmaceutical Companies: Where are the Women? (RH Reality Check)
• Plan ‘Oh No They Didn’t': Roundup of Response to Plan B decision (Ms. blog)
• New Birth Control Decisions Don’t Mean Birth Control is Killing You (Jezebel) [It's not killing you yet]

Reflections

• Raising Human Beings & Life Lessons from the Duggars (Millions of Miles Blog)
• Natural Family Planning–Does it work for everyone?  Check out her earnest, albeit flawed reasoning (WhatToExpect.com)

Introducing Christine Louise Cimo Hemphill, M.D.

She is an obstetrician/gynecologist who is completing her fellowship training in Medical & Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY with Dr. Thomas Hilgers, co-creator of the Creighton Model FertilityCare System. She’s currently being trained to surgically treat Endometriosis, Tubal Disease, Chronic Endometritis, Polycystic Ovaries, Pelvic Adhesions in ways which will preserve fertility and decrease the formation of future pelvic adhesions (scarring). In addition to this training, She’s also preparing to treat PMS, ovulation defects, luteal phase defects, Thyroid System Dysfunction, abnormal mucus cycles, ovarian cysts, postpartum depression as well as implementing obstetrical care which greatly reduces the preterm delivery rate.

In August, 2012, she starts at a new practice at St. Francis Medical Center, a hospital within the Bon Secours Hospital System in the Richmond, Virginia area. Her focus will be mainly infertility patients, but will continue to practice general obstetrics and gynecology.

FertilityCare–a natural approach

D. Hemphill is an NFP-only (specifically, CrMS) physician. She hopes work in conjunction with the surrounding FertilityCare Medical Consultants and FertilityCare Practitioners. I am also training to be a FertilityCare Practitioner, so I will be taking on clients who want to learn to chart, too. I will be receptive to patients both within Virginia and from neighboring states.

About Dr. Hemphill
Hometown of Sumter, SC. Received a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina in May 2003 (Columbia, SC). Received my Doctorate in Medicine from the Medical University of South Caroina in May 2007 (Charleston, SC). Completed my residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Pitt County Memorial Hospital/East Carolina University in June 2011 (Greenville, NC). Will complete my fellowship training (Pope John Paul II Fellowship) in Medical & Surgical NaProTECHNOLOGY from Pope Paul VI Institute in July 2012 (Omaha, NE). I have been married to my husband, Jason, since July 2004. We have 2 children, with one more expected to make a debut in June 2012.

Dr. Steve Hickner is an NFP-only OB/GYN in Lander, Wyoming, and he will be giving two last talks in his fall/winter lecture series through Central Wyoming College’s Lander Campus. If you’re in the area, you should definitely check them out. If you’re not, make sure you spread the word for those who might be!

• Maintaining Cardiovascular Health in Menopause: Proven Strategies/   December 7, 2011, 7-8pm

• Thyroid and Other Hormone Dysfunction: Sorting through Fact and Fiction/ December 14, 2011, 7-8pm

[Update: I've got another month here at this domain, and would like to keep it here, but cashola for the Smiths is short. If you would like to see NFPworks stay in its current format--rather than an abbreviated format elsewhere, let me know!]

Head’s up readers: things are a changin’ for the ‘ol NFP blog here.  No, shhhh. Shhh…. calm down. It’s going to be okay. Until thanksgiving weekend is over, I’m going to park this baby over at my old WP address: nfpworks.wordpress.com. After I get back from vacay, I’m moving the blog formally over to a subdomain of the Edith Stein Foundation. Stay tuned….And have a great holiday weekend, Americans.

Okay, with the drospirenone study & the FDA finally raising a flag for a chance (see first article in the list), the world population hitting 7 Billion Monday, as well as me finally checking my old bookmarks and Google Alerts–there’s a lot here to read. Pick a few to start with. And by all means, comment away (especially on the secular web sites!).

News

• Study Links New Birth Control Pill to Blood Clots & Strokes (NPR Health Blog)
• Welcome Baby Seven Billion--an initiative of the World Youth Alliance
• Ovarian Tumors May Develop Years After IVF Treatment (USA Today Health)

News Commentary

• The Grass is Just as Complicated on the Other Side by Simcha Fisher–commentary on NFP struggles
• World Contraception Day: Empowering Whom? [I think it's 'who', but whatever] by Arland Nichols at the Ruth Institute Blog
• The Catholic Church’s Best Kept Secret–One Husband’s Thoughts
• Why the Pill is a Problem by Kristan Doerfle
• No Exceptions with Contraception–Thank God! by Jennifer Fulwiler, wonderful reflection on the no exceptions for contraception teaching by the Catholic Church, and encouragement by someone who’s lived this difficult teaching in a health-crisis

Misc.

• 10 Ways to Tell if a Product Is (or isn’t) Really Natural (er…HuffPo)
• Who You Callin’ a Slut? Commentary on the ‘Slut Walks’ at About-Face, a feminist non-profit promoting positive body image

Here’s the latest from this week. As usual, keep me posted on what you’re reading. [Update: Just found this ABC coverage of Yaz being flagged by the FDA, and a vignette of one of the victims, who is a friend of a friend.]

News

• Madison Clinic (NFP only clinic) offers free care for the uninsured–They started up when I was there. Good press for them.
• New Studies Find Yaz More Risky Than Other Leading Birth Control Pills: ABC News Investigates [see video below]

Research

• Disease Causing “Preventative Care” by Denise Hunnell, MD–a summary of the recent UWashington study revealing a doubled risk of HIV contraction while on HBC with commentary re: its implications
• Low Fertility & Low Economic Growth–Review of an important report just released by the Social Trends Institute re: fewer children and diminishing numbers of married couples having a significant impact on economic growth and the ability of governments to finance welfare programs. (H/T to @maggiemelchior for this link)
• If you find this article interesting, you should check out Demographic Winter.
• The Contraceptive Revolution & the Second Demographic Transition–academic abstract (with link to full text) of economists’ study of the impact of contraception on the economy.

Commentary

• Contraceptives Kill People, Harm the Environment, & Bankrupt the Economy– a Cliffs Notes version of the aforementioned Social Trends Report, HIV study, with some environmental concerns thrown in. By the funny guy who wrote You Can Never Afford Them
• 10 Reasons the Pill Sucks–Good summary, citing a breast cancer study I hadn’t heard of. A few cliche NFP lines, but decent overall. Published on Patheos, I’m not even attempting a rebuttal to comboxers on this one.

NFP & Family Testimony

• Difficult Anniversaries–Responsible Parenthood–Story about a families difficult pregnancy losses, subsequent health struggles, and discernment about having more children.
• My NFP Testimonial at S’Aint Easy Blog (by Paige), how Paige’s struggle with HBC and introduction to NFP was this young woman’s entree into the Church; contrary to many people’s experience
• Guiding Star Project’s Page for NFP Testimonials--so far just Paige’s story (above) is posted, but bookmark this and check back–or submit your own story (you can submit that same story to the Edith Stein Foundation here, too).

My parish

I live in the least populated and most rural state in the US, and probably the most rural and needy Catholic dioceses. I attend and serve St. Stephen’s Parish, the mission on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and one of the poorest parishes. The Jesuits served here for over a hundred years, and in August 2010, the mission changed hands into the Society of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity (SOLT), a struggling but essentially faithful and beautiful order.

The fruit of SOLT’s presence

I can’t tell you the difference their presence has made. While serving on the reservation is a serious struggle (I can’t begin to tell you), especially for non-native apostles, I’ve seen an increase in participation in the sacraments, at Mass and Confession especially. They’ve started weekly adoration for the needs of the parish, pray the Liturgy of the Hours in common in the parish church, started a charity clothing closet, and several catechetical efforts.

NFP Awareness Need

In conjunction with our pastor Fr. John Gaffney, I’m trying to increase the awareness of Theology of the Body, Natural Family Planning, fertility care and healing over pregnancy loss. We just ordered 40 Pure Intimacy booklets, 3 Why NFP CDs (for the SOLT clergy), but that used up half of their remaining (tiny) resource budget. We still need brochures on the dangers of birth control, pregnancy loss healing, and more clergy resources.

Please consider tithing during Respect Life month in the form of a purchase of catechetical gifts. The need on the res is so great, and there is a profound spiritual crisis here. Above all, please keep St. Stephen’s Mission in your prayers. If you’d like to help at all (no gift or purchase is too small), leave a comment below, and I’ll contact you. If you can’t help, please share this post in your social networks.

Wish List 

• [Update: Purchased items will feature a strikethrough.]
• Catholic Answers: Pure Intimacy Booklets (50–you can get a bulk/ parish rate), Birth Control–What’s the Big Deal? Pamphlets (1 pack)  
• One More Soul: Why NFP is a Priority in My Parish (2), Reaching the Cafeteria Catholic CD (2), Prove It God…And He Did–testimony CD (10), What a Woman Should Know About Birth Control (50-100), Testimony of Healing: Sterilization Reversal (2)
• Ascension Press: Theology of the Body for Teens Bundle (1), Theology of the Body for Beginners (10), Proclaiming Theology of the Body for Clergy (1)
• Other: Contraception: Why Not (10-50)

I wish I had time (like when I was unemployed) to post and comment on every great NFP article. But I don’t. Maybe once I get to be an expert student and worker and time manager. But for now, Make sure you take a look at these when you can.

Medical news

• Use of hormonal contraceptives may DOUBLE risk of HIV infection (Lancet Journal)
• Contraceptives used in Africa may double risk of HIV infection (NYTimes--btw, you only get one free look, so either clear your cookies and try again, or just read/ print/ share it the first time.)
• FDA Flags concern on Birth Control Pill (I hope this is just the beginning)

Blogs, Editorials & Commentary

• NFL Player: “NFP helped my marriage” 
• “Empowering the Poor with NFP” by April Jaure of My Feminine Mind
• “You Can Never Afford Them” by Matt Archibold @ Creative Minority Report–great smart-aleck-gets-sincere and changes a heart story.

Miscellaneous Whatnot

My NFP Pinterest Board--follow it!

Have you heard of Pinterest? It’s a virtual pin board, a rockin’ bookmark web site for the visual person. I warn you: it’s addictive, but so is any social bookmarking or networking site. I’ve found it better than regular search engines for image searches for haircuts, organization tips (wow, some great ones), recipes, fun gift ideas, and I hear from friends there are a ton of wedding ideas. Tip: set a time limit for cruising Pinterest, or just go on it to look for a certain thing.

Anyway, I started a board (you can create and categorize more than one) for NFP & FertilityCare. Join Pinterest by requesting an invite from a friend, or you can directly request an invite from Pinterest. Email me or Tweet me (@NFPworks) if you’d like an invite!

Have you joined Pinterest yet? If so, what do you think?

Think Again Thursdays return! Oh, man, I’m way behind. I should have posted this a couple weeks ago. But good news: there’s still time–tonight!

Please take just one minute to write Health & Human Services (pre-filled out online forms) & let them know what you think of them mandating contraception coverage–even for organizations that morally object. This is a huge infringement on conscience rights, not to mention terrible medicine.

While there is a conscience clause–a very tiny one–it only applies to organizations that only serve populations that as a whole object to contraception (e.g., Catholic Hospitals who only serve Catholics–which is none of them). What a friggin’ joke, Sebelius.

Related Links & Resources:

• See the USCCB’s site for a summary and a collection of resources on this issue
• The High Cost of “Free” Birth Control by Richard Doerflinger, Ph.D.
• Podcast of the Action Alert Explaining this issue

[guest post by Kaitlin Carruth, Ceiba Participant Coordinator]

If you were thinking about starting the Creighton Model this is definitely the time!  The Creighton Model Effectiveness and Intentions Assessment (the CEIBA Study) is now enrolling new and return users of the Creighton Model. The study will look at the effectiveness of the method as well as gather information on how the method is used.

Many have found health and marital relationship benefits from natural family planning. The following is a true story that one of our study participants shared with us:

“I had been on birth control since my teenage years because of issues with my menstrual cycle (irregular, heavy bleeding, unbearable cramping, mood swings, etc.) and I had seen a lot of the side effects it had on my body. As we began looking into it, we learned that using the Creighton Model would help me figure out some of my female issues as well as provide a way to avoid pregnancy. I quickly realized that birth control was just a band-aid solution. Through learning to chart from a nurse (and having a good doctor), we would be able to figure out exactly where the issues stem from so we can fix it naturally rather than putting synthetic hormones into my body.

           My husband and I started learning the Creighton Model a few months before our wedding and it was not hard, it’s just a commitment. We always felt extremely supported! We couldn’t be happier knowing that we are preventing pregnancy naturally and when the time comes for us to have children, we are confident that this model will help us achieve pregnancy just as easily as we were able to prevent it. Being a part of the CEIBA study is very important to us, as well. We want to show others that Natural Family Planning is a healthy and effective way to avoid pregnancy. We just wish that more people knew about it!”

The study will involve at least 300 couples, 17 FertilityCare Centers and the University of Utah Coordinating Center. We currently have 280 participants. We will finish enrollment October 31^st of this year so act soon!

Participant Requirements:

• Being a new or return user of the Creighton Model with the stated intention of avoiding pregnancy
• Sexually active by October 31, 2011
• The woman is between the ages of 18 to 40
• The man is age 18 or older
• The woman has had at least 2 menstrual flows in the past 3 months or at least one menstrual flow since stopping hormonal birth control or postpartum

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of infertility
• Confirmed pelvic inflammatory disease, surgically confirmed untreated endometriosis, chemotherapy (either man or woman), or radiation to the reproductive tract (either man or woman)
• Hysterectomy, oophorectomy (ovary removed), tubal ligation, fallopian tube surgery, surgery for ectopic pregnancy, removal of a testicle (orchiectomy) or vasectomy
• Depo-Provera injection any time in the past 2 years
• Totally breastfeeding an infant, without any supplements

If you are interested or you would like to learn more about the Creighton Model or the study, please visit the Ceiba web page, call 801-231-6434, or email us at ceibastudy[at]gmail.com. You can also “like” us on Facebook.