Please contact the following for information about classes in your area or distance classes, or questions about fertility awareness.

Athens, Meigs, Gallia, and Lawrence Counties

Bob and Sharon Colvin
(740) 707-0882 (call/text) or [email protected]
Method: Sympto-Thermal
(Couple to Couple League)

Eileen Sirois, CNM, CFCP/MC
(910) 545-8783 (call/text) or [email protected]
Method: Creighton Model FertilityCare™

Guernsey, Washington, Noble, Monroe, and Morgan Counties

Dan and Melissa Corcoran
(740) 703-7294 (call/text) or [email protected]
Method: Sympto-Thermal (Northwestern Family Services)

Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, and Carroll Counties

Dr. Paul and Suzanne Macdonald
(740) 346-4082 or [email protected]
Method: Sympto-Thermal (Couple to Couple League)

Susan McInnis
(740) 275-4299, (612) 203-5337 (call/text) or [email protected] 
Method: Billings Ovulation Method

Ronald and Beatriz McNamara
[email protected] 
Method: Sympto-Thermal (Couple to Couple League)

Mary Nelson, CFCP
(740) 944-1337
Method: Creighton Model FertilityCare™

"For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. Moreover, they should conform their behavior to the objective criteria of morality."

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2368

Natural Family Planning (NFP) refers to various methods of family planning that work with a woman's natural fertility cycles, instead of using artificial means to manipulate or control them. Couples successfully use NFP to either postpone pregnancy or to achieve pregnancy.  
 

Does is really work?

Contrary to popular opinion - even among some medical professionals - NFP is not the same thing as the "Rhythm Method" (sometimes called the Calendar Method) which tried to predict infertile times based on previous cycles.  The Rhythm Method is very inaccurate and unreliable. NFP, on the other hand, is based on proven scientific research and medical facts.  Couples can learn to recognize the signs of fertility and choose when to either engage in marital intimacy or to refrain from marital intimacy.  (For a more detailed explanation, click here.)

How can I learn to use NFP?  

Please contact any of the NFP Instructors below. Online courses are available also. Typically it is learned by attending three class sessions over the course of three months. Costs vary with instructor/organization. See below for a list of instructors and websites.

NFP Brochure

Our office has produced a helpful brochure about Natural Family Planning.  It gives a brief explanation about what it is, addresses a few common misconceptions and highlights resources for learning more, including the names of instructors in the diocese.  Click here to read the brochure.

Learn NFP Online

Online classes are available from the following organizations:

- Billings Ovulation Method Association: https://www.boma-usa.org/learn-the-method.html

- Couple to Couple League: https://ccli.org/learn-nfp-from-ccl/ 

- Marquette Model: http://www.marquette.edu/nursing/natural-family-planning/classes.shtml

- SymptoPro Online NFP (from Northwest Family Services):  https://www.symptopro.org/

- Natural Family Planning International: http://www.nfpandmore.org/

Introductory Video

The Diocese of Phoenix NFP Office has produced an excellent (brief!) video about NFP.  It presents the Church's teaching in a very direct way.  It includes information and testimonials from medical professionals and real couples who practice NFP.

NFP Only Physicians:

CHANGE Family Medical Care - Pediatrics
200 Luray Dr.
Wintersville, OH 43953
(740) 314-8258 

To find other physicians who do not prescribe contraceptives click here.

Steubenville FertilityCare Center 

Mary Nelson, CFCP
1183 County Road 39
Bloomingdale, OH 43910
(740) 944-1337

The Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life & Youth of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has manywonderful resources for Natural Family Planning:

- Church Teaching and NFP  

- Couple's Stories

- What is NFP?

- Common Myths about NFP