WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Georgetown scientists say couples using fertility awareness family planning methods have sex just as often as other people -- they just time it differently.
Georgetown University Institute for Reproductive Health scientists in Washington said fertility awareness-based methods -- also known as natural methods of family planning -- enable women to identify the days of the cycle when they are most fertile.
"Because those who use natural family planning methods need to avoid unprotected sex for several days each month, many people believe that these methods require great self control. This is simply not the case," said the institute's director, Victoria Jennings. "This study confirms couples using natural family planning have intercourse just as frequently as couples using other methods."
Study authors Irit Sinai and Dr. Marcos Arevalo, both assistant professors of obstetrics and gynecology, found couples using fertility awareness-based methods of family planning engage in more frequent sex before and after the fertile time, and have less sexual intercourse during fertile days. But they found the frequency of intercourse is comparable to that of couples using other methods of family planning.
The research is to be published in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science.
