Re: OT: grace (and grit), avoiding BC and Educating Physicians

[Guest guest]

Dear and NFP Colleagues

Unfortuanately, if Secretary Sebelius accepts the Institute of Medicine recommendation then all FDA-approved forms of contraception will be covered by health insurance, funded in large part by our tax dollars. What remains to be seen is whether the "patient education and counseling" will include NFP or FAM methods. Even if it does, it may only be covered of done by a health professional, i.e./ doctor, NP or PA. However, as you noted (and I share your frustration), most health professional are ignorant about the effectiveness of NFP/FAM methods and how they work. This is due to the fact we learn next to nothing about NFP in the world of medicine today, and what we do hear is often inaccurate or outdated.

Therefore, I have made it my mission to work with others to promote teaching of NFP and FAM (Fertility Awarenss Methods) to health professionals and trainees through my work with the FACTS group.The Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Systems (FACTS) was formed about a year ago with a vision "to update the primary care community with regard to fertility awareness methods and their applications in health and disease and to help promote fertility awareness methods as effective, relationship-centered reproductive health care for motivated women and couples."Â Âhttp://www.fmec.net/collaborate/overview.php?current_group_id=6395 Our group consists of health professionals from a variety of fields as well as NFP and FAM educators, with representatives

who are knowledgeable and/or supportive of almost all of the major methods. Some members approach our efforts from a faith based perspective and others from a secular perspective. That is, they promote fertility awareness but are willing to combine it with other methods of contraception. These philosophical differences in application of the knowledge of natural methods will not be overcome anytime soon. However, the common ground that we have established has been the shared awareness that natural methods of fertility awareness are not taught adequately in health professional schools..While we may not all agree on the one "best" method or "best" approach, we do want to ensure that our target audience receives up to date, evidence based information about how these methods work, how effective they are and how beneficial they are for women and men. Recognizing that mainstream medicine has not been

entirely welcoming or open to natural methods of family planning, we are working to find common ground so we may reach more medical students, residents, physicians, and other health professionals in training. We encourage respectful dialogue and welcome anyone interested in supporting our work to join us.We currently have 3 subgroups working to achieve the following SMART goals:1. Develop a framework for sharing the best common features of fertility awarenes methods & the unique features of each

2. Create informational resources (ppt, paper, webinars, etc) to teach medical students,and other health professionals

3. Educate primary care health professionals at all levels of clinical training in the basic principles of fertility appreciation methods and the supporting science behind their medical applications.

We would love more people to join us, so if interested, check out our web-site link above. Also, we are having an all collaborative conference call this Tuesday at 5pm EDT to update people on our progress. Information about how to join the call will be sent to the FACTS members.

We have presented our work at the regional Family Medicine Educational Consortium meeting and as a result have been invited to give additional talks to medical residents and other health professionals. We are beginning to makeprogress, but we certainly still have a long way to go.Thanks to all for your support.Respectfully,Dr. Marguerite Duane

To: nfpprofessionals Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2011 8:15 AMSubject: OT: grace (and grit), avoiding BC

Dear all,Will contraceptives, sterilization, and abortifacients (like Ella) be a mandatory part of health insurance and the Federal panel suggested? One argument was that 99% of sexually active Catholic women had, at some time, used a contraceptive. However sad this is, it is only slightly shocking to me.As a convert to Catholocism it frankly took me some time to accept the Church's teaching against contraception and to use NFP. (My husband has never been Cathoic.) During the 25 years I did use NFP I experienced much dispproval, many lectures, and not a little misinformation delivered by doctors and their staffs. It seeemed to me that they had been trained to feel that they were not doing their job unless I used what they felt was a reliable methold of contraception- in spite of the fact that I only have two children, am married, have decent health and am economically stable. There were a couple of prolife doctors I was privileged to

go to- but often one was not close, and there was never a prolife GP.The hardest thing for me is that you want to trust your doctor- whom you are basically entrusting with your life- and that it is devastating to know that they are asking (close to insisting) that you do something that seriously threatens your eternal well-being and that of those you love most. You have to defy them and they dislike you for that, usually. They wonder why you would come to a doctor and then not follow their advice. In some ways I was glad when the reproductive part of my life was finally ended by a tumor.just a thought,Gaes

[Guest guest]

Marguerite,Congratulations for the work that you are doing. I hope to share this with a few friends. As and so many others can testify there is a great need to educate the public, and it would be good to collaborate with others who only share part of our concerns and beliefs.

With best wishes and a prayer for your work,Fr.

 

Dear and NFP Colleagues

 

Unfortuanately, if Secretary Sebelius accepts the Institute of Medicine recommendation then all FDA-approved forms of contraception will be covered by health insurance, funded in large part by our tax dollars.  What remains to be seen is whether the " patient education and counseling " will include NFP or FAM methods.  Even if it does, it may only be covered of done by a health professional, i.e./ doctor, NP or PA.  However, as you noted (and I share your frustration), most health professional are ignorant about the effectiveness of NFP/FAM methods and how they work.  This is due to the fact we learn next to nothing about NFP in the world of medicine today, and what we do hear is often inaccurate or outdated.

Therefore, I have made it my mission to work with others to promote teaching of NFP and FAM (Fertility Awarenss Methods) to health professionals and trainees through my work with the FACTS group.The Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Systems (FACTS) was formed about a year ago with a vision " to update the primary care community with regard to fertility awareness methods and their applications in health and disease and to help promote fertility awareness methods as effective, relationship-centered reproductive health care for motivated women and couples. " Â Â

http://www.fmec.net/collaborate/overview.php?current_group_id=6395 Our group consists of health professionals from a variety of fields as well as  NFP and FAM educators, with representatives

who are knowledgeable and/or supportive of almost all of the major methods.  Some members approach our efforts from a faith based perspective and others from a secular perspective.   That is, they promote fertility awareness but are willing to combine it with other methods of contraception.   These philosophical differences in application of the knowledge of natural methods will not be overcome anytime soon.  However, the common ground that we have established has been the shared awareness that natural methods of fertility awareness are not taught adequately in health professional schools.

..While we may not all agree on the one " best " method or " best " approach, we do want to ensure that our target audience receives up to date, evidence based information about how these methods work, how effective they are and how beneficial they are for women and men.   Recognizing that mainstream medicine has not been

entirely welcoming or open to natural methods of family planning, we are working to find common ground so we may reach more medical students, residents, physicians, and other health professionals in training.  We encourage respectful dialogue and welcome anyone interested in supporting our work to join us.

We currently have 3 subgroups working to achieve the following SMART goals:1. Develop a framework for sharing the best common features of fertility awarenes methods & the unique features of each

2. Create informational resources (ppt, paper, webinars, etc) to teach medical students,and other health professionals

3. Educate primary care health professionals at all levels of clinical training in the basic principles of fertility appreciation methods and the supporting science behind their medical applications.

We would love more people to join us, so if interested, check out our web-site link above.  Also, we are having an all collaborative conference call this Tuesday at 5pm EDT to update people on our progress.  Information about how to join the call will be sent to the FACTS members.

We have presented our work at the regional Family Medicine Educational Consortium meeting and as a result have been invited to give additional talks to  medical residents and other health professionals.  We are beginning to make

progress, but we certainly still have a long way to go.Thanks to all for your support.Respectfully,Dr. Marguerite Duane

To: nfpprofessionals Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2011 8:15 AM

Subject: OT: grace (and grit), avoiding BC

 

Dear all,Will contraceptives, sterilization, and abortifacients (like Ella) be a mandatory part of health insurance and the Federal panel suggested? One argument was that 99% of sexually active Catholic women had, at some time, used a contraceptive. However sad this is, it is only slightly shocking to me.

As a convert to Catholocism it frankly took me some time to accept the Church's teaching against contraception and to use NFP. (My husband has never been Cathoic.) During the 25 years I did use NFP I experienced much dispproval, many lectures, and not a little misinformation delivered by doctors and their staffs. It seeemed to me that they had been trained to feel that they were not doing their job unless I used what they felt was a reliable methold of contraception- in spite of the fact that I only have two children, am married, have decent health and am economically stable. There were a couple of prolife doctors I was privileged to

go to- but often one was not close, and there was never a prolife GP.The hardest thing for me is that you want to trust your doctor- whom you are basically entrusting with your life- and that it is devastating to know that they are asking (close to insisting) that you do something that seriously threatens your eternal well-being and that of those you love most. You have to defy them and they dislike you for that, usually. They wonder why you would come to a doctor and then not follow their advice. In some ways I was glad when the reproductive part of my life was finally ended by a tumor.

just a thought,Gaes

-- Fr. R. Vélez765 14th Ave, Apt 1San Francisco, CA 94118Website: www.newmanbiography.com