Over 2,400 people from 62 countries are attending the International Symposium on Natural Fertility Recognition co-organized by the University

Over 2,400 people from 62 countries will attend the International Symposium on Natural Fertility Recognition (NFR) which is taking place between 22 and 24 September in the University of Navarra. The conference is being held in the auditorium at the School of Medicine and is also being transmitted online. The symposium has been organized by the University of Navarra in conjunction with the Universidad de los Andes and Project Veritas Amoris.

“At a time when society treats sexuality very superficially, it is very important to reflect on the deeper meaning of human sexuality by focusing on the person,” highlighted Dr Luis Chiva, Director of the Department of Gynecology at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and one of the conference organizers. Professor Chiva notes that awareness of the fertility window “is a very valuable tool for two people who love each other, as it helps them to know the best time to get pregnant or to wait. It also helps monitor their health in assessing any potential condition or illness”. Dr Chiva affirms that “NFR is a way of understanding sexuality and how it develops within a couple, respecting the human ecology, the menstrual cycle, and enabling a full capacity for self-giving and the care of love”.

Contributors to the congress include international experts such as Josep Standford (University of Utah, USA), Rene Leiva (University of Ontario, Canada), Christopher West (Theology of the Body Institute, USA), Juan José Pérez Soba (Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Rome), René Écochard (Claude Bernard Lyon University, France), Mons. Mario Iceta, Archbishop of Burgos and expert in bioethics, and Marguerite Duane (Georgetown University, USA).

NFR, a subject in the University of Georgetown

Marguerite Duane, family doctor and professor, is also the cofounder of FACTS, an organization dedicated to the dissemination and teaching of NFR among healthcare professionals and students. Since 2010, the University of Georgetown has offered a subject on this area, in which over 200 students enroll annually. In her presentation, she will use this success story to highlight the importance of "educating the next generation of physicians and healthcare professionals" in Natural Fertility Recognition. "However, there is also a need to educate the general population, which could be covered by a university course designed for a non-specialized audience," she notes.

"Students are amazed to discover the major gap in their education on this issue and see how they learn through our course about the natural recognition of fertility, which is so important for women's health," she explains.

The Georgetown University professor argues that the implementation of a course that addresses this topic has been both a pioneering and successful endeavor. "The network of physicians and health professionals who share their knowledge with students, the advisory team made up of experts in fertility recognition, and the students themselves have contributed to the success of the program," she concludes.