CREIGHTON MODEL NAPROEDUCATION TECHNOLOGY FOR AVOIDING PREGNANCY - USE EFFECTIVENESS

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use effectiveness of Creighton Model (CrM) NaProEducation Technology for avoiding pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: CrM is a medical model of natural procreation education that is a fully stan dardized modification of the Billings ovulation method. This system hi ts been used as a means to avoid pregnancy and has been prospectively evaluated in Jive use effectiveness studies. A prospective life-table analysis of the five studies (meta-analysis) was undertaken, yielding both net and gross rates. Discontinuation rates were also calculated. These studies were conducted at CrM centers in Omaha, St. Louis, Wichi ta, Houston, and Milwaukee. RESULTS: A total of 1,876; couples used Cr M NET for a total of 17,130.0 couple months of use. The method and use effectiveness rates for avoiding pregnancy were 99.5 and 96.8 at the 12th ordinal month and 99.5 and 96.4 at the 18th ordinal month, respec tively. The discontinuation rate was 11.3% at the 12th ordinal month a nd 12.1% at the 18th ordinal month. CONCLUSION: CrM is highly effectiv e as a means of avoiding pregnancy in both its method and use effectiv eness. The method effectiveness has remained stable over the years of the studies, but the use effectiveness for avoiding pregnancy appears to have improved over the study period.