Women's Fertility Part 1

I thought I would get the word out of the way right up front:

Vagina.

And so as not to show any bias, let's hear it for the men, too: Penis.

Because this post is about fertility, the kind where it takes two to tango, you know what I mean.

Actually, you probably don't.

The probability is, based on the most very scientific method of polling nearly everyone I know, that you, whether you are a man or a woman, know very little about your own fertility. It is sad.

It seems like many know a little bit about women's periods. Bleed for 3-7 days, depending on the woman, and about 28 days after the first day of the period it starts all over again. Some women are tired and crampy beforehand and/or during, occasionally leading to general grouchiness.

Then there is the die-hard NFP crowd. NFP is Natural Family Planning. Now more sophisticated than simply counting days, this method teaches the woman to know her body's signs of fertile and infertile days, WHICH VARY WIDELY from woman to woman, from cycle to cycle, and are more subtle while breastfeeding. NFP also includes a charting method so that you can chart your cycle's variations and so that you can effectively communicate with your partner about it.

The problem with the NFP crowd is that they often scare off the more liberally-minded, and so all that good information about fertility that is very useful in communication and relationships is ignored by 9/10 of the population. This is awful. Why are women and men not given this information in science class?? It does not have to be about having or not having sex. Your hormones rage and your body responds. Fertility is for everyone.

Fertility awareness is important in order to be spiritually in tune your connection to the universe and in balance in your relationship with others.

So, get ready for the slimey details, y'all, literally. Stay tuned.