Fertility monitoring software is natural family planning's 'new face'

Denver, Colo., Aug 23, 2011 / 00:19 am

The developer of new fertility management software says it is becoming the “new face” for natural family planning. It can assist couples in conceiving or in avoiding pregnancy and help Catholics live their faith.

“FertileView strengthens marriages and supports the natural order of God’s plan for marriage,” said Tim Boh, owner of the Colorado-based software developer Novuscor.

Novuscor’s FertileView software collects “very specific” information about ovulation and fertility that allows women to understand “exactly what their bodies are doing” in a way that is “uniquely supporting to the individual,” Boh told CNA in a recent interview. The program helps women and their husbands structure their actions around their “fertility goals.”

Users of many fertility monitoring systems, in his view, feel like they are not engaged.

“They don’t understand what they’re doing,” he said. “We’ve created a process by which people can have immediate feedback about themselves. That’s the part, I think, that people get really excited about.”

The FertileView software handles the interpretation portion of fertility monitoring. Users only need to be trained in fertility observation. They can enter the information into the program and don’t have to use the “stickers and dots” of the standard natural family planning class.

“We can literally train people on our method in 45-50 minutes,” Boh said.

He explained that the algorithm used for FertileView was “completely tested” through user groups. It captures biomedical data for each user and creates an individual cycle program for each woman and, if necessary, for her doctors.

The more she uses FertileView, the more data is compiled about her cycle.

The software pinpoints a woman’s ovulation and predicts the best time to achieve pregnancy, helping to address fertility issues for both women and men.

“FertileView is fantastic for couples struggling with fertility issues,” Boh said.
 
Novuscor did not anticipate the way men would become involved.

“We just started to see how the men enjoyed taking part,” he said. “The men really enjoy charting their spouses’ cycles. Most men don’t understand how a woman’s body works to begin with.”

The software comes at a time of widespread contraceptive use. Despite Catholic teaching that contraceptive use is sinful, Catholics appear to be contracepting at the same rate as non-Catholics.

Although many people are contracepting, Boh said, “they’re not all happy about it either.”

“They just don’t think they have another option. They really do, they just don’t know it.”

Novuscor provides couples with individualized training and complete software support.

Catholic theology can be incorporated into the FertileView training, Boh noted.

Catholics must be open to the fullness of God’s gifts and the possible conception of children, he said. Married love is a means of “sanctifying grace.”

“Keeping our Catholic families stable and healthy is a fundamental means of the Church’s mission to save souls. The Church is here to help support holy and healthy marriages, family life and to help families in any way that the Church can.”

For more information, visit www.FertileView.com