Extensive research has shown that sex hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, impact women's lives in a significant way. From menarche to menopause, and through all the stages in between, women experience dramatic fluctuations in the levels of sex hormones. These fluctuations are part of the ovarian continuum - the various types of ovarian activity that a woman can present throughout her lifetime - and they affect the body as a whole, including the central nervous system (CNS).
Steroid hormones, also known as “neurosteroids” or “neuroactive steroids” because they have an effect in the CNS and/or the PNS (peripheral nervous system), are produced in peripheral glands, in adipose tissue, and in the brain (by neurons and glial cells). Both in the CNS and in peripheral tissues, estrogen and progesterone act via the classical pathway by binding to steroid intracellular receptors that find their way into the nucleus, where they regulate gene expression; and via non-classical pathways, as sex steroid receptors can be found outside the nucleus, including mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the plasma membrane, where they activate different signaling cascades and exert their actions. Through these mechanisms, neurosteroids have significant effects on neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate. Furthermore, studies show that sex hormones and their metabolites influence brain areas that regulate mood, behavior, and cognitive abilities.
We classify the effects of these hormones on the CNS as either activational or organizational. The activational effects modify neural activity in specific and non-permanent ways (i.e. modulating neurotransmitter synapses). Organizational effects permanently alter the structure of the nervous system through mechanisms such as: myelination, neural pruning, apoptosis (programmed cell death), and dendritic spine remodeling. A good example of these effects is the role that neurosteroids have in modulating the synaptic plasticity of long-term potentiation (LTP), via the above-mentioned mechanisms. This process refers to events that produce an increase in synaptic strength, which persists in time and plays an important role in memory and learning in the hippocampus, where estrogen has been shown to improve cognitive functions.
Through the mentioned mechanisms, neurosteroids regulate different brain areas involved in mood, behavior, and cognition. Therefore, the fluctuation of sex hormones during specific reproductive stages of a woman's life correlates with an increased susceptibility to develop mood disorders such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression. Endogenous estrogen and progesterone levels also may affect different cognitive processes such as decision-making, emotion recognition, consolidation of emotional memory, and fear extinction. For example, women show improved verbal abilities and decreased visual-spatial abilities when estradiol and progesterone levels are high and the opposite occurs when estradiol and progesterone levels are low. These differences can be partially explained via the role that neurosteroids play in the physiological regulation of neurogenesis, neuronal survival, synaptic function, and myelin formation, thereby influencing neuronal plasticity. This makes them worthy of further studies that may make use of them to treat different disorders of the CNS, as recent studies have shown that neurosteroids could be effective in treating psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, and also against neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis.
In the same way that endogenous steroids influence CNS functionality, steroid hormones administered exogenously also exert their actions on the brain. Two of the most common ways in which hormones are administered to women exogenously are: 1) hormonal therapy during menopause and 2) hormonal contraceptives. When facing a need for the administration of exogenous hormones, consideration should be given to the stage of life each woman finds herself in since exogenous hormones will have different effects on the brain depending on the stage. For example, when treating adolescents, special consideration must be given to the temporal plasticity window of their developing brain, since it is a period when exogenous hormones may produce both activational and organizational changes in the brain that may have long-term effects. At the other extreme, women who are over 10 years past menopause must take precaution when initiating hormone replacement therapy (HRT), since they have been shown to have negative effects on the CNS, increasing the risk of pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease or stroke.
However, it is important to consider that there are many situations when HRT and the administration of exogenous hormones is beneficial. For example, cases such as anorexia nervosa will require, as part of the treatment, the administration of hormones. Similarly, as women age, steroidal hormones decline and this could have negative consequences, such as hot flashes, osteoporosis, a decrease in libido, and depressive mood. Thus, special consideration for these individuals needs to be addressed. Also, the type estrogen and progesterone administered and the timeliness of their administration is of great importance. Regarding the type of estrogen and progesterone, certain progestins (lab-made progesterone), as medroxyprogesterone acetate, have some negative effects on myelination and their influence on mood and cognitive capacity have been shown to be deleterious, both in experimental and clinical trials (see full-version paper references). Considering the time of administration, it must be emphasized that the combination of estrogen and progesterone is not synergistic. Therefore, the simulteous combined administration leads to detrimental results when compared to either hormone administered alone or in sequence. Thus, when exogenous steroid therapy is indicated, healthcare providers should at least consider the stage of life, the state of the ovarian continuum that the patient finds herself in, the types of estrogen and progesterone administered, and finally, the timeliness and sequence of their administration must be precisely taken into account.
Finally, some questions to consider in future investigations include:
i. In terms of the ovarian continuum, what patterns of ovarian activity will have negative effects on the nervous system and what patterns will have positive effects?
ii. Should the effects of oral contraception (OCs) on the CNS be considered as adverse? Could they have positive effects?
iii. Is there a different effect on the brain when OCs are taken during adolescence? What is the effect of emergency contraception on the adolescent brain?
iv. To what degree should HT formulations be guided by physiological patterns of exposure (i.e., cyclical vs. continuous)?
In summary, the activity exerted by steroid hormones on the nervous system emphasizes the notion that achieving hormonal balance is a useful tool in seeking the well-being of women. Healthcare providers, as well as the general population, should be aware of this knowledge.

Our interview this time is with board secretary, Kristin Putnam. Kristin is in the final months of her term as a board member.  She lives in Shoreline, WA with her family.  Kristin will be part of a team of women who will represent WOOMB at the United Nations for the Commission on the Status of Women in March.
 
What brought you to learn and then teach The Billings Method™?
My NFP journey started with Creighton. I had charted it for four years before pursuing becoming an NFP teacher. The cost and the time needed for initial training made becoming a Creighton instructor impossible. But the woman who taught me Creighton encouraged me to look into the Billings Method. At the time, I was not thrilled with the idea of switching methods, but after that Teacher Training weekend, I was convinced that Billings was the method I would use, promote, and teach.
 
What were the most appealing differences in Billings vs. the Creighton Model method you previously used?
There are so many reasons! First, the solidity of the scientific research that has developed the method over the years is amazing. But with all of that depth of understanding, the Billings Method is so simple, straight forward, and is tailored to each woman as an individual. It doesn’t matter if you are regular, irregular, breast-feeding, peri-menopausal or have POCS, the method works for you, day by day, season by season.
 
Did The Billings Method™ play any role in your decision to convert to Catholicism?
It was in going to a BOMA Teacher Training that I first was exposed to the Church’s teaching on sexuality, so in this way, yes.
 
My husband and I had used NFP for our whole marriage despite being protestant. But, as protestants, we used it very protestantly: with no understanding of the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality. It was at my BOMA Teacher Training that I first heard the words “sins against chastity.” As a Methodist, I knew those words were English, but had no idea what they meant when strung together in that order. I came home from that weekend with a copy of Christopher West’s book, “The Good News About Sex and Marriage.” My husband read it, which prompted him to study Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. We became convinced.
 
For us, the realization that the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexuality was true was the last straw. We had been inching toward the Church for about 9 years, and we saw the Church was good, but where we were in the Methodist church was fine too. At that point we realized that here was a truth that only the Catholic Church upheld. Then we started asking, “What else are we missing?” About one year later, my husband left his career in the Methodist church, and we both came into full communion with the Catholic Church.
 
What do you think fellow Billings teachers should emphasize about the Billings Ovulation Method® when promoting it?
Science and simplicity. The Billings Method is steeped in years of solid scientific research. This gives the method such strength in its accuracy and implementation. But you don’t have to be a scientist to use it! Women, all over the world, use this method effectively: rich, poor, literate, illiterate, urban, rural, etc.
 
You’ve done a great job as our board secretary.  What have you enjoyed most about being part of the board?
Thanks! I have enjoyed being able to contribute and take part in the many changes that have come to BOMA over the last 6 years, and I look forward to seeing how the organization will grow and flourish in the years to come.
 
Tell us about your family.
My husband and I have been married for nearly 13 years, and we live in the Pacific Northwest with our 7 children (so far). We are often asked as NFP teachers, if all of our children were planned. We like to say, “Yes. They were all planned at least 10 minutes in advance.” Which, in a nutshell, is the beauty of NFP, no? Our amazing kids are ages 10, 9, 7, 5, 4, 2 and 1. They all have their unique interests from robotics, to Spider-Man, to sparkly things, to interests in religious life. My husband is the Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization at our local parish and hosts Outside the Walls, a weekly program on Catholic radio. I am director extraordinaire of our home. We founded NFPAware in 2010 and it is still going strong as a vehicle for talking to the skeptic about NFP and contraception. 

In the BOMA-USA pamphlet entitled “Unraveling the mystery of PCOS”, Dr. Mary Martin speaks to natural ways of treating this increasingly common condition. As Billings user may already be more natural-minded than the average woman, this is a great question to know how to address with ready-to-go tips.  

Besides drugs such as metformin, bromocriptine or dexamethasone, Dr. Martin has some good advice for managing PCOS naturally. This advice can be organized into two categories:  

1. Improving insulin sensitivity 
2. Eliminating foods that trigger an inflammatory immune response 

First, improving insulin sensitivity. Here are some proven therapeutic lifestyle changes: 

Exercise – works by activating the Glut 4 alternate pathway for glucose entry into the cell. Three 10-minute session per day (ie a brisk walk after every meal) only 5 days per week will give you the CDC recommended 150 minutes per week. Doesn’t that sound doable? 

Calorie shifting (or caloric cycling) – works by improving fasting insulin concentrations as well as subcutaneous and visceral fat. There are many variations of the calorie shifting approach, all involve eating a regular amount of food for a set number of days, then significantly reducing caloric intake for another set time frame. Some variations also include specific intervals between meals. (Using a food tracker like the MyFitnessPal app helps a lot with this technique.)  
 
Limit sugars and starches – works by reducing the carbohydrate/glucose load in your bloodstream, thereby reducing the insulin spike. Sugars include refined sugars from processed “treat” items as well as natural sugars found in fruit, dairy, grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn. Ask your client to start by picking one sugary/starchy item they can do without. 

Emphasize fat, fiber and protein – works by slowing the digestion of food, resulting in a slower rise in insulin. Choose unprocessed plant-based fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, and coconut more often than animal-based fats like cheese, butter or bacon. Many of the whole foods listed as plant-based fats are also sources of fiber and protein. Bonus! 

In some cases, PCOS has an autoimmune component in addition to endocrine and reproductive effects. A physician can determine the presence or absence of antibodies that indicate autoimmunity.  

What’s going on with your client’s digestion? Protein components (ie gluten, casein) from foods containing wheat and dairy are some only partially digested, creating macromolecules the immune system does not recognize and therefore attacks. This is the food-digestion-autoimmunity connection.   

An Elimination Challenge is the best way to determine if improving autoimmune PCOS is as simple as cutting out gluten, dairy or another possible food offender. Per Precision Nutrition’s infographic guide, here’s a synopsis of an Elimination Challenge: 

1. Decide which food you like to test (ie wheat/gluten, dairy/casein/lactose). 
2.  Get into the habit of checking food labels for “May contain trace..” or “Contains...” 
3. Avoid all foods that contain the food you are testing for 3 weeks. (Keeping a food record is very handy for tracing back any symptoms to possible ingestion of the test food) 
4. After 3 weeks, re-assess signs and symptoms. Have things improved? 
5. Slowly re-introduce the test food, once per day, every 3-5 days. Note if symptoms reappear.

 
(N.B. When eliminating gluten, be mindful of the tips to improve insulin sensitivity and stay away from highly refined carbohydrates like gluten free cookies, pretzels, crackers, etc.)   

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, PCOS affects 1 in 10 women of childbearing age worldwide. Lifestyle changes are hard work but have the potential to cut medication costs and restore reproductive and endocrine function naturally. If your client is motivated, consider referring them to an experienced health coach who can help them stay on track with their wellness goals.  

As Billings Ovulation Method® teachers we cannot be seen to advise in areas where we do not have the expertise or training. However, this article may be a good resource for you to give to women you are helping who have PCOS, so they can decide if they would like to follow up and get help with their diet and lifestyle changes.

References: 
1. “Unraveling the mystery of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome): Q&A with Mary Martin, MD, FACOG. BOMA-USA pamplet available at www.boma-usa.org  
2.Davoodi, Sayed Hossein et al. “Calorie shifting diet versus calorie restriction diet: a comparative clinical trial study” International journal of preventive medicine vol. 5,4 (2014): 447-56.  
3. Mobeen, Hifsa et al. “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome May Be an Autoimmune Disorder” Scientifica vol. 2016 (2016): 4071735.  

As part of our continued series that features our board members, Sue Ek interviewed John Worden, MD, who is finishing his last term on the board.

Photo L-R: John V, Cecilia, Dr. John , Dr. Rebecca, Rachel and Patrick

​Q. Years ago, I remember meeting you at the first Teacher Training we hosted with trainers from WOOMB in Australia. One of your comments remains vivid even to this day. You had just returned from medical training for another NFP method in Omaha and, you told me you got more science in our weekend training than you did in two sessions there. Tell us about the differences.

John - I think I was impressed with the Billings Method™ because we were able to learn a huge amount in just a few days whereas with the training in Omaha it took two one-week sessions.

Q. As a family practice physician, how has the use of Billings impacted your practice of medicine?

John - Knowing the Billings Method™ allows me to be able to be much more comfortable diagnosing and treating women with various menstrual or other issues. It also gives me something to offer them that will help them understand themselves.

Q. Do you utilize www.nfpcharting.com to view patients’ charts?

John - I have used NFP charting.com to look at charts. It is very useful and easy to navigate and use.

Q. Am I remembering correctly that you and your wife, Becky Worden, MD own a family medicine practice? Tell us about that and, your children.

John - We practice medicine in Gardner, MA at Mercy Family Practice which is owned by my myself and my wife who is also a family practice physician. We have two nurse practitioners and several nurses and staff. They are all excellent people. We take care of the full range of family practice from conception to natural death. We also take care of obstetrical patients as well as pediatrics and adults. We heard we are some of the few remaining doctors in our hospital who still admit our own patients to the hospital.
Rebecca and I have four children, two boys and two girls. The oldest boy is a senior in high school. The youngest is a girl who is in fourth grade. They all have their activities and are interested in different things. We are very happy to have such lovely children.
We belong to Saint Martin’s Parish here. We have a vibrant group of Catholic friends with whom we share much time together.

Q. Speaking directly to physicians, what would you tell them to encourage them to learn the Billings Method™?
​
John - I would think that every physician should be aware of The Billings Method™. I would think it would be even better if every physician knew The Billings Method™. It should be a required part of every medical school education. I teach all my medical students who come through my office about the Method.

 BOMA – Eileen, thanks for agreeing to be our featured BOMA Family Member for this month. Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself? Where do you live and how long have you been married?

Eileen – My husband, Christopher, and I have been married for 31 years. I am originally from Chicago and he is from the Boston area. We currently live in Tewksbury, MA which is about halfway between Boston and the New Hampshire border.

BOMA – What a lovely family photos. Please tell us a little about each of your children and grandchildren.

Eileen – We have been blessed with six daughters and four grandchildren (so far!):
~ Bridgette (29) is married to Steve Southard. She has a Bachelor’s in Hospitality and Hotel Management with a focus on Food & Beverage and she currently works at Starbucks – great little escape when she needs to take a vacation from a household of four young children, especially three energetic little boys!
~ Samantha (27) has a Master’s in Guidance Counseling from Providence College. She is the Office Manager of our company, but is currently in Seville, Spain for 8 months teaching high school English.
~ Caitlin (24) is married to William McKinnon. They live in Melbourne, FL where Caitlin is finishing her Master’s in Chemical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology.
~ Vanessa (21) is finishing her last semester of college at St. John’s University in Queens, NY where she is also on the cheerleading team.
~ Anastasia (17) will be graduating from high school this spring and is busy touring the country looking at colleges. That is when she isn’t playing the lead role in her school’s musicals and plays.
~ Lorna (11) is in 6th grade. She is also a competitive gymnast (Level 6) and plays the piano, violin, and is a cantor for Sunday Mass at our parish.
~ Our grandchildren are Skylar (6), Brogan (4-1/2), Oliver (3), and Peter (1).

BOMA – How long have you been involved with NFP and the Billings Ovulation Method® specifically?

Eileen - We first learned the Creighton Model (CrM) while we were preparing for marriage. We used that method for the first 6 years of our marriage. Then, I was trained as a CrM teacher and I taught the CrM for 8 years. In 2001, I switched to Billings Ovulation Method®, both as a user and a teacher. I have been teaching Billings ever since, which has been so rewarding in many ways.  

BOMA – You mentioned that Samantha is your Office Manager. What do you do for work?

Eileen – Christopher and I started our own business in 2007 called FireLink, LLC, which focuses on fire forensics. I have a BS in Chemical Engineering with a MS in Fire Protection Engineering. Christopher has a BS in Management Engineering (half business and half Electrical Engineering), an MS in Fire Protection Engineering, and he is also a licensed attorney. Our company primarily investigates fires and explosions after they have occurred to look at origin and cause, spread issues, if and why suppression and alarm systems failed, etc. We also do Computer Fire Modeling and Christopher is an Adjunct Professor at the WPI Graduate Fire Protection Engineering Program in Worcester MA.

BOMA – Wow! Between your business, large family, teaching NFP, and being the BOMA Board President, do you have spare time for anything else?
​
Eileen – There is a saying about when you want something done, ask a busy person! About 12 years ago, my pastor asked me to help him start a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at our parish. We opened that chapel in Nov of 2006. It is still running 24/7 to this day and I still organize the staffing of the hourly adorers.

Christopher and I also founded an organization called Catholic Quest in 2004 which brings out nationally known speakers to the local area for special live events to further adult catechesis. We usually host between 3-5 events/year, including people like Patrick Madrid, Peter Kreeft, Eric Genuis, and Jesse Romero. We have also rented out local theaters to show theatrical release Catholic movies from Ignatius Press.

Finally, in 2008, Sean Cardinal O’Malley asked us to be on the creation team of a new marriage preparation program. After several years of writing a curriculum and piloting several programs, with corresponding tweaks, our team now has two books published with the Pauline Books and Media: a leader guide and a participant workbook. The program is called Transformed in Love. We still run about 1-2 programs for engaged couples each year.

BOMA – What do you like to do in your free time, if there is any left!?

Eileen – In the quiet times of my day, I enjoy playing the piano. It is a good way to unwind and focus on something completely different from work and all the other ministries that I am involved in running.

BOMA Family Spotlight

Interview with long-time BOMA Teacher, Pat Kuhlman, RN, of Florida BOMA – Pat, thanks for agreeing to be our featured BOMA Family Member for this month. Why don’t you start by telling us a little about yourself? How long have you been married?

Pat – Peter and I have been married for 38 years. Peter is an invasive cardiologist and he will occasionally refer patients to me to naturally alleviate pre-menopausal symptoms. BOMA – What a lovely family photo. Please tell us a little about each of your children? Pat – We have been blessed with seven children: ~ Peter Joseph (35) is the father of three children (Peter Daniel, Mary, Julie) and works as a pharmacy technician. ~ Joseph (33) is a priest in our diocese and is currently stationed at the Cathedral of St. Augustine. ~ Patrick (29) is married and doing his fellowship in hematology/oncology at Wake Forest. He and his wife, Kelsey, have three children (Blaise, Benedict, Stella). ~ John Paul (27) works as a teacher and basketball coach at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Palm Coast. Justin is a third-year medical student at Florida State University. ~ Josie (22) graduated from the University of Florida this past year and is now training to play professional tennis tournaments as well as managing her blog (Beautiful Depths Blog). ~ Maria (19) is a sophomore at Belmont Abbey College where she plays basketball.

BOMA – When did you start using the Billings Ovulation Method®?

Pat - We have practiced Billings since we were 25 years old. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and hearing from two OB/Gyn doctors that we would be better off adopting, Peter and I proved them wrong by the grace of God. We had a ruptured tubal pregnancy and conceived seven healthy children on one fallopian tube after that. We had five sons first, and then were blessed at 40 and 44 with two beautiful daughters. We thank God for the Billings Ovulation Method® and the profound impact that it has had on our lives.

BOMA – Yes, I’d say from “diagnosed” infertility to seven children is a profound impact. Thanks so much, Pat, for that family history. How long have you taught the Billings Ovulation Method®?

Pat – We have been teaching Billings for 18 years. It has been a calling from God to minister to sub-fertile and engaged couples. We also educate seminarians, priests, and young, single women. Peter and I have spoken at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. I have been active at the University of North Florida, teaching the Catholic Ospreys the Billings Ovulation Method®. I hope to be involved at Belmont Abbey College in the near future through the help of the FOCUS missionaries. To educate the youth about Humane Vitae and God’s purpose for human sexuality is of utmost importance to the future of the family in modern society.

As a registered nurse, I teach Billings, with a special desire to help people with anorexia, endometriosis, and PCOS as well. Peter and I, with our passion to serve through the medical field, teach the Billings Ovulation Method®. As medical people, we thank God for Dr. and Mrs. Billings for sacrificing their private practices for the sake of The Billings Ovulation Method®. BOMA – What inspired you to become a Billings Ovulation Method® teacher? Pat – Nancy Fischer, RN, had called to encourage me to become a certified teacher. I told her maybe in about two years because I was so busy with 7 children and we had just moved into a larger house. Two weeks later, she and her husband died suddenly while walking across a street in Jacksonville, Florida! They were killed by a drunk driver who ran a red light.

Sitting in church at their funeral, I starting crying in a corner realizing that I had to take the certification course and begin teaching! God had blessed Peter and me with seven beautiful children and I knew it was His time to give back and educate others in the truth and beauty of the Billings Method! So, Peter went with me to San Francisco to take our girls to the zoo and streetcars while I went to hear the Australians at a Teacher Training Conference. So, it was a calling; a vocation and a ministry to young girls, engaged couples, married couples, seminarians and priests!

It has been 18 years and I feel called to spread this truth about Humanae Vitae by Pope Paul VI until the day I die!

God said He would never abandon us...he raises people up like Mother Teresa, Drs. John and Lyn Billings, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Paul VI to wake us up to live chaste lives in the service of the Lord. Romans 12:1-14

BOMA – We know that you contribute to BOMA in so many ways. Why do you think it is important to support BOMA-USA through financial donations in addition to your time?

Pat – Where your heart is, will be your treasure! Peter and I give ongoing to Billings to spread the truth!

BOMA – What do you like to do in your free time? And, do you have any final thoughts to share?
​
Pat – In our free time, Peter and I love to spend time with our beautiful children and six grandchildren. We travel to basketball games, tennis matches, and love attending Masses celebrated by our son, Fr. Joseph, at his parish. Athletics have taught our family much about the relationship between sport and virtue. Peter is a runner and I play tennis to stay in shape as we age.
As a family, we are very grateful for the Billings Ovulation Method®. Who knows...without the knowledge of the Billings Ovulation Method®, we may not have been blessed with seven amazing children.

​The conference was opened up to the public on Friday and Saturday. Hundreds of smiling faces poured into the Ontario Convention Center. Although many were strangers, a feeling of camaraderie filled the air. Attendees enjoyed presentations from many world-renowned speakers including Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, George Weigel, Janet Smith, Christopher West, Patrick Coffin, Pia de Solenni, Patricia Sandoval, and Ray Guarendi. In a break-out session, the Executive Director of BOMA-USA, Sue Ek, represented the Billings Ovulation Method on a panel of the modern methods of NFP. In her 10-minute presentation, she was able to include information on the Pockets of Shaw and the work of Dr. Erik Odeblad. 

Ek, who also staffed the BOMA-USA table in the exhibit hall, said, “Our exhibit table was well received with several teachers coming to either introduce themselves or give a friendly hello.”  

After a phenomenal weekend full of encouragement, theology, and science, the conference ended with a gala to celebrate Humanae Vitae Heroes, among whom Drs. John and Evelyn Billings were honored. 

BOMA-USA board member Carlin Gould said of the weekend, “HV50 was a wonderful conference with GREAT speakers and a chance to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones committed to learning and spreading the good news about HV. My husband, Deacon Dave, really liked the opportunity to meet with other clergy for the special Clergy Day, learning how to get the message out from the pulpit! We learned a lot and can't wait to share with others.”

If you were unable to attend, CANFP will be offering videos of the conference talks, without cost, on their website www.CelebrateHV50.com. 

“What will the next 50 years bring? May we all be inspired to carry the message of Humanae Vitae far and wide, with love and compassion, and to start a true sexual revolution.” -- Lynn Keenan, President CANFP.

​Every year, WOOMB Australia sends a small team of representatives to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, to share how The Billings Ovulation Method® (BOM) helps advance the rights of women around the world. Alison Dreher, the lead instructor for the Sisterhood of Catholic Women and Adolescents, Education Coordinator for the St. Augustine Foundation, and a BOMA-USA teacher and member, has been on this small team for the last four years. Alison’s work with the UN includes influencing the delegates of the UN member states, assisting with and attending the side events that surround the commission, and raising awareness about the BOM and its benefits for women from all over the world. The team attends events, networks with other groups, holds parallel events, and every other year they partner with the Holy See to hold a side event as a contributing nation.

​This past March, the CSW’s theme was “Empowering Rural Women through the Use of Technology.” Alison orchestrated the parallel event to present the benefits of the BOM to anyone who wished to attend. In the planning stages, she had a stroke of genius to use technology to “bring rural women” with her to New York by using a video conference program on the projector as part of the presentation. She hoped that other groups, who are opposed to her message, would not hear about her idea and steal it. Her hope was realized, and WOOMB’s presentation of rural voices via technology was a unique and beautiful implementation of the CSW’s 2018 theme.

The presentation, entitled “Empowering Rural Women and Girls with The Billings Ovulation Method® ,” began with Louise Allard, an experienced teacher trainer with extensive international experience, and her colleague Emily Iradukunda, a WOOMB fertility awareness consultant and teacher trainer. They shared the outcomes of their work with the BOM in a rural context.

The second portion of the presentation featured Alison. She began by sharing her own story of empowerment through the BOM and then opened the floor to the voices of 12 rural women who, as a result of using natural fertility regulation, have felt empowered in their relationships and overall health. One by one, each woman spoke from the comfort of their own homes, transmitted all the way to New York to speak to this event open to a worldwide collaborative body. In between each testimony, Alison read several stories from rural women around the world including stories from women from the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria.

The parallel event was a success and all the participants were thrilled to be able to add their voices to this cause. The Billings Ovulation Method® continues to engage the culture with the truth, beauty and empowerment that comes through the knowledge that every woman ought to have.