News

Friday July 9, 2010


Study: 65% of Sub-Fertile Women Achieve Pregnancy with Natural Method

July 8, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A five-year study by the Ovulation Method Research and Reference Centre of Australia Ltd. found that sub-fertile women achieved a known pregnancy rate of 65% using the Billings Ovulation Method.

Developed by Drs. John and Evelyn Billings, the Billings Ovulation Method, a completely natural method of fertility regulation, has been validated by eminent international scientists and verified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a five-nation trial. It is used by millions of women around the world to either achieve or avoid pregnancy and to help safeguard their reproductive health.

The study involved a total of 449 participants, of which 207 women had previously been classified as sub-fertile. Twenty couples in the study had been unsuccessful with In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)/Artificial Insemination (AI). Seven of these couples achieved a pregnancy using the Billings Ovulation Method.

Significantly, 66% of over-38-year-olds in the study also achieved a pregnancy using the Billings Ovulation Method.

On average, couples had tried to conceive for a period of 15 months before participating in the study. The average period from initial instruction in the Billings Ovulation Method to conception was 4.7 months.

Kerry Bourke, President of the Ovulation Method Research and Reference Centre of Australia Ltd, said she hopes that women who have concerns about their fertility will be encouraged by these findings to seek natural fertility counseling by Billings and that more doctors will recommend it as an option for sub-fertile women. The findings of the five-year study are being prepared for publication.

An independent Australian review of Assisted Reproductive Technologies found that the live birth rate for women aged 30 to 34 using IVF is approximately 24.7%, while for women aged 35 to 39 the live birth rate is approximately 24%. The live birth rate for women aged 40 to 44 is approximately 6%. The average cost of ART per live birth is approximately AUS $33,000, and increases with maternal age. By comparison, the average cost of the Billings Ovulation Method per live birth is approximately AUS $1100.