DENVER, September 8, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A software company is offering a high-tech solution to couples struggling to navigate the complex world of fertility charting.
Tim Boh, the Catholic founder and owner of Novuscor, called the company’s software program the “new face” of natural family planning, in comments to the Catholic News Agency.
According to the Novuscor website, FertileView software employs the commonly used symptom-thermal method wherein a woman monitors her temperature and other bodily signs that indicate what part of her cycle she is in.
The program provides couples with a simple way to record and interpret these signs, and can be used both to achieve and avoid pregnancy.
Other high-tech fertility monitoring systems currently on the market provide feedback about a woman’s fertility using urine or saliva tests.
Boh says that FertileView differs from these systems by allowing couples to remain actively engaged in the process. The program educates users in how a woman’s body works, teaching them to observe and record signs of fertility.
As a high-tech solution, however, it simplifies things for couples who feel intimidated by the standard paper charting taught in most NFP classes.
“We can literally train people on our method in 45-50 minutes,” Boh said. Boh was inspired to create the program based on his experience teaching NFP with his wife.
“I began to suspect that NFP seemed too complicated for most couples,” Boh told the Denver Catholic Register in 2008, when his company was getting off the ground. “I felt driven to create a way to simplify the methods to make them accessible to more couples everywhere.”
Boh teamed up with fellow parishioner and software developer Tony Janoso to create and market FertileView.
He says he was surprised at the effect the program has had on husband involvement in charting.
“We just started to see how the men enjoyed taking part,” he commented to CNA. “The men really enjoy charting their spouses’ cycles. Most men don’t understand how a woman’s body works to begin with.”
Novuscor notes on its website that the method’s lack of unwanted side effects compares favorably with hormone-based birth control methods. Studies have linked such methods to environmental damage, infertility, and increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and life-threatening blood clots.
The company also touts the cost effectiveness of its program as a one-time investment, noting that couples who use hormonal contraceptives typically spend about $840 a year.