Advancing Fertility Awareness through Education & Access

We set professional standards for fertility awareness training programs, provide continuing education, and increase access to evidence based Fertility Awareness education by connecting people with accredited educators.
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Comprehensive Fertility Awareness Education

The Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals (AFAP) unifies and strengthens the profession of fertility awareness education, by accrediting high-quality, full-spectrum fertility awareness educators and increasing global access to quality, non-religious, reproductive health education grounded in science.

Empowering Informed Choices in Reproductive Health

We envision a world in which all people have the knowledge and power to make informed decisions about their fertility, sexuality, and reproductive health.

AFAP ensures that people can find high-quality Fertility Awareness instruction in a context that supports their reproductive choices, identities, and relationships.

  • We establish uniform standards, ethics, and accreditation for Fertility Awareness Programs.
  • We help educators grow by offering continuing education and peer support.
  • We maintain a comprehensive list of accredited educators, making it easy for individuals to find trusted Fertility Awareness education and support.
  • We build relationships with the public and medical and healthcare professionals to address barriers to Fertility Awareness and body literacy.

Our accredited programs promote secular, observational Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs). We provide education to all, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion.

AFAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible in the USA and may be in other countries. Please consider supporting this work by making a donation.

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Our Core Values

01

Science-Based Education

Unbiased sexual and reproductive health education grounded in evidence, ensuring people can make accurate and informed decisions.

02

Informed Choice & Full-Spectrum Reproductive Care

Access to the full range of reproductive healthcare options—including Fertility Awareness Methods, contraception, assisted reproductive technologies, and abortion—and the autonomy of individuals to act as decision-makers.

03

Inclusive & Equitable Approaches

Comprehensive services, regardless of faith, race, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or economic status.

04

Respectful, Individualized, Person-Centered Relationships

Conversations and support that honors autonomy, affirms identity, and respects each person’s unique reproductive goals.

05

Collaboration

Aiming to build partnerships with medical providers, community leaders, members, and clients to strengthen reproductive health support worldwide.

06

Professional Growth

Engagement in continuing education, training, and professional development to ensure the highest quality of care.

07

Reproductive Justice (RJ)

Aligning with the mission of the RJ movement, founded by women of color in order to expand the parameters of reproductive rights to ensure everyone has the right to have children, not have children, and raise children in safe, supportive environments.

The history of AFAP

The seed of what was to become AFAP first took root in 1990 when a group of Canadian and American women recognized the critical importance of supporting each other and developing viable systems for educating users and educators in fertility awareness methods outside of religious context.

1990

Fertility Awareness Network (FAN) established

A group of Canadian and American women began working to establish the profession of secular Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABMs). At the time, FABMs were taught almost exclusively in religious contexts. They called their organization the Fertility Awareness Network (FAN). These included Toni Weschler, Geraldine Matus, Lisa Leger, Maggie MacDonald, Elaine Matus, Sara Rose, Merryl Winstein, Suzannah Cooper-Doyle, and Barbara Feldman (the first director of the organization). We are thankful to these women, some of whom are still leaders in the field and members of AFAP.

Ilene Richman becomes director

After the passing of Barbara Feldmen, Ilene Richman takes over as director of FAN. Over the years, activity in the organization waxes and wanes.

2001

2013

FAN becomes AFAP

By 2013, with the advent of Fertility Awareness apps and an explosion of content about FABMs on the internet, it became apparent that the need for a professional organization had never been greater. FAN was reorganized and relaunched as the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals.

AFAP publishes its Core Competencies

The first uniform standards established for Fertility Awareness Educators is published.

Accredited schools must show their graduates meet these standards through rigorous coursework and a supervised internship.

2017

2022-2024

AFAP attains not-for-profit status

Eden Fertilite of France becomes the fourth school to be accredited by AFAP.

AFAP awards its first annual scholarship to expand access to reproductive and sexual health education in marginalized communities. 

AFAP Board of Directors

Mary Aline, OTR/L, FAE, (she/her)

President

Mary Aline has been a practicing cycle awareness educator since 2018 and she graduated from Sarah Bly’s program, The Well in 2020. Mary Aline has over a decade of experience working as a pediatric occupational therapist in the early intervention setting. She discovered fertility awareness in 2018 and quickly realized the immense benefit of this knowledge. Mary Aline merges her occupational therapy background, and passion for sexual and reproductive wellness, with fertility awareness to provide a holistic perspective to cycle tracking and charting. Mary Aline primarily serves clients who are transitioning off of hormonal contraceptives. She provides virtual courses and one on one support. Mary Aline currently lives on Tockwogh land in Chestertown, MD and loves walking in the forest and being close to the water.

Rosemary Roberts, MSc, FAE, S/RHE (she/they)

Vice President

Rosemary holds the focus seat from the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Reproductive Justice committee. Rosemary has been practicing fertility awareness since 2008, and teaching/consulting since completion of The Well Teacher Training program in early 2018. She has a background in childbirth education and lactation support, as a midwifery assistant, abortion doula, herbalist, and nature education mentor, and holds a Master’s of Science in sociocultural anthropology. Their work in the FABM world focuses on education and support for all people who have the ability to menstruate, and strives to center anti-racist and decolonization perspectives. Rosemary is a single parent, practicing self-directed education with her two wild children on Kalapuya lands in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Sara Beaumont HRHP, FAE (she/her)

Secretary

Sara began using fertility awareness based methods in 2016 to prevent pregnancy. In the following decade, she graduated from Justisse College International, founded her virtual 1:1 practice (Reverence Fertility), joined Maven Clinic, and switched up the Justisse Method to plan two pregnancies with her partner. With gratitude to her clients, she deepened her knowledge of how complex, interconnected, and brilliant our bodies are. Today, she loves supporting people to observe and interpret their unique cycles across the reproductive lifespan. She’s passionate about emboldening people with the body literacy needed to navigate healthcare spaces. She aims to be anti-racist and inclusive, acknowledging her privilege and the inequities of our society. Before her work as a fertility awareness educator and holistic reproductive health practitioner, Sara held various communications roles at nonprofits that educated and empowered young people. Artists inspire her and she hopes to write a book someday. You can connect with her virtually and locally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, (traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homelands) where she resides with her family of humans and cats.

Katinka Locascio, BA, LMT, FAE

Treasurer

Katinka began her charting journey in 2001 when she met and studied with Katie Singer, author of the Garden of Fertility, igniting a passion for fertility awareness and its role in reproductive health. Over the past 2 decades she has incorporated charting into her work as massage therapist, doula, osteopathic manual practitioner and within the herbal community. She has taught individuals, large groups, and herbal practitioners about the usefulness of charting. In 2018, she completed Grace of the Moon’s (now The Well’s) Teacher Training program. She currently lives and practices in New York City, NY.

Vienna Farlow, HRHP, FAE

Board Member

Vienna is a Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner, fertility awareness educator, and the founder of The Cuntsultant, Your Vagina’s Consultant. She began her journey with reproductive and sexual health and wellness in 2015 and completed her fertility awareness training at Justisse College in 2019. She has been a member of AFAP since 2017. Her work is focused on demystifying the female body and menstrual cycle for all and particularly those with menstrual cycles. She is passionate about reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, full spectrum care, abortion access, and provocation in the name of education. She currently lives in San Diego, CA and practices in person and virtually.

Kate Douglas, FAE

Board Member

Kate is passionate about body literacy at all stages of life. She graduated from The Well in 2024 and is the founder of Earth Body, an online hub for classes in cycle health for individuals and holistic professionals. She currently serves as the head of the Research Committee at the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals and brings a multidisciplinary background in bodywork and horticulture to this work in order to center the wholeness/nourishment of a client and their local ecosystem.

Tamara Rubin, FAE

Board member

Tamara completed The Well’s teacher training program in 2016. She sees private clients in person and online, and has worked on the Maven telehealth platform since 2022 . She served on AFAP’s research and media committees for several years. She is also a DONA-trained doula, and studied with midwife Molly Dutton-Kenny, health educator and activist Samantha Zipporah, and herbalist Jon Carlson. Before raising three sons, Tamara had a long career in educational publishing, presenting complex information in accessible and interesting ways, and brings this experience to her work on the AFAP board.

Organizational structure and leadership

AFAP is a membership organization that supports and professionalizes the field of fertility awareness education. It offers several different categories of membership. All members are invited to participate on committees to accomplish the work of the organization, under the leadership of the Board of Directors.

AFAP committees/areas of focus

  • Accreditation
  • Continuing Education
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Reproductive Justice
  • Research
  • Scholarship
  • Membership
  • Communications & Media
  • Fundraising
  • Ethics and Bylaws
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Latest news & articles

Read about Fertility Awareness, Reproductive Justice, and other insights from AFAP members
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Support our work

AFAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible in the USA and may be in other countries. Please consider supporting this work by making a donation.
Donate to AFAP

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