Fertility Awareness & Reproductive Justice
Fertility Awareness and Reproductive Justice are natural partners. Reproductive Justice is a core focus of AFAP.
Reproductive Justice
Coined by the founders of SisterSong, the term “Reproductive Justice” expands the reproductive rights conversation beyond just abortion rights and focuses on a more inclusive view of the multitude of factors that impact family building.
It encompasses social justice, economic inequality, and the experiences of often marginalized groups, including people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Reproductive Justice is “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.”
Fertility Awareness is a tool for reproductive and sexual health self-advocacy and autonomy.
AFAP believes Fertility Awareness should be available to all people with the capacity to cycle. Used as a health monitoring tool, this practice can help identify reproductive and/or sexual health issues early for timely intervention.
Fertility Awareness is a non-hormonal user-controlled contraceptive option.
Users exercise bodily autonomy by controlling how and when they use Fertility Awareness.
With proper education and implementation, Fertility Awareness can be used to effectively prevent pregnancy regardless of medical and insurance access, birth control restrictions, or changes in legislation.
Fertility Awareness increases the chances of natural conception.
With proper education and implementation, Fertility Awareness users can more readily identify their fertile window, leading to an increased likelihood of natural conception and avoiding costly and unnecessary interventions/procedures. Additionally, users may identify reproductive health concerns sooner and seek timely interventions.
AFAP supports abortion access.
AFAP supports every individual’s right to choose if, when, and how they reproduce and this fundamentally includes access to abortion and a full range of contraceptive options, including hormonal options. The right to bodily autonomy is central to Fertility Awareness, and our organization is dedicated to reproductive health education and care that includes the full spectrum of options, from abortion to adoption and parenting.
Resources & Articles
Read more about Reproductive Justice and Fertility Awareness
Support AFAP Scholarship Fund
The Scholarship Fund specifically provides support to future educators from marginalized backgrounds to increase access to fertility awareness education in their communities.