The Couple to Couple League (CCL), a Cincinnati-based organization founded by a lay Catholic couple that promotes the use of Natural Family Planning (NFP) for married couples, has marked the 50th anniversary of its founding by launching the online platform Fertility Science Institute to teach about NFP and related issues. Courses and resources are offered for women and couples at various stages of life, including discussions about fertility issues for mothers and daughters, young adults, couples, women who have just given birth, women approaching menopause and those who are struggling with fertility issues. 

The mother-daughter materials, for example, have resources for discussing fertility issues with girls ages 9-12, the next level of ages 13-15, and advanced, 15-18. The couples materials include help in finding instruction in the Sympto-Thermal Method of spacing pregnancies, information about different natural NFP methods, advice for young married couples and access to coaching to help couples understand how to chart a woman’s fertility.

Traditionally focused on teaching NFP to Catholic couples and those of other faiths, CCL hopes the new Fertility Science Institute will help it reach a wider audience. Ongoing research has shown that Millennial and Generation Z women are hesitant to embrace hormonal contraception and desire more natural methods to understand and navigate their fertility, CCL said in a statement, meaning they are more open to natural fertility awareness-based methods than previous generations. Organizers hope the new site will reach this broader group of women “and invite them into God’s plan for their bodies and fertility.”

“After 50 years of Big Pharma promoting a very damaging narrative, the Fertility Science Institute allows us to both use our 50 years of scientifically-based fertility awareness training and resources to bring to life a new narrative which supports the innate dignity of women and men,” said CCL Executive Director, Katie Zulanas. “CCL has a history of updating their training methods and Fertility Science Institute, as an online institute, is our latest update to take advantage of online resources as we step up to meet the tremendous need for trusted help.”

The current culture has taught women to believe that fertility is a disease, CCL staff believe, something that ultimately gets in the way of their happiness and ability to live as they desire. CCL seeks to confront this mistaken belief directly and give families the tools they need to educate themselves and teach young people about the gift of fertility and God’s plan for marriage and family life. 

By offering these resources online, the Fertility Science Institute makes it possible for many more women and couples to access the information and support they need regardless of the presence of CCL couples in their area. They can learn at their own pace and have accurate, helpful Fertility Awareness-Based Method information at their fingertips, including easy access to knowledgeable coaches and supportive medical partners. 

“The FSI has formalized the support CCL has provided to its members throughout each stage of life to allow them to confidently live out their vocation of marriage,” said Zulanas. “We hope our work, along with our partners, will allow us to assert our authority and become the trusted source to learn about fertility, ultimately helping others understand how we are beautifully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of God.”