Understand your body and take control

Questions & Answers

• Why Sensiplan and not NFP?

  When we talk about Sensiplan, we are referring to the symptothermal method developed by the NFP working group, which has been scientifically monitored since 1981. This means that Sensiplan combines intensive body awareness with fertility observation. In addition to family planning options, Sensiplan also offers girls and women of all ages insight into their bodies and their own fertility. Cyclical signs such as changes in basal body temperature, cervical mucus, cervix, midcycle pain, breast symptoms, and bleeding patterns are observed. The combination of observing the symptoms of cervical mucus or cervix (sympto) and body temperature (thermal) also gives the method its name: symptothermal method.

• Do I even need to learn Sensiplan? My cycle app shows me when I'm ovulating...

  Even with a very regular cycle, external influences such as illness, stress, etc. can cause ovulation to shift. It is therefore negligent to entrust your safety to an algorithm based on a calendar method or similar. The market for cycle apps is very diverse and there are significant differences in quality. Depending on whether the app is to be used purely for cycle monitoring or for contraception, these differences must be taken into account. There are a few cycle apps that use a symptothermal method as their basis. It is important to note that there are no studies to verify the algorithm used, so no statement can be made about the underlying reliability. The NFP working group has developed an app based on the Sensiplan rules and is having it certified as a Class IIb medical device; a preliminary version is available in the App Store. Only the Sensiplan app guarantees that the standardized, scientifically verified rules and algorithm are stored.

• Can I start using Sensiplan immediately after stopping the pill?

  Yes. Of course, it varies greatly from person to person when your cycle will stabilize again after stopping the pill. The Sensiplan rules will also support you during this phase of your life. It is important to assume that you will be fertile in the first cycle after stopping the pill.

• Do I always have to measure at the same time?

  Especially in the first few cycles, it is important to note the time of measurement as well as the temperature value, because you need to find out for yourself to what extent the different measurement times affect your temperature curve. For many women, deviations of plus/minus one and a half hours from the usual measurement time are insignificant. For some, however, even smaller differences in measurement time are noticeable. There are also women for whom it does not matter at all when they take their temperature.

• Is this also possible with an irregular cycle?

  Yes. Self-observation can help you identify the reasons for the irregularities. You will learn how your body reacts to various influences and be able to determine when ovulation or menstruation occurs. However, a delay in ovulation can lead to a longer fertile phase and thus a longer phase during which intercourse is not possible. It is then a matter of acceptance whether you as a couple want to use Sensiplan.