RRM Advancing Fertility Care, Naturally
At this year’s FACTS Annual Conference 2026 in Peoria, Illinois, Michael Manhart represented the Couple to Couple League both as CCL Board member and a featured breakout speaker. His experience offers a valuable window into the growing intersection between fertility awareness-based methods (FABMs) and restorative reproductive medicine (RRM)—and what it means for the future of natural family planning.
The conference theme, “Restoring Reproductive and Whole Body Health,” reflected a shift already familiar to many in the CCL community: a movement away from suppressing fertility toward understanding and supporting it. With over 140 attendees—ranging from physicians and nurses to fertility educators and medical students—the gathering highlighted the increasing professional interest in science-based fertility education.
Reproductive Heath Impacts Overall Health
Throughout the sessions, a consistent message emerged: reproductive health cannot be isolated from overall health. Presentations explored how stress, hormonal imbalances, thyroid function, and conditions like PCOS and endometriosis all impact fertility. Notably, leaders in RRM shared approaches that aim to treat root causes rather than bypass them—an approach deeply aligned with the principles long taught in NFP.
One particularly encouraging development was the launch of FACTS’s Fertility Integration and Restorative Medical (FIRM) Fellowship, designed to train physicians in RRM. This signals growing momentum in forming clinicians who can work alongside NFP users, offering medical care that respects both the dignity of the person and the integrity of the body.
Hormonal Contraceptives and Osteoporosis
Mike’s own breakout session contributed meaningfully to this conversation. His presentation, “Optimizing Skeletal Health: Are Hormonal Contraceptives Increasing the Risk of Osteoporosis?” examined how contraceptive use—especially in adolescents—may reduce peak bone mass, a key factor in long-term bone health. He also offered practical guidance on nutrition and lifestyle, reinforcing a core NFP value: informed, holistic care that supports lifelong well-being.
Interest in CCL resources was evident throughout the event. Materials about the PeakDay app and Fertility Science Institute Directory were quickly picked up, and follow-up conversations with physicians suggest a continued need for clear, method-based education—especially in areas like the Sympto-Thermal Method.
RRM and Natural Family Planning
For clergy, parish family life leaders, and NFP users alike, Mike’s experience affirms something important: the broader medical community is beginning to recognize what CCL has taught for decades. Fertility is not a problem to solve, but a sign of health to understand.
As RRM continues to grow, so does the opportunity for collaboration—bringing together education, pastoral care, and science in service of couples and families.
Why is NFP so important? Take the Natural Plan course for a quick intro. Learn Natural Family Planning – as an engaged couple or as a married couple.
Written by Martha Haenni, Assistant Editor as presented by Mike Manhart, PhD, CCL Board Chair, for Family Foundations magazine, a quarterly benefit to our benefactors and supporters.