Interview with Chloe, a Fertility Awareness Educator — SEXPLETIVE

Chloe is Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner & Fertility Awareness Educator who guides people who menstruate (and those who love them) in effective natural birth control, pregnancy planning, and cycle enhancement. I was introduced to her in 2018 (ish) by a mutual friend who was aware of our shared passion for the promotion of sexual and reproductive wellness. I completed her cycle charting course in 2019 and have never looked back!

In the spirit of COVID-19 and busy working (mostly) from home schedules, Chloe and I “met” electronically for our interview. This is fitting because she has an awesome internet presence singing the praises of embracing your menstrual cycle and additionally offers informative chats and engaging courses online.

Erica: So, can you describe what you do? 🙂

Chloe: I show people how cool the menstrual cycle is. It’s not just about bleeding and complaining about it once a month! There’s cervical mucus and a temp shift and a dancing cervix - oh my! As a Certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Justisse Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner, I teach people how to observe and chart their biological signs of the menstrual cycle.

E: And how did you get into this work?

C: I had a horrible year on the pill. My hair was falling out, I had really bad acne, and my mood was all over the place. I decided to quit the pill and realized that looking for birth control was really just asking yourself, “How do you like your hormones? In a pill? Patch? IUD? Ring? Shot?” I wanted a hormone-free birth control and that’s when I discovered the Fertility Awareness Method.
Like many others who first learn about fertility awareness, I couldn’t believe I had not been taught this before and decided I wanted to teach it to others!

E: Can you briefly summarize how the Fertility Awareness Method works?

C: The Fertility Awareness Method involves the daily practice of observing and charting your signs of fertility and infertility. The biological signs include cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and cervical position.

E: And why is it beneficial?

C: This is beneficial because using this information helps you to avoid pregnancy without hormonal birth control, achieve pregnancy without medical intervention, and gives you insight into your health and wellbeing.

E: The FAM often gets a bad reputation with doctors and the wider population, even most of my university textbooks that covered reproduction almost completely write it off claiming it’s ineffective - why do you think that is? Why do you think people have this perception of it?

C: A lot of people, including the medical community, confuse the Fertility Awareness Method with the Rhythm Method.
The Rhythm Method makes mathematical projections based on past menstrual cycle history to predict future fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. These predictions, though occasionally right, assume most people ovulate around the same time and don’t accurately reflect your current cycle! Thus making it an ineffective, out-dated form of natural birth control.
Whereas the Fertility Awareness Method relies on daily observations of your biological signs of fertility. It’s like deciding if you need to wear a rain jacket or not by looking at the weather forecast this time last month (the Rhythm Method) or looking out the window (FAM)!

E: What is one thing you wish people understood about using the Justisse Method of fertility awareness?

C: One thing I wish people understood about using the Justisse Method (a symptothermal method of fertility awareness) is that it is so much more than just about trying to avoid or achieve pregnancy. Charting and understanding your menstrual cycle is a menstruator-only, super-awesome mindfulness tool that helps you get to know yourself and your health better.

E: So you mentioned to me that one of the topics you are currently focusing on is the menstrual cycle as a fifth vital sign - can you go into more detail about what that means?

C: The menstrual cycle is a window into a person's reproductive and overall health. Whether you’re trying to have a baby or not, for a person in their reproductive years, being fertile is a sign of health. And just like other vital signs like our heart rate and blood pressure tell us information about your health and wellbeing, so does our cycle.

E: Additionally, you are interested in promoting charting for teens - why is that important?

C: Fertility awareness is a life skill that should be practiced well before it has to be used to avoid or achieve pregnancy. Even before they’re sexually active or thinking about birth control, teens can benefit from charting because it teaches them to know when to expect their period, it helps them develop self-care practices, and it reveals what their variation of a normal cycle is so they can be quicker at spotting when things are not.

E: What are some suggestions or advice that you would give to someone who is interested in learning more about the Justisse Method as a form of birth control or cycle management but is a bit hesitant?

C: I would recommend that they learn with a Certified Fertility Awareness Educator. The internet is super saturated with conflicting information about fertility awareness so learning from a reputable source will ensure you’re learning and using the method most effectively. And there are so many of us out there! Take your time and schedule free consultations which several educators to find your right fit. You can head over to the HRHP directory over at www.Justisse.ca to find Justisse educators all over the world.

E: What, if any, are some of the hardships/downsides you have experienced or observed with the FAM? In what cases is this practice not appropriate for someone?

C: The method is a skill that takes time to learn and depends on daily observations of the signs of fertility. I recommend charting at least 3 complete cycles with an educator before using it as your main form of birth control.

Some people might not want to put the time into learning it or they don’t like the idea of having to check their signs of fertility every single day (the method relies on checking cervical mucus every time you go to the bathroom and can include taking your basal body temperature every morning and/or checking your cervical position each night). If this doesn’t excite you, the method may not be for you.

There is a misconception that people who have irregular cycles can’t practice fertility awareness but I actually argue that these people should absolutely be charting so that they can use their charts as a tool to help them uncover the root cause of their irregularities.

E: What is one of your favorite stories from your time being a Justisse Educator?

C: One of my favourite stories was when I was teaching a couple how to use the fertility awareness method for birth control. After we finished going through the initial education session where you learn the basis of the fertility awareness method and what’s involved (i.e. cervical mucus checks, taking your BBT, checking your cervical position), the male partner asked the female partner, “How can I get involved? How can I support you?”. She answered, “Well, why don’t you check my cervical position every night?” We all laughed but even though she was joking, I thought it was a great idea! I love the way a fertility awareness practice encourages communication and teamwork in a partnership.

E: In what ways are racialized communities still left out of this conversation? What can be done in this field to make FAM more inclusive and intersectional?

C: The fertility awareness community is definitely not immune to racial disparity and more voices need to be heard from a diversity of people. Pay attention to the people who are writing the books and blog posts you are reading about fertility awareness. Decolonize your bookshelf. Educate yourself on the racial history of the feminist movement and reproductive justice.

E: What do you notice to be some of the wider benefits, of using FAM such as environmental, social, and/or community effects?

C: There are so many! But let’s just take hormonal birth control as one example. The synthetic hormones from birth control pills wind up in rivers, lakes and estuaries, where it can harm wildlife. So when you choose the fertility awareness method over hormonal contraception, you’re not only taking care of your own health but also the health and wellbeing of wildlife!

Chloe Reading her Justisse Guidebook and Charts

E: What is your favorite thing about what you do?

C: My favourite thing about being a Fertility Awareness Educator is witnessing people fall in love with their menstrual cycle and become advocates for their own health and wellbeing.

E: What’s next for you Chloe?

C: My next big project is offering the Period Positivity Workshop online. So often I hear people say, “I wish I would have known this sooner!” It’s a big passion of mine to teach body literacy and the menstrual cycle to the tweens and teens and since the pandemic has prevented me from offering it in person, I’m preparing to take it online!

E: Anything else you would like to add?

C: Cervical mucus is queen! If you’re curious about fertility awareness but a bit overwhelmed, just start by paying attention to your cervical mucus observations. And it’s super easy. All you have to do is start consciously wiping every time you go to the bathroom. Simply wipe yourself before and after you go and notice how you feel when you wipe and what you see on your toilet paper! The next step is learning how to describe and chart your observations each night. I recommend the guidance of a fertility awareness educator. Take your time to find your right fit. Many of us offer complimentary consultations and want to get to know you better, too! I offer a free 30 min discovery call that can be booked from my website www.ChloeSkerlak.com. You can also follow me on Instagram @chloeskerlak where I love to post pictures of cervical mucus, menstrual blood face masks, beautiful cervix portraits and more! Good luck on your fertility awareness journey!