F E R T I L I T Y   S T O R I E S:
5 3   y e a r   o l d   d i v o r c e d   f a t h e r   o f   a   t e e n a g e r

"This method has shown me I've got thinking to do. When folks in the sixties said we could be free sexually, that helped me open up. But something got disrespected in the process." Now this man has a keener awareness of fertility cycles and sexual power--and how these influence an emotional bond. For example, he still experiences what he calls "baby-making energy when I make love, even though I don't want more children. "Fertility Awareness put me face to face with all these feelings and my responsibilities."

In each relationship this man's had, "there've been times that the 'animal' part of me has been wanted. That's always thrilled me. Other times, when I've come on really strong sexually, it hasn't felt okay to my partner. As I've brought more consciousness to this dynamic, I've learned about what's appropriate and when. I've discovered that my urges actually like having constraint and containment. If they're free to run willy-nilly, something's lost. I don't want to deny the animal part of me--acknowledging it lets me be seen more fully. And somehow periodic abstinence supports my getting to know and express all this stuff appropriately."

This man also noted that as he ages, his erections have become less reliable--and therefore, so have condoms. Once he and his partner started practicing Fertility Awareness, his problems with erections went away.

"Also, I used to wake up in the morning and ask, 'When was the last time I had intercourse? Do I want to masturbate?' Now, I also wonder about whether or not my girlfriend is fertile."