Universitat Internacional de Catalunya - Barcelona

Human Sexuality and Fertility Indicators

• code 12801
• course 4
• term Semester 1
• type op
• credits 3

Main language of instruction: Catalan

Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,

Head instructor

Dda. Mª Guadalupe ALSINA - mgalsina@uic.es

This subject is proposed as an essential knowledge about feminine menstrual cycle, fertility indicators and combined fertility.  It also establishes the bases of the relation between the practice of Natural Family Planning (NFP) and the personalist approach of human sexuality.

In order to be inscribed in this subject, the student must have overcome the 60 ECTS of basic instruction. It is advisable that he/she has passed the subject “Care from the beginning of life till adolescence” which is included in the curriculum of the 3rd year. 

The objectives of the course are that the student acquires:

• An integral vision of the different dimensions of human sexuality.
• Basic knowledge about fertility, fertilization and menstrual cycle disfunctions
• Knowledge about the biological fertility indicators and their practical application in Natural Family Planning
• ability to interpret a menstrual cycle chart in a normal situation, according to the cervical mucus method and sympthothermal method rules.

• 18. E - Ability to lead nursing care in any area of professional practice.
• 1. G - Ability to provide technical and professional health care appropriate to the health needs of the people they treat, with full technical and scientific autonomy, according to current and available scientific knowledge and to the quality standards and safety requirements set forth in the applicable legal standards and code of ethics.
• 9. E - Promote healthy lifestyles, self-care, as well as the maintenance of therapeutic and preventive behaviors.

The student that has successfully studied this subject:

• Has an integral vision of sexual health, that includes the different dimensions of human sexuality.
• Values, with a critical sense, the scientific evidences in this matter and the different programs of sexual education that are nowadays available.
• Interprets Fertility awareness charts in different periods and situations (post partum, breastfeeding, pre menopause…).
• understands infertility as a multifactorial problem that has to be tackled from the perspective of restoring health in both members of the couple. 

UNIT 1:

1.1  Anthropology of human sexuality 

1.2  A short history of Natural Family Planning 

1.3  Integration of sexuality and NFP

1.4  Anthropological differences in NFP and contraception 

1.4  Sexual education programmes

UNIT 2:

2.1  Anatomy and physiology of the masculine and feminine reproductive system 

        Biophysical and biochemichal parameters of the cervical secretion

        Other parameters of ovulation: temperature, changes in the cervix. 

       Personal signs.

2.3  Combined fertility. Fertilization, implantation, pregnancy

2.4  Methods of Fertility Awareness

       Cervical mocus Method

       Symptothermic Methods

       MELA

       Creighton Method. Naprotechnology. 

2.5 Menstrual cycle dysfunctions.

Theoretic and practical classes will be combined.

The students will have the possibility of studying and interpreting their own charts, in private sessions, with the expert in NFP.

The exam will consist in two parts:

• Theory:

• Anthropology of human sexuality. Questions belonging to UNIT 1.
• Questions related with the anatomic-physiologic bases of the NFP Methods.
• Resolution and interpretation of NFP charts.

• Practice:

COMPULSORY READING: Rutllant M. Trullols F. et alt. Manual Básico de Planificación Familiar Natural. Ed. Esin. Barcelona 2001

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Rutllant, Trullols, Alsina....Manual del professor 2017. RENAFER

OMS. Learning Package for Family Fertility Education. 1978

González-Merlo J. Ginecologia. Ed. Espasa. 1988

Gotzon Santamaria M. Ecologia sexual. Ed. Palabra. 2005

Melendo T. Fernández-Crehuet J. Planificación familiar natural Ed. Palabra. 1993  

Melendo T. Millán- Puelles L. Asegurar el amor. Ed. Rialp. 2002

De Irala. J. Propóntelo, propónselo. Evitar el SIDA. Ed. Internacionales Universitarias. Madrid. 2006.

De Irala J. El Valor de la Espera. Ed. Palabra. 2011.

Otte A.  Medialdea C. Cómo reconocer la Fertilidad. El Método Sintotérmico. Ed. Internacionales Universitarias. Madrid 1998.

Toulat J. Contracepción sin violencia. Ed. SM.1982

Doctoral Thesis:

De Irala J. Métodos Naturales de Regulación de la Fertilidad: conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas de los médicos. Univ. Málaga. 1990

Temprano H. Estudio de los parámetros biofísicos del moco cervical humano. Investigación de la cristalización con microscopía óptica y electrónica. Influencia de los inductores de la ovulación. Univ.Santiago de Compostela; Hosp. Mat. Inf. Teresa Herrera.La Coruña. 1990

Menárguez M. Caracterización morfológica de diversos tipos de moco cervical humano mediante microscopía de luz y microscopía electrónica de barrido. Univ. Murcia. 1998

Medialdea C. Parámetros biofísicos, bioquímicos, microscópicos para facilitar el conocimiento de la fertilidad. Univ. Valencia 2005.

Ferreira Luna. M. C. La antropologia adecuada como fundamento de los Métodos Naturales de Reconocimiento de la Fertilidad. Pont. Lateranense de Roma, Pont. Inst. Juan Pablo II. Roma. 2007

Valdés de la Colina Mª I. Aplicación del conocimiento de la fertilidad humana para la búsqueda de embarazo. Resultados en el ámbito clínico. Univ. Rey Juan Carlos I. Madrid 2012.

Articles:

Carlos S, Osorio A, Calatrava M, Lopez-Del Burgo C, Ruiz-Canela M, de Irala J. Project Yourlife (What Young People Think and Feel about Relationships, Love and Sexuality and Related Risk Behavior): Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Protocol. Front Public Health. 2016;4:28. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2016.00028.

Fertilidad e infertilidad en el ciclo ovárico: Aplicaciones clinicas y lineas de investigacion. Actas del Curso Precongreso organizado por RENAFER en el 12 World Congress Perinatal Medicine. Madrid. 2015.

De Irala J., Osorio A., Ruiz-Canela M., Carlos S., López-del Burgo C. Informing Youth about the Age of Sexual Initiation Using Means or Percentages. Health Communication 2014;29(6):629-33

Ruiz-Canela M., López del Burgo C., Carlos S., Calatrava M., Beltramo C., Osorio A., De Irala J. Observational Research with Adolescents: a Framework for the Management of the Parental Permission. BMC Medical Ethics. 2013, 14:2.

Calatrava M., López-del Burgo C., de Irala J. Factores de riesgo relacionados con la salud sexual en los jóvenes europeos.  Medicina Clínica. 2012; 138(12):534-540.

Toledo E., López-del Burgo C., Ruiz-Zambrana A., Donazar M., Navarro-Blasco I., Martínez-Gonzalez M.A., De Irala J. Dietary patterns and difficulty conceiving: a nested case–control study. Fertility and Sterility. 2011; 96:1149-1153.

Menarguez, M.; Odeblad, E., Temprano, H. Recent research in cervical secretion: some biophysical aspects. Sveikatos Mokslai Health Sciences. 2011. Vol 21, Nº 3 pp 55- 60,

López-del Burgo C., López- de Fez C., Osorio A., López Guzmán J., De Irala J.  Spanish women's attitude towards post-fertilization effects of birth control methods. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2010; 151, 56-91.

Menarguez, M.; Pastor, L.M., Odeblad, E.  Morphological characterization of different human cervical mucus types using light and scanning electron microscopy. Human Reproduction. 2003 Vol.18. Nº 9, pp 1782- 1789

Rutllant M. Fertilidad Humana y Modernidad. La Vanguardia. Agosto 1988

Unseld, M; Rötzer E & alt. Use of Natural Family Planning (NFP) and Its Effect on Couple Relationships and Sexual Satisfaction: A Multi Country Survey of NFP Users from US and Europe. Frontiers in Public Health 13/03/2017.

E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session:

• E1 20/11/2019 10:00h
• R1 10/12/2019 10:00h
• E2 22/06/2020 08:00h
• R2 02/07/2020 11:00h