Trusting God’s Design: When Science Serves Love, Marriage, and Life

At Good Counsel, we often say that caring for mothers means caring for the whole woman—her body, her dignity, her vocation, and her future. That belief is rooted in something deeply Catholic: the conviction that God’s design for the human person is both good and knowable, and that faith and reason are meant to walk together.

Over the years, we have been encouraged to see more doctors, educators, and researchers taking women’s fertility seriously—not as a problem to suppress, but as a gift to understand. One such example comes from the ongoing work of Dr. Richard Fehring, a pioneer in fertility awareness–based methods, whose research continues to support what the Church has taught for generations: that natural family planning respects both love and life.

More than a decade ago, a small group of medical students at Georgetown University began learning about fertility awareness through an evidence-based elective course. What started as a modest effort has since grown into a program that has educated more than a thousand future physicians. The goal has always been simple but profound: to help couples understand how the female body works and to support family planning that cooperates with, rather than overrides, God’s design.

One study that emerged from this work looked at two different natural approaches couples use to identify fertile and infertile times within a woman’s cycle. While the methods themselves differ, the takeaway was not about charts, monitors, or data points. It was about confidence, trust, and communication within marriage.

The research showed that couples who felt more confident in understanding fertility tended to approach intimacy with greater peace and freedom—not fear. When couples trust what is happening in the body, they are less anxious and more united. That matters, because natural family planning is not simply a “method.” It is a way of life that calls spouses to shared responsibility, patience, sacrifice, and mutual respect.

Importantly, the study also reinforced a truth many women already sense intuitively: a woman is only fertile for a short time each cycle. While identifying those days can take learning and practice, the reality itself is a reminder of the wisdom built into the human body. Fertility is not a constant threat to be managed—it is a rhythm to be understood.

At Good Counsel, we meet women who have been told—often for years—that their bodies are unreliable or burdensome. Many have never been taught how their cycles work. Others have experienced pressure to use medications or devices without ever being offered real education. Research like this helps affirm what we see every day: when women are given knowledge instead of fear, they gain confidence and agency.

Chris Bell, our founder, has long believed that supporting life means telling the truth about women—about their strength, their capacity, and their inherent worth. That includes supporting approaches to family life that honor marriage, openness to life, and the moral wisdom of the Church.

Science does not weaken our faith when it is rightly ordered. Instead, it illuminates it.

As Catholics, we do not shy away from research, learning, or progress. We welcome them—especially when they confirm that God’s design is not only beautiful, but trustworthy. When science serves love, marriage, and life, everyone benefits.

At Good Counsel, we remain committed to walking alongside women and families with compassion, truth, and hope—always confident that faith and reason, together, point us toward life.

To explore the study and its clinical context in more detail, see this FACTS article: https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/comparing-family-planning-methods-a-review/?mc_cid=da64879f69