In today's show, I have Jane Bennett joining me all the way from Australia! Jane originally trained in in Social Work and Clinical Hypnotherapy and is now working as a researcher, counselor, and Natural Fertility Management Educator. Jane’s main area of focus has been educating women and girls about Natural Fertility Management methods (i.e. Fertility Awareness). Jane designed and created a program called The Natural Fertility Management Conception Kit and the Natural Fertility Management Contraception Kit offering in-depth knowledge and teachings of the fertility awareness method for contraception and optimal conception that is easy to learn and use! During her time working with Natural Fertility Management Jane became aware of the need for a more positive and healthy attitude toward menstruation for the physical, mental and emotional well-being of women and girls as well as for the sake of our individual and collective fertility. She is the author of A Blessing Not a Curse: A Mother-Daughter Guide to the Transition from Child to Woman as well as The Pill: Are You Sure It's For You? She also created and founded Celebration Day for Girls - a program designed for young women to learn about menstruation, fertility, to celebrate reaching that important milestone of menarche, and to help girls develop a positive experience and association with menstruation. In today's episode, Jane and I talk about the important role that having a regular menstrual cycle plays throughout a woman's life. We question the idea that menstruation has no purpose and we also question the current trend towards suppressing menstruation altogether through the use of long-acting or continuous use hormonal contraceptives. We discuss the importance of celebrating rites of passage and why we should be celebrating menarche and encouraging girls to develop a positive association with menstruation and a better understanding of their fertility from a young age. Topics discussed in today's episode Why every woman should have the opportunity to learn about her menstrual cycles and her fertility from a young age regardless of whether or not she intends to use Fertility Awareness for contraception Why "sex ed" should encompass more than simply discussing menstrual products and telling girls that they're fertile all the time What topics Jane incorporates into her Celebration Day program, and why she feels teenage girls can benefit from fertility awareness education Why we should question the effectiveness rates of all birth control methods, for example, although the pill is often stated to be 99% effective, typical user rates result in 4-6 pregnancies per year for every 100 female users Why barrier methods like condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and natural methods of birth control like fertility awareness should not simply be discounted based on the reported "effectiveness rates" How the user's motivation, understanding, and intention significantly impacts the "effectiveness rate" of the method of contraception that she chooses The devastating impact the pill has on a woman's nutrient stores especially after long-term use How powerful a dose of synthetic hormones you actually receive from hormonal contraceptives in comparison with your natural hormone levels The detrimental impact that hormonal contraceptives can have on your mood, your emotional and mental health, as well as your overall health and fertility Jane challenges the myth that the fertility awareness method of contraception is not an effective form of birth control Connect with Jane! You can connect with Jane on her website, and on the Celebration day for Girls website Resources mentioned Jane Bennett.com Celebration Day for Girls | Jane Bennett The Pill: Are You Sure It's For You? | Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope A Blessing Not a Curse: A Mother-Daughter Guide to the Transition from Child to Woman | Jane Bennett Sweetening the Pill: or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control | Holly Grigg-Spall  J