NaPro Technology (Vatican approved alternative to IVF)

[Cleopatra7]

I was reading through a series of posts on Patheos Catholic about NFP and one of them mentioned NaPro Technology, which I had never heard of before. A bit of Googling reveals that it’s supposed to be a Catholic alternative to IVF:

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/07/inside-the-strange-heartbreaking-relentless-quest-for-a-natural-fertility-treatment/

https://fertilitycare.org/what-is-naprotechnology

However, the bulk of the hits (like 90 percent) are testimonials from Catholic sites about how “godly” Napro is, unlike that wicked, heathen IVF. However, there are no peer reviewed studies about whether NaPro actually works:

http://www.mommyish.com/unbearable-napro-technology-the-vatican-approved-infertility-treatment-that-recommends-adoption-714/2/

Based on what I’ve read so far, NaPro involves using charts and such to track one’s menstrual cycle and other fertility markers like NFP. However, I don’t see how that would be of any help if the cause of fertility lies with the man (NaPro is designed to exclude same sex couples, since it relies on the “natural” marital sex act) or involves other problems that can’t be fixed by charts and more charts. If couples can’t conceive with NaPro, they’re just told to adopt (as if it were that simple). NaPro doesn’t actually address the complex issues that lead to infertility, but instead focuses on keeping couples from staying outside of Vatican proved methods of conception. This is similar to how the underlying philosophy of NFP (as promoted by the Catholic Church) is that there’s never a good reason to not want to be pregnant, so couples should never avoid being “open to life.”

[anjulibai]

So....it's just repackaging standard fertility advice to couples just starting out trying to conceive? I mean, when I was planning to have my first child and decided I wanted to learn more about how conception works, I read about charting cyles and discharge and all that. There are tons of books and kits and apps on charting cycles, all explaining what everything meant or could be a symptom of. 

How is this new? How is this even a technology? It's basic reproductive science that was figured out a long time ago, and you can find this advice anywhere. 

This is stupid and seems designed to prey on desperate people. 

[Briefly]

It kind of sounds like NFP with a new name.

[Cleopatra7]

It does seem to be an extension of it; the link from mommyish notes that the doctor who created NaPro also worked to develop NFP methods, both for the Catholic Church.