Hey Cosmopolitan, Keep up!

A version of this article was originally published at www.ccli.org.

Earlier last week, Cosmopolitan posted an embarrassing article entitled, “15 Facts About the Rhythm Method of Contraception.”

I had high hopes at first, given that Cosmo recently published a promising feature on fertility awareness-based methods (FAMB) and consulted some really valuable sources for the piece. Surely, after their interview with FACTS Executive Director Dr. Marguerite Duane, this new article would be able to draw clear distinctions between the Rhythm Method (also called the “calendar method”) and actual scientifically-backed, better-effectiveness-than-the-pill FAMB.

I was too optimistic.

Really, the article may have been okay if it was actually written about the calendar method. But it wasn’t.

Instead, it conflates the long-rejected calendar method with the extremely effective family planning approach of FAMB. I’m fairly confident that author Hannah Smothers doesn’t even realize there’s a difference. She used both the names and statistics interchangeably, demonstrating an obliviousness about the realities of FAMB that pervades much of the world.

We reached out to Cosmo offering to help correct the woefully inaccurate article. We received no response.

It’s sad to know that there are women out there who turn to the likes of Cosmopolitan as a reliable source for information regarding the reproductive system and all-natural methods of family planning.

But this is beginning to change.

A grassroots movement is building momentum with thousands of advocates from bloggers to nonprofits to medical organizations like FACTS. The culture is shifting. Women want — and deserve — better: better research, better information, better alternatives to hormonal birth control and better relationships.

And if Cosmo doesn’t keep up, they’ll get left behind in a cloud of powdered Yaz.

— Forest Hempen
Marketing and Communications Associate