Currently, there are no specific licensing or certification requirements for becoming a Fertility Awareness Educator (FAE) by state, province or national regulatory bodies. Each training program that does exist is independent and has its own set of standards.
Moreover, it can be difficult to distinguish between an instructor who has spent years studying, working under supervision, and obtaining certification, and another who has a good grasp of social media, but no formal training.
In light of this, AFAP created the Core Competencies for a Fertility Awareness Educator. This document outlines what an entry level Fertility Awareness Educator should have mastery of in order to be qualified to practice. With these standards, members of the public can know what type of training or qualifications instructors have and how their qualifications compare to others in the field. The Core Competencies are part of AFAP’s larger mission to professionalize the field and to give the public, and future FAEs, more uniform standards of training and expertise on which to rely.
For Fertility Awareness Users, AFAP Accreditation means:
- AFAP-accredited educators have demonstrated mastery in the AFAP core competencies and are highly qualified to provide instruction in Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs).
- In evidence-based studies that demonstrate high efficacy for FABMs, users received standardized training and follow-up from experienced instructors. Professional instruction can facilitate quicker learning and increase user confidence.
- AFAP-accredited educators are skilled at helping clients address a variety and complexity of experience (e.g. coming off hormonal contraception; trying to conceive; preventing pregnancy in the post-partum period, during breastfeeding, and when approaching menopause; PCOS; infertility; endometriosis.)
- AFAP-accredited educators respect all persons’ rights to receive inclusive and non-prejudicial professional care and competent reproductive health services.
- AFAP strongly recommends (as does Toni Weschler, in Taking Charge of Your Fertility) that people wishing to use an FABM, especially for the prevention of pregnancy, obtain professional instruction from a certified FAE. Community and peer support can be valuable, but are not a substitute for professional instruction.
For Fertility Awareness Educators, AFAP Accreditation means:
- Demonstrated competency in the areas deemed essential by AFAP in order to be an educator in this field and to serve the public, guided by a professional standard of care.
- Enhanced professional credibility through affiliation with AFAP. Accredited FAEs are eligible to display the “AFAP Accredited” icon on their websites and related materials.
The AFAP Accreditation icon indicates that the person displaying it has graduated from a teacher training program that meets AFAP’s high standards.
