The Marquette Method
A natural family planning method that combines an at-home urinary hormone monitor with method-specific protocols. Often discussed in postpartum and breastfeeding contexts because hormone signals can help when other fertility signs are harder to read.
Perfect use
98%Typical use
93%Biomarkers
Urinary hormones (LH, estrogen) · Optional cervical mucus · Optional BBT
Source
Fehring et al., 12-month studies of the electronic hormonal fertility monitor protocol.
Full citation
Bouchard T, Fehring RJ, Schneider M. Efficacy of a new postpartum transition protocol for avoiding pregnancy. J Am Board Fam Med. 2013;26(1):35-44.
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. https://www.jabfm.org/content/26/1/35
How to read these numbers
Perfect use describes pregnancies per 100 women per year when the method is followed exactly as taught. Typical use describes pregnancies per 100 women per year across all users in a study, including cycles where the rules were not followed perfectly. Numbers come from specific published studies of specific populations and instruction settings; they are not guarantees for any individual. Methodology, sample size, and how a study defines a pregnancy or a cycle of use all affect the result, so figures from different methods are not always directly comparable.
This page is educational and is not medical advice. For decisions about contraception, fertility, or reproductive health, talk with a qualified clinician. See the medical disclaimer for details.
Before choosing a method
Before comparing method names, it helps to understand how NFP works, how method rules are learned, and how effectiveness claims should be read.
The Marquette Method is a fertility awareness based method that uses urinary hormone testing as its primary signal, supported by method-specific rules and instruction. It was developed at Marquette University and is taught by trained instructors and clinicians who follow the published protocols.
It is sometimes described loosely as 'using a fertility monitor', but the method is more than the device. The protocol defines what to do with the readings, how to handle uncertain days, and how to adapt the rules for different life stages.
What this method is
Marquette is a defined protocol, not a single device. The user takes a urine sample on certain days of the cycle and reads the result on a home monitor that shows a low, high, or peak fertility indication. The protocol then translates those readings into specific guidance about which days are considered fertile and which are not.
What this method observes
Two hormones do most of the work. Rising estrogen metabolites in urine signal that the fertile window is opening. The luteinizing hormone (LH) surge signals that ovulation is likely soon. Some users add cervical mucus or basal body temperature to cross-check, and some life-stage protocols, such as the postpartum protocol, formally combine hormone readings with mucus observations.
How it generally works
On testing days, the user dips a test stick in a urine sample and the monitor records the result. The protocol provides rules for when intercourse is considered to fall outside the fertile window. Different versions of the protocol exist for regular cycles, postpartum and breastfeeding, and perimenopause, because biology differs in those stages.
Who it may fit
- Couples who want a more concrete hormonal signal in addition to other signs.
- People in the postpartum or breastfeeding stage, where mucus alone can be ambiguous.
- People with less predictable cycles who want a method backed by hormone testing.
- People comfortable with daily test routines and a recurring cost for test sticks.
Who may need extra support
- People in unusual hormonal stages (early postpartum return, perimenopause, certain medical conditions) usually benefit from working with a trained instructor.
- People who prefer to avoid recurring costs may find a non-monitor method a better fit.
- People who want full automation should know the method asks for active observation and rule following.
What this method does not guarantee
No fertility awareness based method guarantees that pregnancy will not occur, in any cycle, for any user. Effectiveness in the published research depends on training, consistent observation, and following the protocol on every day it applies. Hormone monitor readings are useful information; they are not a medical evaluation.
Instruction and learning considerations
Marquette is normally taught by a certified instructor, often with a small fee, sometimes with a clinician. Instruction matters because the protocol depends on understanding when to test, how to handle borderline readings, and how to adapt the rules to the user's life stage. Self-teaching from an app alone is not the same experience the published research describes.
Misconceptions worth clearing up
- Marquette is not the same as 'using a fertility monitor on its own'. The protocol defines what the readings mean.
- It is not the rhythm method.
- Hormone test results are useful, but they are not a substitute for medical evaluation.
- Effectiveness numbers from one study do not automatically describe one specific user.
Related research and reading
- Marquette postpartum research, /research/marquette-postpartum
- Urinary LH monitoring research, /research/urinary-lh-monitoring
- Can I use NFP while breastfeeding, /questions/can-i-use-nfp-while-breastfeeding
- Which method should I start with, /questions/which-method-should-i-start-with
- Do I need a certified instructor, /questions/do-i-need-a-certified-instructor
- LH surge, /glossary/lh-surge
- Estrogen, /glossary/estrogen
- Postpartum, /glossary/postpartum
- Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM), /glossary/lam
- Technology and apps, /technology
- Browse all methods, /methods
Perfect-use checklist
What perfect use of the Marquette method assumes.
The published perfect-use number for this method describes couples who behaved a specific way during a specific study. This list summarises those behaviors so the number is read in context.
Source context. Behaviors assumed in the Marquette protocol studies, including Bouchard, Fehring, and Schneider 2013.
- Trained by a certified Marquette instructor or affiliated clinician, not self-taught from the app alone.
- Use the protocol matched to the current life stage (regular cycle, postpartum, breastfeeding, or perimenopause).
- Test urine on the days the protocol specifies, with the recommended at-home fertility monitor.
- Record every monitor reading on the chart, including low, high, and peak results.
- Treat any borderline or ambiguous reading as fertile until the protocol's rules confirm otherwise.
- On days the protocol marks fertile, abstain or use a barrier as the couple has agreed in advance.
- Cross-check with cervical mucus or basal body temperature when the chosen protocol calls for it.
- Schedule follow-up reviews with the instructor in the first cycles to catch interpretation errors.
Studies measured couples taught the protocol in person or by certified telehealth, with regular follow-up. Outcomes for users without instruction are not what the published numbers describe.
Educational summary, not individualized medical advice. For decisions about your body or your cycle, talk with a clinician or a certified instructor. See the medical disclaimer.
Reading the checklist
How to interpret perfect use.
What does perfect use actually mean?
Perfect use is a research category, not a personality test. It describes cycles where the couple followed every rule of the method exactly as taught for the entire study period. Researchers count a cycle as perfect use only when the charting, the timing, and the abstinence or barrier choices all matched the protocol. Anything else gets counted under typical use.
Why do real-world results often differ from perfect use?
Daily life adds variables a study cannot control. People travel, get sick, sleep poorly, miss an observation, or interpret a borderline sign in their own way. A couple may also choose to use a fertile day knowing the risk. None of that is failure of the method itself; it is the gap between an ideal protocol and lived behavior, which is exactly what the typical-use number captures.
Is perfect use realistic for most couples?
Many couples reach perfect use for stretches of time, especially after working with a certified instructor and settling into a routine. Sustaining it across years, life stages, and unusual cycles is harder. The honest read is that perfect use shows what the method can do when followed exactly, and typical use shows what tends to happen across a broad population.
How should I use this checklist?
Treat it as context for the published number, not as a personal grading rubric. If most items match how you plan to learn and chart, the perfect-use figure is a reasonable upper bound for your situation. If several items do not match, the typical-use figure is closer to what to expect. For decisions specific to your body, talk with a clinician or a certified instructor.
Sources referenced
- [1]
Bouchard T, Fehring RJ, Schneider M. Efficacy of a new postpartum transition protocol for avoiding pregnancy. J Am Board Fam Med. 2013;26(1):35-44.
Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine ↗ - [2]
Behre HM et al. Prediction of ovulation by urinary hormone measurements with the home use ClearPlan Fertility Monitor. Hum Reprod. 2000;15(12):2478-2482.
Human Reproduction (Oxford Academic) ↗
Continue reading
Guide
science of cycle tracking
Guide
nfp while breastfeeding
Method
billings
Method
creighton
Method
sympto thermal
Method
femm
Question
can i use nfp while breastfeeding
Question
which method should i start with
Question
do i need a certified instructor
Research
marquette postpartum
Research
urinary lh monitoring
Glossary
LH Surge
Glossary
Estrogen
Glossary
Postpartum
Glossary
Lactational Amenorrhea Method
Glossary
Cervical Mucus
Glossary
Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)
Effectiveness FAQ
How effective is the Marquette method?
Quick answers using the numbers from this method's primary published study, with links to the full comparison.
See the full effectiveness comparisonHow effective is the Marquette method?
Published studies report 98% perfect-use effectiveness and 93% typical-use effectiveness for Marquette at one year. Source: Fehring et al., 12-month studies of the electronic hormonal fertility monitor protocol.
What is the perfect-use effectiveness of Marquette?
98%. Perfect use means the method's rules were followed on every applicable day, as defined in the published study.
What is the typical-use effectiveness of Marquette?
93%. Typical use includes everyone in the study, including users who skipped observations or had intercourse during the fertile window.
Is Marquette as effective as hormonal birth control?
On perfect use, Marquette reports 98%, which is in the same range as hormonal methods such as the pill (about 99 percent perfect use). Typical-use numbers depend on the population, instruction, and how the study defined unintended pregnancy.