Na-Pro Technology (Natural Procreative Technology)

Infertility is a problem that many couples who want a family have to endure and up until the recent past efforts were made to look for the  cause of the problem but with 'in vitro' fertilization  came a big change in methods. Efforts to find the root causes are skipped and artificial reproductive technologies have taken over.

Infertility is considered by many as a symptom of an underlying disease. They don't only hinder fertility but also are the causes of long-term health problems. Infertility also, as we know, has many emotional problems.

Na-Pro Technology (Natural Procreative Technology) is a topic we have been hearing about recently in the Catholic press. A Catholic Hospital in Seoul has begun working with the new technology; an editorial and article in the Peace Weekly introduce readers to what is happening on the issue here in Korea.

In the Na-Pro fertility clinic of the hospital that started in May of this year, 8 women with a fertility problem, three of them within two months were pregnant. Previously one of them was unsuccessful with 'in vitro' attempts.

Last month the results of the Na-Pro fertility programs in other parts of the world and recently at the Na-Pro Fertility Clinic were introduced to a group of legislators interested in questions of life at a meeting of policy matters. A professor mentioned that not like many other infertility treatments Na-Pro  has no side effects, easy to learn, and less expensive than the other methods.

The government is helping those infertile couples with the money needed to use the artificial methods and those at the meeting  are hoping this will also extend to the Na-Pro method. In 2006 the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that Korea had close to 180,000 infertile couples and this increased to 215,000 in 2014. 

Na-Pro's success rate is higher than artificial insemination and 'in vitro' methods and the Na-Pro Technology method is natural. Since it shows concern for  the whole woman's health problems without artificial means, Catholics should find this attractive.