What Is the Marquette Method?

Leah

Sep 26

4 min read

The Marquette Method is a natural family planning method that pinpoints your fertile window using an electronic hormonal fertility monitor, often combined with cervical mucus. The monitor reads two hormones in your urine, oestrogen and luteinising hormone, to show when ovulation is near. Developed at Marquette University in the United States, it turns the hormonal signals behind ovulation into a clear daily reading.

How does the Marquette Method work?

The method centres on a home fertility monitor that tests your first-morning urine. Each day it measures oestrogen, which rises as an egg matures, and luteinising hormone, which surges just before ovulation. The monitor shows a low, high or peak fertility reading, and you record it. Combined with a protocol for your cycle, these readings mark the days when intercourse could lead to pregnancy.

What does the fertility monitor measure?

The monitor detects oestrone-3-glucuronide, a breakdown product of oestrogen, and luteinising hormone. Oestrogen climbs in the days before ovulation, so a rising reading warns that the fertile window is opening. The luteinising hormone surge signals that ovulation will most likely follow within a day or so. Reading both hormones lets the method flag the start and the peak of your fertile window.

Do you still track cervical mucus?

Many teachers pair the monitor with cervical mucus observations. Mucus that turns clear, slippery and stretchy is another sign of rising oestrogen, so it cross-checks the monitor. Some users also add basal body temperature to confirm that ovulation has passed. Adding signs is optional, but it can make the fertile window easier to read, especially in your first few cycles.

How effective is the Marquette Method?

Effectiveness depends on the method and how consistently it is used. With correct, consistent use, studies report roughly 2 unintended pregnancies per 100 women over 12 months (Fehring et al., Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, 2007; Mu et al., The Linacre Quarterly, 2022). With typical use, which includes days when the method is not followed exactly, reported rates have ranged from about 7 to 14 per 100 women over 12 months across studies (Fehring et al., Contraception, 2013; Fehring et al., 2007). A 2018 systematic review noted that the quality of fertility awareness studies varies, so these figures are best read as a guide rather than a single fixed number (Peragallo Urrutia et al., Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2018).

Who is the Marquette Method suited to?

Because it reads hormones directly, the Marquette Method can suit times when mucus signs alone are harder to interpret. In the multi-site study, typical-use rates were 8.0 per 100 women for postpartum and breastfeeding users and 4.3 per 100 for women with irregular menstrual cycles over 12 months (Mu et al., 2022). Rates in these transitions tend to differ from regular cycles, so a trained instructor and extra care help. The method also appeals to people who prefer an objective daily reading over learning to chart signs by feel.

How is it different from other NFP methods?

The Billings Ovulation Method and the Creighton Model read cervical mucus alone, while the symptothermal method combines mucus with basal body temperature. The Marquette Method is distinctive because it adds an electronic hormone monitor, giving a numeric daily reading rather than relying on observation alone. All of these are fertility awareness based methods that aim to identify the same fertile window, just through different signs. The best choice often comes down to which signs you find easiest to track consistently.

How Majella helps

Majella is a cycle and fertility tracking app built for women of faith who practise natural family planning. You can log your daily fertility signs, including monitor readings, cervical mucus and temperature, and see them together on one clear chart. Cycle tracking is free, and the paid NFP features add the tools that help you read your fertile window with confidence. Your data stays private on your own device, not on a company server.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Marquette Method reliable?

With correct, consistent use, studies report about 2 unintended pregnancies per 100 women over 12 months, though typical-use rates are higher (Mu et al., 2022; Fehring et al., 2007). Reliability depends heavily on using the monitor every day it is needed and following your instructor's chart rules.

What monitor does the Marquette Method use?

It was designed around a home fertility monitor that measures oestrogen and luteinising hormone in urine and gives a low, high or peak reading each day. Your instructor pairs these readings with a protocol suited to your situation, such as regular cycles, breastfeeding or the years before menopause.

Can the Marquette Method help me get pregnant?

Yes. The same hormone readings that mark the fertile window for avoiding pregnancy also show the best days to try to conceive. The high and peak monitor readings point to your most fertile days.

Do I need a teacher to use it?

It is strongly recommended. The effectiveness figures in the research come from programs where trained instructors taught the method and its chart rules. A teacher helps you choose the right protocol and interpret unusual cycles.

References

Fehring, R. J., Schneider, M., Raviele, K., Rodriguez, D. and Pruszynski, J. (2013). Randomized comparison of two Internet-supported fertility-awareness-based methods of family planning. Contraception, 88(1), 24-30.

Mu, Q., Fehring, R. J. and Bouchard, T. (2022). Multisite Effectiveness Study of the Marquette Method of Natural Family Planning Program. The Linacre Quarterly, 89(1), 64-72.

Fehring, R. J., Schneider, M., Raviele, K. and Barron, M. L. (2007). Efficacy of cervical mucus observations plus electronic hormonal fertility monitoring as a method of natural family planning. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, 36(2), 152-160.

Peragallo Urrutia, R., Fehring, R. J. and others (2018). Effectiveness of Fertility Awareness-Based Methods for Pregnancy Prevention: A Systematic Review. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 132(3), 591-604.

Trussell, J. (2011). Contraceptive failure in the United States. Contraception, 83(5), 397-404.

This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. Fertility awareness methods vary in how they are taught and used, and effectiveness depends on correct, consistent use. Speak with a qualified natural family planning instructor or your healthcare provider before relying on any method to avoid or achieve pregnancy.