This keynote lecture was presented by Thomas W. Hilgers, MD at the 2nd International Congress of NaProTechnology, hosted by Fertilitas in Madrid, Spain at the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in November 2025. It focuses on science for human procreation, featuring international experts like Dr. Hilgers, and offering hope for natural parenthood through evidence-based FertilityCare.
In this presentation, Dr. Hilgers outlines his decades-long research on natural human fertility. Inspired by Saint Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, he introduces NaProTechnology (Natural Procreative Technology) as an ethical, science-based approach to women’s healthcare that respects natural fertility cycles, challenges contraception, and offers effective treatments for infertility without violating Church teachings. He emphasizes the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, hormonal correlations, surgical innovations, and the institute’s educational programs, positioning it as a life-affirming alternative to mainstream reproductive medicine.
Key Points
- Institute Background and Inspiration: The Saint Paul VI Institute, founded in 1985, draws from Humanae Vitae’s pastoral directives to scientists, physicians, and spouses, promoting ethical fertility regulation through natural methods and rejecting contraception.
- Historical Context: Dr. Hilgers traces Church responses to contraception from Pius XI’s Casti Connubii (1931) to Benedict XVI’s Dignitas Personae (2008), and credits pioneers like Dr. John Billings for early natural family planning (NFP) methods.
- Creighton Model Development: Standardized cervical mucus observations (e.g., peak day identification) were refined in the 1970s, leading to the Creighton Model System, supported by tools like picture dictionaries and follow-up forms for objective tracking.
- Scientific Correlations: Mucus cycles align with estrogen/progesterone levels and ovulation (verified via ultrasound and hormone assays); sperm survival peaks during fertile mucus phases, acting as a “biological valve.”
- Infertility Treatment Success: NaProTechnology addresses issues like endometriosis (73% prevalence in infertile women), polycystic ovaries, and adhesions through targeted surgeries (e.g., pelvicoplasty, ovarian wedge resection) and medications, achieving 70% pregnancy rates at 24 months—far surpassing traditional methods.
- Educational and Research Output: The institute offers training programs for practitioners and educators worldwide, publishes textbooks (e.g., a 1,244-page medical guide), and has produced numerous studies, earning recognition but limited mainstream publicity.
- Ethical Emphasis: Aligns with Catholic teachings on marriage, conjugal love, and life, encouraging involvement from healthcare professionals and laity to advance ethical women’s health.