A personal message from Pope Francis was a stirring beginning to the global conference ‘The Billings Revolution 70 years later: From Fertility Knowledge to Personalised Medicine’ held in Rome recently.

The 70th anniversary of the founding of the Billings Ovulation Method® was celebrated at the University of the Sacred Heart in Rome with a two-day conference followed by Billings Ovulation Method® teacher training programs.

More than 430 participants attended the conference – 355 in person in Rome and 75 through live stream, representing 35 countries from throughout Europe and the rest of the globe.

The Billings Ovulation Method® was pioneered in 1953 by Australian physicians John and Evelyn Billings to enable couples to live their marriages according to Church teachings.

WOOMB International is the Australian-based organisation, founded to bring together the many Billings Ovulation Method® teaching centres throughout the world. It ensures global authenticity of the method and offers teacher training curricula. Two of the Australian directors, Melbourne-based Gillian Barker and Adelaide fertility educator Bernadette Davies, attended the conference.

Mrs Davies said the conference program gave an excellent balance between scientific, medical and philosophical aspects.

“Speakers presented current research in fertility including women’s and men’s reproductive health, cervical mucus and the effectiveness of the Billings Ovulation Method® in various parts of the world,” she said.

“The most moving presentations were those by speakers who had personally worked with the Doctors Billings as well as with Professor James Brown and Professor Erik Odeblad, the two eminent scientists who validated the clinical work of the Drs Billings.”

Following the conference, 107 participants attended the two concurrent teacher training programs.

“New Italian speaking teachers were excited to begin their journey, while more experienced teachers from all over the globe, expanded their skills and knowledge,” Mrs Davies said.

The first meeting of the Billings Research Group was also held during the conference with 22 researchers from Europe, Africa, North and South America and Asia meeting with WOOMB directors. The purpose of this meeting was to review current studies and facilitate communications and future research projects. The group will continue to meet online.