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In order to know when you are most likely to get pregnant, you have to become familiar
with your menstrual cycle.

Before pregnancy can begin, a woman's egg must join with a man's sperm. This is called
fertilization. For a healthy woman, there are days when fertilization can happen. There
are days when it can't. And there are some days when it's unlikely ² but still possible.
To begin a pregnancy, a woman can have vaginal intercourse ² without protection ²
during the days when it's possible for the egg and sperm to join. We call those days your
fertile days.

A woman's fertile days depend on the life span of the egg and the sperm. Her egg lives
for about a day after ovulation. Sperm can live inside her body for about six days.

A woman has a chance of her egg joining a sperm about seven days of every menstrual
cycle.

o This includes the five days before ovulation.

o It includes the day of ovulation.
o It also includes the day or two after ovulation ² even though it's less likely to
happen then.

Knowing when your fertile days will happen can help you avoid a pregnancy. It can also
help you plan one. The key is to figure out when you will ovulate. This will let you figure
out the other fertile days that come before and after you ovulate. Then you can track your
fertility pattern ² the days of the month when you are fertile and the days of the month
when you are not. You must do this carefully. Women don't all have the same fertility
pattern. And some women have different patterns from one month to the next.

4
   
  

  

There are several methods you can use to predict when you will ovulate.

o Temperature Method ² You will take your temperature in the morning every day
before you get out of bed.
o Cervical Mucus Method ² You will check the changes in your cervical mucus
every day for the first part of your cycle until you are sure you have ovulated.
o Calendar Method ² You will chart your cycles on a calendar.

It is most effective to combine all three of these methods. Together, they are called the
symptothermal method.
 o Standard Days Method ² You will track your cycle for several months to be sure
that your cycle is always between 26 and 32 days long. Never longer or shorter.
Then, you will not have unprotected vaginal intercourse on days 8±19.

4
    

  

To prevent pregnancy, women can keep track of their menstrual cycles from unprotected
vaginal intercourse when they are most likely to become pregnant. The methods you can
use to do this are called fertility awareness-based methods (FAMs).

One way that women track their fertility patterns is called the calendar method.

  

  
With the calendar method, you need to keep a record of the length of each menstrual
cycle in order to determine when you are fertile. You can use an ordinary calendar. Circle
day one of each cycle, which is the first day of your period. Count the total number of
days in each cycle. Include the first day when you count. Do this for at least eight cycles
(12 is better).

 



    

  

Jan. 20 29
Feb. 18 29
Mar. 18 28
Apr. 16 29
May 12 26
June 9 28
July 9 30
Aug. 5 27

     

   
  
   
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o Find the shortest cycle in your record.

o Subtract 18 from the total number of days.
o Count that number of days from day one of your current cycle, and mark that day
with an X. Include day one when you count.
 o The day marked X is your first fertile day.

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o Find the longest cycle in your record.

o Subtract 11 days from the total number of days.
o Count that number of days from day one of your current cycle, and mark that day
with an X. Include day one when you count.
o The day marked X is the last fertile day.

Here is an example:

%    
# If your shortest cycle is 26 days long, subtract 18 from
26. That leaves 8. If day one was the fourth day of the month, the day you will mark X will
be the 11th. That's the first day you're likely to be fertile. So on that day, you should start
abstaining from sex or start using a cervical cap, condom, diaphragm, or female condom.

%  
  
# If your longest cycle is 30 days, subtract 11 from 30.
That leaves 19. If day one was the fourth day of the month, the day you will mark X will
be the 22nd. That's the last day you're likely to be fertile during your current cycle. So
you may start to have unprotected vaginal intercourse after that day.

In this example, the 11th through the 22nd are unsafe days. All the others are safe days.

      

  

The calendar method can only predict what are  & to be safe days. It is
especially risky if your cycles are not always the same length. That's why it should


 be used with other methods. Do not have unprotected intercourse on any day
that the calendar method says is unsafe.

'
Of 100 couples who use the 

   correctly for one year, 9 will have a
pregnancy.

4
    '
   

To prevent pregnancy, women can keep track of their menstrual cycles from unprotected
vaginal intercourse during their peak fertile times. The methods you can use to do this
are called fertility awareness-based methods(FAMs).

One way that women track their fertility cycles is called the cervical mucus method.

'
   

The hormones that control your cycle also make the cervix produce mucus. It collects on
the cervix and in the vagina. And it changes in quality and quantity just before and during
ovulation. With personal instruction, many women can learn to recognize these changes.
Instruction is usually given one-to-one. This method is also known as the '

  or the %  #

   


o During your period, your flow covers the mucus signs.

o After your period, there are usually a few days without mucus. These are called
"dry days." These may be safe days if the cycle is long.
o When an egg starts to ripen, more mucus is produced. It appears at the opening
of the vagina. It is generally yellow or white and cloudy. And it feels sticky or
tacky.
o Usually, you will have the most mucus just before ovulation. It looks clear and
feels slippery ² like raw egg white. When it can be stretched between the fingers,
it is called O

 ² German for stretchable. These are the "slippery days."
It is the peak of your fertility.
o After about four slippery days, you may suddenly have less mucus. It will become
cloudy and tacky again. And then you may have a few more dry days before your
period starts. These are also safe days.

%
  

You should mark a calendar every day. Record your period days, the dry days, tacky
days, cloudy days, wet days, and slippery days. Your mucus may feel different in
between those stages. It may be granular, rubbery, wet, or creamy. Have someone with
experience help you learn your own pattern.

You can check your mucus in several ways. Do what is most comfortable for you. Check
several times a day. You can

o Wipe the opening of the vagina with tissue before you urinate. Check the color
and texture.
o Check the color and texture of the discharge on your underpants.
o Put clean fingers into the vagina and check the color and texture of the mucus on
them.

This method isn't the best for women who don't produce much mucus. Women who
ovulate on day seven or eight may also have too little mucus.

A woman's mucus pattern may be altered by

o breastfeeding
o cervical surgery ² especially with cryotherapy or electrocautery
o douches or other "feminine hygiene" products
o perimenopause
o recent use of hormonal contraceptives, including emergency contraception
o sexually transmitted infections
o vaginitis




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 Do not have unprotected vaginal intercourse on your unsafe days.

o The days of your period are not safe days, especially during short cycles. The flow
can cover the mucus signs.
o In a long cycle, the dry days after your period may be safe.
o Days that are not safe begin two or three days before the first sign of slippery
mucus. They last for about three days after slippery mucus peaks. Safe days may
begin after peak slippery mucus drops off and is cloudy and tacky again. But the
dry days that follow are even safer.

It's best to abstain from unprotected vaginal intercourse for at least one whole cycle
before you start to use this method for birth control.

  

  

The Two-Day Method is a mucus method. It works best for a woman who is sure she can tell whether
or not she has secretions. To use the method, she asks herself two questions:

o Do I have cervical mucus today?

o Did I have cervical mucus yesterday?

If she can answer "no" to both questions, it is considered a safe day for unprotected intercourse.

Women who use this method may have only 12 safe days in each of their cycles.

'
Of 100 couples who use the '
    correctly for one year, 3 will have
a pregnancy.

Of 100 couples who use the 

    for one year, 3±4 will have a
pregnancy.

4
    



  

To prevent pregnancy, women can keep track of their menstrual cycles and abstain from
unprotected vaginal intercourse during their peak fertile times. The methods you can use
to do this are called fertility awareness-based methods(FAMs).

One way that women track their fertility patterns is called the Standard Days Method.





  

The Standard Days Method is a kind of calendar method. It is a way to keep track of your
cycle. You may find it simpler to use than other methods. You can only use it if
 o You have regular cycles.
o Your cycle is never shorter than 26 days.
o Your cycle is never longer than 32 days.
o You will not have unprotected vaginal intercourse from day 8 through day 19 of
each cycle.

Most women use special strings of beads for the Standard Days Method. They are called
CycleBeads. It helps keep track of their cycles. There are 33 colored beads and a
moveable rubber ring on the string. The first bead is black with a white arrow. The next
one is red. The next six are brown. The next 12 are white. And the last 13 are brown.
Each one, except the black one, represents a day.

o On the first day of your period, day one, you put the ring on the red bead.
o You move the ring from one bead to another each day ² in the direction of the
arrow.
o Brown beads stand for safe days. You can have unprotected vaginal intercourse
when the ring is on one of them.
o White beads stand for unsafe days. Do not have vaginal intercourse unless you
use a cervical cap, condom, diaphragm, or female condom when the ring is on
one of them.

'
Of 100 couples who use the 



   correctly for one year, 5 will have a
pregnancy.

4
    $ 
  

To prevent pregnancy, women can keep track of their menstrual cycles and abstain from
unprotected vaginal intercourse during their peak fertile times. The methods you can use
to do this are called fertility awareness-based methods (FAMs).

One way that women track their fertility patterns is by combining several fertility
awareness-based methods. This is sometimes called the symptothermal method.

$ 
  

When women use the $ 
  , they use more than one fertility
awareness method at once. These methods include
 o Temperature Method
o Cervical Mucus Method
o Calendar Method

The signs of one method can confirm those of the other. This lets you be more accurate
when you predict your safe days than if you use one method alone. For example,
keeping track of your mucus pattern can be useful when your temperature chart is
confused by illness or emotional stress. And you may be able to identify more days when
you can have unprotected vaginal intercourse than you can only using the temperature
method.

Using a fertility pattern chart helps women keep track of the signs of their fertile times.

'
  

Another combined method is called post-ovulation. All the days from day one until the morning of the
fourth day after predicted ovulation are unsafe days. But this means that the safe days are limited to
less than half of a woman's cycle.

'
Of 100 couples who use the $ 
   correctly for one year, 2 will have
a pregnancy.

4
    $
  

To prevent pregnancy, women can keep track of their menstrual cycles and abstain from
unprotected vaginal intercourse during their peak fertile times. The methods you can use
to do this are called fertility awareness-based methods(FAMs).

One way that women track their fertility patterns is called the temperature method.

$
  
Your body temperature is lower during the first part of your cycle. It usually rises slightly
after ovulation ² when an egg is released. Your body temperature stays elevated for the
rest of your cycle. It falls again just before your next period. Tracking your temperature
every day can help you know when you ovulate. To prevent pregnancy, you will not have
unprotected vaginal intercourse until three days
 you ovulate each cycle.

You will need to chart your basal body temperature (BBT) every day. BBT is the
temperature of the body when it is completely at rest. It varies slightly from person to
person. Before ovulation, 96 to 98°F is normal for most women. After ovulation, 97 to
99°F is normal.

The changes will be in fractions of a degree ² from 1/10 to 1/2 a degree. So it's best to
get a special, large-scale thermometer that only registers 96 to 100°F. It will be much
easier to read. You can buy a basal thermometer for about $10 at most drugstores.
Some basal thermometers are to be used in the mouth and some are to be used in the
rectum. Rectal thermometers are generally more reliable. Whatever you choose, be sure
to take your temperature the same way every day.


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Take your temperature every morning as soon as you wake up. Do it before getting out
of bed, talking, eating, drinking, having sex, or smoking. Keep the thermometer in place
for five full minutes. Read it to within 1/10 of a degree. Record the reading.


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You must record every reading. You can get charts from your health care provider or
women's health center. As each day's reading is put on the chart, you will begin to see a
pattern. The rise in your temperature may be sudden, gradual, or in steps. The pattern
may vary from cycle to cycle.

Your BBT may change when you are upset or don't get enough sleep. Illness, stress, jet
lag, and smoking may also affect your body temperature. So can drinking more than
you're used to or using an electric blanket. Putting these kinds of events on your chart
can help you understand the pattern.

At first, you should have help to read your chart. A doctor, nurse, or family planning
specialist can do that for you. In time, you'll have the confidence to use the chart by
yourself. Be sure to chart at least three months before relying on this method.




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The safe days are those that are not fertile days. They are safe for unprotected vaginal
intercourse if you are trying to prevent pregnancy. They begin after the temperature rise
has lasted for at least three days. They end when the temperature drops just before your
next period begins.
 The temperature method is quite good at telling when ovulation has happened. But it
can't predict when it will happen. So, you have to make sure that sperm is not waiting in
your body when it does happen. It is best to treat as unsafe all the days of the first part of
your cycle. This is from the start of your period to the start of the fourth day of your next
rise in temperature. You can combine BBT with another method to try to predict when
ovulation will happen. This can increase the number of your safe days.

After a while, you may become sure that you can tell what days are safe. If so, you may
not have to take your temperature every day. You can go without taking it from the start
of your safe days to the start of your next period.

K '   

  

Effectiveness is an important and common concern when choosing a birth control

method. Like all birth control methods, fertility awareness-based methods are more
effective when you use them correctly.

Between 12 and 25 out of every 100 couples who use fertility awareness-based methods
each year will have a pregnancy if they  

 use the method correctly or
consistently. 
 practicing these methods correctly will make them more effective.

How well fertility awareness-based methods work depends on both partners. That's why
it is important for both to learn about the methods and support each other in their use.