Fertility awareness

Fertility awareness or natural family planning is a method of understanding the reproductive cycle to predict when a woman is most likely to get pregnant. It is done by observing changes in a woman's body and menstrual cycle.

Overview

Fertility awareness is used both as a means of preventing pregnancy and as a way to target the most fertile time for getting pregnant. It involves tracking the length of the menstrual cycle, observing changes in cervical mucus, and taking body temperature each day to estimate ovulation.

Methods

There are several methods of fertility awareness:

• Basal body temperature method: This involves taking your temperature every morning before any activity. A slight increase in temperature can indicate ovulation.
• Cervical mucus method: This involves observing changes in the cervical mucus throughout the menstrual cycle. The mucus changes in color, consistency, and volume at different times in the cycle.
• Symptothermal method: This method combines both the basal body temperature and cervical mucus methods, along with other signs of fertility, to predict ovulation.

Effectiveness

The effectiveness of fertility awareness for birth control varies, depending on the method used and how accurately it is followed. It is estimated to be about 76-88% effective.

Risks

Fertility awareness does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In addition, there is a risk of unintended pregnancy if the methods are not used correctly.

See also

• Menstrual cycle
• Ovulation
• Birth control
• Sexually transmitted infections

References

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