The Rhythm Method

One of the methods of contraception used by those who prefer not to use medical methods, such as the Pill, the IUD or the diaphragm, is natural family planning which is also called the rhythm method. This is also used by those whose religions do not allow them to use birth control. The difficulty with this method is that it only works for women who have very regular menstrual cycles. If you want to try the rhythm method but your periods are not regular there is no point in attempting to use it. It will do nothing to give you protection from an unwanted pregnancy.

For this method of contraception to work a woman must take her base temperature daily before she gets out of bed. She must be aware of the mucus changes her body goes through and what they mean. A woman must understand how her cycle works and that she is fertile for a period of about seven days. These days include those that fall on either side of the day she ovulates. This is important to know since sperm live for as long as five days after intercourse and the egg can survive up to twenty four hours once it has been released.

There are places that women can go to learn how to use this method from professionals who will teach them how to make charts of their cycles, when it is safe to have intercourse and when abstinence is the only answer. There are also computer programs designed to help make this a better system. Still, the best of times this method is only seventy five percent effective.

A woman should understand that she will ovulate fourteen days before she menstruates again. This means that she must calculate the length of her cycle, this varies for different women, and estimate the day she should ovulate. If she has a thirty day cycle she will ovulate on the sixteenth day. The remaining days are divided into safe days and risky days. The safest time is after the fertile period is completed until when the woman’s period starts. The other safe period, which is shorter based on the length of time sperm can survive starts the first day of her period and goes until about seven days before she is supposed to ovulate. The most fertile period is about seven days long.

The advantages to this system of contraception are that a woman need not put anything foreign into her body either in the form of medication or a device. The cost is cheap once she has bought a basal thermometer. The disadvantages are that it has a low rate of effectiveness and it is only good for a woman who has established a regular cycle. It is best used in a monogamous relationship where the man understands of her choice. Another disadvantage is that is does not offer any protection from sexually transmitted diseases, but if it is a monogamous relationship this should not be a problem.

Recommended Reading

1. Eight Contraception Myths
One of the problems for women, both as teenagers and older, is that when they are trying to choose the...
2. Further Misinformation On Contraception
It is interesting to think about all the misinformation that is available regarding contraception, its uses and just how easy...
3. Emergency Contraception
Often a couple's first sexual experience is not a planned one and this can be a problem when it comes...
4. Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Female Fertility
When it comes to achieving conception, some women can have a very difficult time. The female reproductive system is a...
5. Getting Pregnant Without Intervention
There are many methods and processes available for women to use in an effort to become pregnant. Before a doctor...