A woman uses these methods to recognize changes in her body that indicate the fertile phase of her menstrual cycle. If she does not want to get pregnant, she must not have sex during those days. For these methods to work for you, your partner has to be willing to avoid sex during the days in each month that it is possible to get pregnant. If you are not sure about your safe days or if you and your partner take chances, these methods have a high failure rate.
Women who become very familiar with their body’s changes can be successful in preventing pregnancy.
Classes that teach fertility awareness are available, usually through the Catholic Church.
Fertility awareness methods of contraception work best for couples who are monogamous, because these methods require sharing the responsibility with a reliable sexual partner. A monogamous relationship is additionally important because these methods often involve unprotected intercourse and do not prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Women and men who for religious reasons choose not to use other methods of birth control are also good candidates for cycle-based family planning.
FERTILITY AWARENESS DEVICES
Ovulation predictor kits that are available in drugstores, such as
ARBOR
, can be helpful and assure more reliability of using this method.
This is a method used by a man in which he withdraws his penis from the woman when he feels he is going to come (ejaculate). He then ejaculates outside her body. There are a couple of techniques that make this method easier, but withdrawal requires great control and much practice. It also decreases sexual pleasure for both partners.
Withdrawal costs nothing and is always available, but it has a high failure rate. It is used mostly by married couples who want to space their children. Withdrawal does not protect against disease.