Fertility awareness methods

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Article written by Master, Doctor Huynh Vu Khanh Linh - Doctor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Fertility awareness methods are methods to help women recognize and know their fertile period in the menstrual cycle.

1. What is fertility awareness methods fam?

If you want to prevent pregnancy, you can abstain from intercourse during this time or use a barrier method of birth control such as a condom. If you're expecting a baby, you should have intercourse more often around this time, ideally every day or every other day. This method should only be applied to women with regular menstrual cycles.

2. What is the menstrual cycle?

A woman's menstrual cycle is determined from the first day of this period (called day 1) to the first day of the next period (day 1 of the next menstrual period). A normal menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days.
Normally, during a menstrual cycle, a woman's ovaries (Ovary) will release an egg (Oocyte) called "Ovulation". In a normal menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs about 14 days before the next menstrual period. The number of days from ovulation to menstruation usually does not change in the menstrual cycle. After the egg is released from the ovary, the egg moves inside the fallopian tube towards the uterus.
To implement the method of knowing when to conceive, a woman needs to know that the menstrual cycle is divided into 3 times:
The non-conception phase before ovulation The period of conception: 5-7 days in the interval. mid-menstrual period, including the few days before and the day after ovulation. To prevent pregnancy effectively, during this period of conception, the couple should not have intercourse, or if intercourse should use effective birth control methods. Non-conception period after ovulation.

3. What is the most fertile time in my menstrual cycle?

The egg (Oocyte) has the ability to live in the fallopian tube (fallopian tube) about 24 hours after ovulation. A man's sperm can live in a woman's body for about 3-5 days after sex.
You can get pregnant if you have unprotected intercourse between 5 days before ovulation and 1 day after ovulation. Pregnancy is highest when the man's sperm is still alive and present in the fallopian tubes while the woman is ovulating.

4. How effective is fertility detection in preventing pregnancy?

FAMs are only about 76-88% effective: this means that 12-24 couples out of 100 couples using this contraceptive will break their plans each year, it depends on which method of FAM you use. . If you combine multiple methods of FAMs together, the effect will be better.

5. What methods help identify the fertile time?

We need to remember: A woman's menstrual cycle is determined from the first day of this period (called Day 1) to the first day of the next period.
5.1 Calendar days Method: calculate fertile days Record the menstrual days of the previous 6-12 cycles The earliest possible day to conceive is equal to the number of days of the shortest menstrual cycle minus 18 The latest date of conception is equal to the number of days of the longest cycle minus 11 5.2 Standard days Method The standard days method gives us the standard rules for the most fertile days in a given cycle. menstrual cycle. For women whose menstrual cycle ranges between 26-32 days, avoid intercourse on days 8-19.
If you want to prevent pregnancy, you should abstain from intercourse on those days or use a barrier method such as condoms. If you're expecting your baby to have regular intercourse between the 8th and the 19th, have intercourse every other day or every other day. The standard date method works best when your menstrual cycle is regular and lasts between 26 and 32 days.
Can use Standard Days with Color Normalization tool , Cyclebeads : for women whose cycle ranges between 26-32 days, if you want to prevent pregnancy avoid intercourse on that day. 8-19 (white bead on a periodic bead). There is no need to monitor the menstrual cycle for 3-6 months.

5.3 Cervical mucus-based ovulation method This is a method to recognize the change of mucus secreted from the cervix, the color and nature of the mucus.
Before ovulation, this amount of mucus is secreted more, clear, day, thin. After ovulation, the mucus is cloudy, thick, and friable, and the amount is less or none. If you want to prevent pregnancy, you should abstain from intercourse or use a barrier method such as condoms on the days you notice mucus discharge. To easily conceive, you should have intercourse every day or every other day when you notice a lot of mucus, clear, tough, and thin.
When you use the cervical mucus based ovulation method, you should know that any change in your health and daily routine can affect and work in detecting ovulation. becomes more difficult. Medicines, feminine hygiene products, douches, sex, breastfeeding, gynecological exams that use lubricants can all affect cervical mucus and cause results. judgment is not correct.
To test the nature of cervical mucus, a woman must abstain from intercourse for the previous 24 hours because semen and vaginal secretions can change cervical mucus.
Postmenstrual mucus: little or not found. Pre-ovulation mucus: cloudy, yellow or white, sticky. Ovulation mucus: abundant, clear, tough, long lasting. Post-ovulation mucus: cloudy, thick, friable. Post-ovulation or post-conception mucus: little or none. 5.4 The Two-Day Method The Two-Day Method is a variation on the cervical mucus-based ovulation determination method. This method uses the vaginal discharge property but is simpler. You will check your cervical mucus at least 2 times a day and ask yourself 2 questions:
Am I seeing any discharge today? Did I see any discharge yesterday? If there is no discharge for 2 days in a row, you can have intercourse. If you noticed the presence of mucus today and yesterday, you may be in the fertile window. If you want to prevent pregnancy, you can abstain from intercourse or use a barrier method such as a condom. If you are expecting a baby, you can have intercourse every day or every other day.

5.5 Taking basal body temperature Basal body temperature is the body temperature at complete rest. In most women, basal body temperature will rise slightly around ovulation and continue to rise later in the menstrual cycle. The most fertile time in a woman is about 2-3 days before hyperthermia.
Time to measure body temperature: measure body temperature in the early morning after waking up and before any activity. Measure and record body temperature daily. At the time of ovulation, body temperature rises. The fertile period was defined as the first day of a drop in body temperature or when there was a 3 consecutive day of temperature rise. If you want to prevent pregnancy, you should abstain from intercourse starting from the first day of your period until after 3 consecutive days of high temperature. Based on the chart of a woman's basal body temperature can predict the day of ovulation. Normally, on menstrual days and 2 days before ovulation, the basal body temperature will be 0.2 - 0.3 degrees Celsius lower than the average body temperature; 1-2 days before ovulation, the body temperature drops by 0.1-0.2 degrees Celsius (the lowest body temperature is the day about to ovulate). On the day of ovulation, the body temperature will suddenly increase by 0.3 - 0.5 degrees Celsius (above the average body temperature 0.1 - 0.2 degrees Celsius) and after ovulation, the body temperature will increase until At the end of the cycle, it drops to the next menstrual cycle.
Basal body temperature measurement is not a good method of preventing pregnancy or trying to conceive. Body temperature only rises when ovulation has taken place. When you have a fever due to another cause (flu or other illness) this method is no longer reliable.
5.6 Symptothermal method This is a combination of different calculation methods. The Symptothermal method usually combines at least two methods: the most commonly used method is the combination of observation of cervical mucus changes and temperature chart.
A woman will detect ovulation by herself thanks to the following signs: mid-cycle abdominal pain, change in libido, changes in the cervix: before and during ovulation, the cervix is ​​soft, open, wet. After ovulation, the cervix is ​​firm and closed.
The Marquette method is a method that combines Thermography and Cervical Mucus Monitoring or Reproductive Hormone monitoring with an electronic device. This device helps to measure the level of Estrogen and LH in the urine. These two Hormones are very helpful in determining the window of conception.

6. What are the advantages of using fertility awareness methods to prevent pregnancy?

Low cost method to identify the time of conception. Many women prefer to use this method because this method does not require additional hormonal drugs or contraceptives.

7. What are the disadvantages of fertility awareness methods for birth control?

Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, are not prevented. Fertility awareness methods are not a good choice if you are at high risk for STIs. This method also requires good coordination from your partner.

8. Where can I learn this method?

If you are interested in using Fertility awareness methods to prevent pregnancy or are expecting a baby, you can go to Vinmec's facilities to get specific guidance from Obstetricians- Infertility doctors. You can also install software on your Smart-phone or visit websites to learn more about menstrual cycle characteristics and fertile times in the cycle.

9. Who can use this method of birth control?

Women with regular periods, less risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Women do not want to use hormones and IUDs. Religious women are not allowed to use other methods of birth control. Spouse does not approve of abstaining from intercourse or using a barrier method of contraception. Using the Fertility awareness methods is not always easy. There are many factors that can make your judgment wrong. If you fall into the following situations, you need more thorough and in-depth counseling to practice correctly:
You are approaching menopause. You have just had your first menstrual cycle (newly pubescent), adolescent... do not apply until you have a regular menstrual cycle. You have recently used hormonal birth control pills or are taking other medications that may affect it. You are under stress. You just had a baby (you can delay using the Fertility awareness methods until your period returns to normal)

10. Who is not recommended to use this method of contraception?

This method is carefully recommended in the following women:
You are unable to abstain from sex or cannot use a barrier method (condom) on the fertile days of your menstrual cycle. You have a contraindication to pregnancy due to other medical risks (other methods of contraception are more effective). You often experience irregular bleeding during your menstrual cycle and this bleeding makes it difficult to distinguish it from menstruation, making it difficult to assess cervical mucus.

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