Birth control can be very exhausting and stressful, and not all methods work on all women. Some women tried IUD’s which didn’t work for them, others tried birth control pills and suffered severe side effects, and other women tried condoms which aren’t always enough to prevent pregnancy.
One common method of contraception is the safe sex period, also known as the natural family planning method. This method differs from any other kind of contraception because it does not require any external factor such as a device or pills. It works as a form of natural calculation of the menstrual cycle and the timing when you can have sex without getting pregnant.
Via: Net Doctor – What is the safe sex period?
What is the safe sex period?
The safe sex period works by predicting your fertile days by tracking the length of your period for about several months. It can also work the opposite way; you find out when your fertile days are to help you conceive if you are trying to get pregnant. This method needs a bit of time to work because you need to track your period for at least six months to understand your cycle. If you have consistent menstrual cycles, this method may work for you; however, if your periods are irregular, you may have difficulty figuring out when you are fertile.
Basically, the safe sex period consists of the days you can have sex without worrying about getting pregnant by calculating the days you are fertile and avoiding intercourse on those days.
The positive side of calculating the safe sex period and using it as a form of contraception is that it has ZERO side effects, unlike most forms of birth control.
How to calculate the safe sex period?
Via: Hyphen Pharmacy – What is the safe sex period?
Before trying the safe sex method, you need to keep track of your period for about 6-8 months. You need to know the length of your menstrual cycle. For example, you mark day one of your periods, then day one of your next period. You then count the total number of days between the first day of each cycle.
How do I find out the safe sex days?
Via: Planned Parenthood – What is the safe sex period?
- Track your period for about 8-12 months (You can use a period tracking application to help)
- Day 1 is the first day of your period
- Choose the longest and shortest cycles from your period tracking
- The first day of determining your fertility window is calculated by subtracting 18 days from the duration of your shortest cycle.
- The last fertile day is calculated by subtracting 11 days from the length of your longest period.
How effective is calculating the safe sex period?
If done properly, natural family planning can be up to 99% effective and used as a contraceptive method. This method requires a lot of tracking and diligence when tracking your menstrual cycle. If you do not properly follow the calculations of this method, you can get pregnant.
On the other side, if you are trying to get pregnant and follow the natural family planning method to find out the days you are pregnant, you will find out the days you are ovulating which will help you try to conceive.
Further Readings:
- How to Get Pregnant Fast?- Best Fertility Vitamins
- All You Need to Know About Being Pregnant in Your 40’s
- Missing Your Period Doesn’t Mean You Are Pregnant
Sources used in this article:
- The Natural Family Planning Methods- WebMD
- What is the Calendar Methods of FAM’s? – Planned Parenthood
- Natural Family Planning- NHS
- Natural Family Planning- American Pregnancy Association
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