The fertility awareness method is a natural family planning strategy that can help prevent pregnancies.

It involves tracking your natural cycle of fertility and your menstrual cycle, developing a better awareness of your body, and using a variety of non-pharmaceutical methods to detect ovulation.

The rhythm method uses your menstrual cycles to predict future ovulation dates, and you can track your cycles on a calendar. The rhythm method is combined with more attention to the body to better predict when and how women will have sex.

During your most fertile days, you can abstain from sex in the rhythm method and FAM. You can use backup contraception on your fertile days.

The effectiveness of FAM varies depending on the combination of tracking used. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy that are more effective than a natural method. They involve medication or medical intervention.

One of the least reliable forms of pregnancy prevention is FAM. It can be an appropriate choice for those who are self aware.

If you have sex without contraception a few days before or during your ovulation, you are more likely to get pregnant.

Ovulation happens when your ovaries release an egg. It occurs approximately once per month, about 12 to 16 days after menstruation. The specific day you ovulate depends on your cycle length. This is largely controlled by fluctuations in your sex hormone levels.

For some, these fluctuations are quite consistent from one month to another. Others have more irregular menstrual cycles. A period occurs 11 to 14 days after ovulation if a pregnancy hasn’t occurred.

The life span of an egg is very short after it is released from your ovaries. If the egg is fertilized within a day after the actual ovulation, there will be a baby.

Sperm can be viable in the body for up to 5 days after ejaculation. It is possible to have intercourse up to 5 days before you ovulate and get pregnant.

The period of viable fertility can last from 5 to 8 days. You are most fertile during the following times.

  • The 5 days before the birth of a baby.
  • The day of birth.
  • Within a few hours after the birth of a child.

If you have a fertile period and avoid contraceptive-free sex on those days, you are less likely to get pregnant.

This will prevent sperm from being present in your body at the same time as a viable egg. This will prevent fertilization and conception.

Fertility awareness is one of the least reliable methods of contraception. There are multiple methods of collecting information. The calendar method, temperature method, and the cervical mucus methods can be used to increase the effectiveness of FAM.

Menstrual cycles are unique to each person. It is important to know when you are ovulating. There are many ways to track your fertility. The combination of these improves the effectiveness of the contraceptive.

These are some methods that are common.

  • Calendar rhythm method. In this method, you use past menstrual cycles to estimate the time of your ovulation. When used on its own, this is the least reliable method of birth control. It should be avoided if your menstrual cycles are shorter than 26 days or longer than 32 days.
  • Temperature method. Here, you track your basal body temperature (BBT) for several cycles by using a very sensitive basal thermometer to take your temperature before you get out of bed each morning. Due to hormonal surges, your BBT goes up 3 to 4 days after ovulation. BBT should not be used to predict ovulation in real time. It’s a retrospective tool to help someone determine whether or not they ovulated that cycle.
  • Cervical mucus method. In this method, you track the color, thickness, and texture of your cervical mucus to monitor your fertility. Your cervical mucus becomes thinner, slippery, and stretchy when you ovulate. Tracking your cervical mucus will require some practice.

The method that you use with all of the other methods makes it the most effective. You should track at least 6 to 12 menstrual cycles before you use contraception.

Before you make a decision on whether or not to use FAM, it is best to talk with your doctor or take a course on fertility awareness. Understand your body and its cycles. A consistent investment of time and effort is required for FAM.

It can be a great choice for those who are willing to invest time and money.

The effectiveness of FAM depends on the situation.

  • Which fertility tracking method is it?
  • How often are your menstrual cycles?
  • How reliable are your menstrual cycles?
  • How long do you not have sex around your ovulation date?

FAM can be effective for couples who always use it consistently and correctly. That can be hard to do. Among those who use FAM inconsistently or incorrectly, up to 24 out of 100 become pregnant each year, according to Planned Parenthood.

It is one of the least reliable methods of birth control.

There are several advantages to FAM. For example, it is.

  • is cheap
  • Is it safe to use?
  • No medication is required.
  • No side effects are produced.
  • If you decide you want to get pregnant, you can be stopped immediately.

You and your partner can learn about fertility. If you choose, this may help you get pregnant later.

FAM doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, herpes, or HIV. It also has a number of other disadvantages.

For example:

  • The method can be considered reliable if you consistently track your cycles for at least 6 months.
  • You need to use contraception during your fertile days.
  • The couple must be involved in the process.
  • The failure rate for FAM is higher than for many other forms of birth control. It can be just as effective if used correctly.

If you have irregular menstrual cycles, FAM may be a poor choice. Discuss birth control options with your doctor.