Behavioral Methods continued...

NFP has advantages and disadvantages: 

• How effective: The Couple to Couple League states, "the Sympto-Thermal Method of Natural Family Planning can be used at the 99% level of effectiveness in avoiding pregnancy." (See the complete article.) If a couple takes chances and has intercourse during Phase II, the fertile period, their odds of pregnancy increase dramatically. In August, 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported a failure rate of 20 pregnancies per 100 women per year for periodic abstinence. This figure did not differentiate for particular methods of periodic abstinence. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) lists a higher failure rate for periodic abstinence of 25%. Again, this figure does not differentiate for type of periodic abstinence.
  
  
• Advantages: No harmful effects from hormone use occur. This may be the only method acceptable to couples for cultural or religious reasons. NFP methods can also be used to achieve pregnancy.   
  
  
• Disadvantages: This is most suitable for women with regular and predictable menstrual cycles. Complete abstinence is necessary during the fertile period. This method requires discipline and systematic charting. The method is not effective with improper use. To use this method effectively, a woman or couple should be trained by a medical professional or a qualified counselor. A relatively high failure rate has been reported. This method does not protect against STDs.

Fertility Awareness Method

Women who use the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) monitor body temperature and cervical signs of pregnancy similarly to those who practice NFP. However, women using FAM may either avoid intercourse or use a backup non-hormonal method of birth control, such as a condom, during the fertile period.

Women using FAM monitor 3 primary fertility signs: basal body (waking) temperature, cervical fluid, and cervical position.

Basal body temperature before ovulation is considered to range from 97-97.5°F. After ovulation, temperatures rise to about 97.6-98.6° F and stay elevated until a woman’s next period, about 12-16 days later. Temperatures usually rise within a day or so after ovulation, so the rise in temperature generally means that ovulation has already occurred. A basal body temperature chart can be obtained at 4women.gov.

Cervical fluid qualities are also charted throughout a woman’s cycle. Cervical fluid qualities aside from during the menstrual period are designated as nothing/dry, sticky, creamy, or egg white. A woman is most fertile when her cervical fluid is like a raw egg white. During this time, cervical fluid is clear and stretchy.

The cervix becomes softer and opens around ovulation so that the sperm can pass through the uterus and to the fallopian tubes. The cervix also rises during this time during because of the effects of estrogen on the ligaments that hold your uterus in place.