A safety menstruum is a time when your chances of getting pregnant later on having sex are the everyman every bit compared to other times. Knowing the rubber flow of the month is necessary if you are not trying for a baby. However, information technology should be noted that there is not a 100 percent guarantee that having sex during this period will prevent pregnancy for sure. This is a kind of natural contraceptive method that can be fully constructive just when you know and empathise your menstrual cycle accurately. Still, a change in the bicycle might affect your adding which may cause discrepancies, in turn, leading to an accidental pregnancy. Read on to know more near the safety period of the calendar month and ways to calculate it.

What Is The Safe Catamenia For Having Sex?

A menstrual cycle is calculated from the beginning day of your period to the first day of the next period. Therefore, in a typical 28-twenty-four hour period bicycle, ovulation usually occurs around day 14, when the chances of getting pregnant are high. Sperm can live for three to five days inside a adult female's body, and a adult female's egg volition live for 12 to 24 hours. Therefore, you are likely to get pregnant if you lot accept sex anytime on the five days before ovulation and ovulation solar day (one).

But this does non mean that the remaining days are condom for having unprotected sex. Regardless of when yous have sex, information technology is recommended that you use birth control methods to minimizes the chances of pregnancy.

Read on if you wish to acquire how to calculate the safe period when the chances of unwanted pregnancies are less.

Methods That Might Help Y'all Calculate The Prophylactic Period

The methods that may aid in calculating the safe period are:

  1. Tracking the fertile window
  1. Fertility awareness-based methods

ane. Tracking your fertile window

Tracking of the fertile window helps you determine your fertility period and avoid unsafe sex. It may take several catamenia cycles to understand the fertile window correctly. And, this works if your periods are regular and the length of the cycle is uniform. Also, it requires you to track your period with precision for months.

Hither is how to rail the fertile period.

  • At least for 6 to 12 consecutive months, note downwards the 24-hour interval you begin your period and count the days of the cycle until y'all start your adjacent flow. (First twenty-four hour period is when you begin bleeding).
  • Then determine the shortest and longest number of menstrual cycle days. From this, you lot may now calculate the fertile window based on your boilerplate menstrual bicycle.
  • Subtract 18 from the length of the shortest cycle. This volition give yous the first fertile day of your average menstrual cycle. For instance, if it was a 24-solar day cycle, solar day 6 is the first fertile day.
  • Subtract eleven from the length of the longest cycle. It gives the final fertile day. For example, if it is a 32-day wheel, day 21 is the last fertile solar day.
  • Therefore, the fertile period is betwixt day six and twenty-four hour period 21 when you need to avoid unprotected sexual activity (2).

This method is also called the calendar method and is used by many.

2. Fertility sensation-based methods (FAMs)

Fertility sensation, besides known as natural family unit planning, is a way of predicting safe and unsafe days of your menstrual cycle. The methods nether this category are ordinarily based on sure signs your body gives in response to the hormones that crusade ovulation (iii).

How Do FAMs Work?

The FAMs work by alerting you lot on your ovulation days. Once y'all know your days of ovulation, you lot tin avoid sex or use a contraceptive to avoid getting pregnant.

These methods could help y'all know the dangerous days that come before and after ovulation. You lot may likewise track the fertility blueprint, marking the days when yous are fertile, and days you are non, which can be useful when you desire to conceive. However, yous take to exist conscientious as the pattern may change with cycles.

What are the dissimilar fertility awareness-based methods?

Here are a few FAMs you can attempt to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

1. Basal body temperature method

The basal body temperature will be depression in the initial phase of your menstrual cycle. It increases slightly after you start ovulating (about 0.five to 1°F) and remains high for the remaining part of the cycle. It falls again earlier yous start your next menstruum. Tracking your temperature day by twenty-four hour period will help you lot sympathise when yous offset to ovulate.
In one case yous know the dates, avert unprotected sexual activity for three days after ovulation to avoid pregnancy. Although this method is non a100% reliable, it is widely practiced by many women to this day (4).

ii. Cervical fungus or ovulation method

The hormones that control the menstrual cycle also stimulate the cervix to produce mucus, which usually gets collected in your cervix and vagina. The quantity and consistency of the mucus change but earlier and during ovulation.

The fourth dimension when the mucus becomes clearer and more than slippery than it is at other times is when you are most fertile. Once the ovulation is complete, you may experience dry days where there is no or little discharge (5). You can learn to recognize these changes to predict the fertile and infertile days. However, this is likewise non a highly reliable method, as the levels of discharge vary based on hormonal changes.

3. Ovulation predictors

Y'all may consider buying exam kits that tin help predict ovulation. They may be helpful in planning pregnancies, but you cannot completely depend on them to avoid pregnancies (half-dozen).

Advantages of using FAMs to avert pregnancy

  • Inexpensive, user-friendly, and safe to use (equally no hormones supplements or invasive devices are used).
  • Develops communication, responsibility, and cooperation among partners.
  • Helpful in establishing an optimum fertility stage to programme a pregnancy.
  • Acceptable for couples with religious concerns about artificial contraceptive methods.
  • No medications involved.
  • You can get calendars, charts, and thermometers easily (7).

Disadvantages of using FAMs to avert pregnancy

  • The failure charge per unit is high as an accurate prediction of fertility is difficult.
  • In that location is no protection against sexually transmitted infections.
  • Can be tedious, as you lot accept to keep track of your infertile days.
  • Less number of safe days for indulging in sex activity.
  • Training is vital.
  • Non constructive if the periods are irregular.
  • Takes several months to monitor the cycle patterns (7).

Contraception Methods During Safe Flow

Ideally, it is expert to use contraceptives even during the safe period to avoid pregnancy. You could use condoms, spermicides, natural family planning, oral contraceptives, implants, contraceptive rings, patches, IUDs, or surgical interventions including hysterectomy, tubal ligation, tubal sterilization, and vasectomy (8). However, talk to your partner and your healthcare provider earlier determining which method is the best.

Next, we answer some of the common queries about the safe menses to accept sex and avoid pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

ane. Can I have sex during my menstruation?

Yes, y'all may have sex while on your flow, unless you are uncomfortable. Some women may experience that the mess due to the bleeding is highly inconvenient, while others don't mind it every bit their libido is higher at this time, and they savour intercourse more. Some women feel less period pain with sexual intercourse during periods. In any case, you may use a condom to avert the gamble of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

2. How many days after a period will I start to ovulate?

Ovulation occurs fourteen days before your next period if your bike is regular. If you take an average 28-day menstrual cycle, you will ovulate around the 14th twenty-four hours. If the wheel ranges from 26 to 32 days, you may ovulate anytime betwixt the 8th and 19th twenty-four hours (nine).

3. Are at that place any chances of getting pregnant if I take sex right after my period?

The probability is low. Your chances of getting meaning increase every bit you move into your fertility window. Having intercourse without contraception tin can create the possibility of pregnancy even outside your fertile catamenia.

four. When can a woman not go pregnant?

There is no phase when a adult female cannot get pregnant equally ovulation and menstrual cycles are unpredictable at times. Even so, you might use sure fertility sensation-based methods to track your safe sex days when the chances of conception are less.

To calculate the safe period, information technology is essential to have a clear idea of your menstrual cycle and ovulation. Tracking your fertile window and using FAMs might merely reduce your probability of getting pregnant simply won't guarantee it. Discuss with your health care provider to choose the ideal option. Have you tried any reliable methods that your md suggested for tracking prophylactic period? Exercise share your experiences in the comments section adjacent.

References:

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Dr Sachchidananda Maiti is a practising Consultant Gynaecologist & Obstetrician in Manchester, Uk both in the National Health Service (NHS) and in private care at Curtain Mall Medical. He has had decades of clinical feel in the UK and away. He specializes in managing loftier risk early on pregnancy complications and a variety of gynaecological weather condition using ultrasound browse, colposcopy, laparoscope... more than

Rebecca is a pregnancy author and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She has been into health and wellness writing since 2010. She received her graduate degree in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola University, Osmania Academy and obtained a certification in 'Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy' from Ludwig... more