World Population Day 2017: Tips For Safe, Natural Birth Control

Call it fertility awareness, natural family planning or natural contraceptives. Natural methods to prevent pregnancy have helped couples across the world enjoy the pleasures of intercourse without worrying about the possibility of there being a bun in the oven. If you are wondering which might be the most effective and safe way to rule out pregnancy during sex, fertility awareness methods are your solution. These contraceptives work without altering your body’s hormones and without the need to use tools like condoms or diaphragms. On World Population Day 2017, know your body and not have intercourse during ovulation (a span of 4 days).

So here are 3 kinds of safe and natural contraceptives you can use to detect ovulation:

1.    Cervical secretion and position monitoring

Your vagina has mucous that changes in consistency and amount at different days of your menstrual cycle. To know when your ovulation is near, which is the most fertile set of days, look out for mucous discharge in your cervix that is very wet, slippery, clear and thick. It will be so to catch the sperms easily. At most other times, it will be creamy and sticky. Immediately after ovulation, there tends to be no mucous. During ovulation, your cervix will also be softer and higher than usual.

Also read:World Population Day 2017: Top 5 Myths About Birth Control

2.    Calendar-method

This method is 75-95% effective. To figure out your days of abstinence, you first need to calculate the average duration of your menstrual cycles. This is the duration from the first day of the period to the first day of the next period. Ovulation generally happens in between, that is the 14th day in an average 28 day cycle. Since an egg stays alive only for 24 hours and sperms for upto 5 days and usually 3, the 11th-16th days are unfit for intercourse if you want to avoid a pregnancy. It’s a good idea to keep a track of 6-month menstrual cycles for a good estimate.

3.    Basal body temperature method

Generally, your body temperature rises to half a degree immediately after the day of ovulation. To measure your body temperature, use a digital or contraceptive thermometer and measure your body temperature every morning. Do this before washing, eating or drinking and at the same time every day. If your body temperature for 3 days is higher than previous 6 by even a very small amount as .2 degree celsius, you are infertile for now. This method is 95% effective.

Related:World Population Day 2017: 4 Reasons Why Family Planning Is Important