Fertility Awareness Methods

Fertility awareness methods (natural family planning) avoid sex around the fertile time of the menstrual cycle (the time pregnancy is most likely to happen).

Depending on the method used to track the fertile time and when to avoid sex, fertility awareness methods can be over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. Some methods might only by 76% effective at preventing pregnancy.

For pregnancy to occur, sperm must fertilise a mature egg. During each menstrual cycle, an egg is released from one of the ovaries, this is called ovulation. The days near ovulation are fertile days – when pregnancy is most likely to occur.

An egg lives for around 12 – 24 hours after ovulation and sperm live about 6 days after sex. This means a person who menstruates is usually fertile for around 7 days of every menstrual cycle: the 5 days before ovulation, the day of ovulation and the day or 2 after.

Avoiding sex (or using other forms of contraception) on these days is one method to prevent pregnancy.

Using fertility awareness methods needs a very good understanding of the menstrual cycle and careful daily monitoring of bodily changes. Before using fertility awareness methods, it is recommended you see a health care professional who has training in this area.

To work out the fertile time and when to avoid sex, the following combination of bodily changes can be recorded daily:

• Thickness or wetness of the sticky fluid (mucus) made by the cervix (opening of the womb).

It may take time to understand and recognise changes in the menstrual cycle. Dedication to daily tracking will be needed to identify the fertile time. It may take several months before feeling confident to use fertility awareness methods as contraception.

• Having sex in the fertile time.
• Any changes to the menstrual cycle can make it hard to track the fertile time and when to avoid sex. Changes may occur due to many factors such as sickness, anxiety or stress, travel, losing or gaining a lot of weight, exercising a lot and certain medications. Some people have irregular menstrual cycles or infrequent menstrual periods which can be difficult to track. This includes people who are breastfeeding or who are close to menopause.

• It fits in with many religious or cultural beliefs.
• Understanding the fertile times can also be used to help get pregnant.
• It does not involve synthetic hormones or chemicals.

There are no side effects from using fertility awareness methods.

There are no serious health risks from using fertility awareness methods.

• There could be a health risk to you or the baby if you got pregnant. This is because the risk of pregnancy when using fertility awareness methods is higher than with many other types of contraception.
• If you feel like having sex around ovulation time (before or when you release an egg).
• You have irregular or infrequent periods.
• You are using a medication that disrupts production of cervical mucus.
• You have difficulty with daily monitoring of menstrual cycles and symptoms.

If you or your partner do not want to be pregnant, you might need emergency contraception, if you had sex without using fertility awareness methods or other contraception (check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist).

It is safe to continue the pregnancy or to have an abortion.

Fertility awareness methods are difficult to use until menstrual periods return to a regular cycle. Ovulation usually occurs before menstrual bleeding, which means a person is fertile before the first menstrual period after having a baby. Breastfeeding can also change the menstrual cycle and effect fertility.

• Requires careful monitoring of bodily changes every day.
• There will be days during the menstrual cycle when you cannot have unprotected sex if you want to prevent pregnancy.
• Fertility awareness methods do not protect from sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
• Fertility awareness methods are one of many types of contraception. See other contraceptive options

You might be interested in watching:

• Sexual Health Victoria
• A doctor or nurse
• Your local community health service
• An obstetrician or gynaecologist
• 1800 My Options phone line 1800 696 784 or website
• Better Health Channel
• Equinox – for transgender services
• Jean Hailes
• Marie Stopes Australia
• Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health
• The Women’s (The Royal Women’s Hospital)