Each couple chooses their own way of protecting themselves from STDs and unwanted pregnancy.
The calendar method of contraception (Onig-Knaus method) refers to natural methods protection. The responsibility for the effectiveness of this method lies with the girl.
In this article we will take a closer look at what calendar contraception is.
What's the point?
When using this method, girls need to calculate the day of ovulation and build on it.
Fertilization of the egg can only occur within 24 hours of ovulation. in the vagina for several hours, and in the cervix for up to 5-8 days. Based on this, the most dangerous days for having sex are a few days before ovulation and 2 days after.
How to calculate?
For the calendar method to be effective, you need to keep a calendar of menstrual cycles for 12 months. In addition, your cycle should be regular.
Fertile (favorable for conception, or, as those who do not want to get pregnant call them, “dangerous”) days using the Ogino-Knaus method can be calculated using the following formula:
- the beginning of the fertile period = the duration of the shortest cycle minus 18 days
- end of fertile period = length of longest cycle minus 11 days
For example, based on the last 12 cycles, you found that the shortest cycle = 26 days, and the longest = 32 days. This means that days from 8 to 21 days of the cycle are fertile (there is a high probability of conception). In order to protect against unwanted pregnancy, during these days you should abstain from sexual intercourse or use additional methods of contraception: barrier (condoms) or spermicidal. From days 1 to 8 and from days 21 until the end of the cycle you do not need to use protection.
ATTENTION! The first day of the cycle is considered the first day of menstruation. The last one is the day before the start of the next one.
Is contraception using an ovulation calendar reliable?
The smaller the difference between the longest and shortest menstrual cycle over the past 12 months, the higher the reliability of the calendar method.
ATTENTION! If your cycle is irregular, then this method is not suitable for you!
Reviews about the effectiveness of the calendar method are quite polar. Some people think that this is a relic of the past, and it is much more reliable to use modern means contraception. Some say the method is quite effective.
Of course, it all depends on how seriously and responsibly you approach this issue. However, even in this case, it is unlikely that you will be able to determine with 100% probability exactly when ovulation will occur.
Statistics say that the effectiveness of calendar contraception ranges from 10% to 40%. Therefore, this method is more suitable for those couples for whom unplanned conception is not a problem.
The calendar method can only be effective if you carefully count your cycles (calculator) and if your cycle is less stable. Both doctors and the girls themselves talk about this on the forums.
ATTENTION! If this method of contraception is used incorrectly or inconsistently, the risk of becoming pregnant increases 4 times!
How to improve efficiency?
- Study all the nuances and strictly follow the instructions, maintaining discipline
- Sex only with a regular partner
- Protect yourself on ovulation days
pros
- No side effects or contraindications
- Suitable for most women
- Can be used both as a means of preventing NB and as a means of planning conception
- Free
Minuses
- Does not protect against STDs (STIs)
- The period of abstinence from sexual intercourse can reach up to 16 days
- On “risky” days it is necessary to use additional contraception
- Less effective relative to other means of protection
- Requires constant monitoring
- It is difficult to calculate the contraceptive calendar when menopause approaches, in adolescence, as well as during breastfeeding (the cycle is influenced by hormonal changes occurring in the body)
- Both partners need to be examined before using this method in practice.
Who won't suit it?
The calendar method is not suitable under the following criteria:
- If you have multiple sexual partners
- If the partner is against this method
- If you are not disciplined and cannot fulfill all conditions and calculations with 100% probability
- If you are not ready to abstain from sexual intercourse for 10 days or more or use other methods of contraception during these days
- If you are taking medications that cause cycle fluctuations
- If you or your partner refuse to be regularly checked by a specialist and tested for STDs (STIs)
This method of contraception is used very widely. Nowadays, the pharmacological industry and modern gynecology are able to offer women a variety of contraceptives, but it still does not lose its popularity. The calendar method is suitable for both young girls and women who have given birth. It allows you to accurately specify the attack in order to make sex the most protected these days. This period is most often close to the eleventh day after the start of menstruation and continues for at least four more. For those representatives of the fairer sex whose cycle is regular, this method of contraception usually does not bring unnecessary worries. But if it is unstable, special care is required in calculations and backup using other contraceptive methods.
For whom is the calendar method of birth control suitable: disadvantages and advantages
Therefore, this method is best suited for women who have regular... With a certain number of days in it, the ovulation phase occurs approximately in its middle. In some cases, errors of a couple of days are possible. Therefore, approximately four days become dangerous.
It is also suitable for women with irregular periods, they just need to be more careful. When comparing the number of days in it in different months, you need to take the arithmetic average. It will become an approximate indicator of the onset of the ovulation phase.
In the same way, you should pay special attention to four to five days at this time, but also add a couple of days on both sides of this period.
The calendar method of birth control also has its own flaws. These include:
- not very high efficiency;
- the doubtfulness of these calculations for an irregular menstrual cycle;
- the possibility of accidental conception in case of a long ovulation phase;
- the risk of fertilization by sperm lingering in the woman’s genital tract;
- the desirability of its use by ladies with extensive experience in sexual activity and old enough to know their body and the characteristics of their menstrual cycle perfectly;
- threat of contracting sexually transmitted infections.
These factors make the calendar method too weak a protection against unwanted pregnancy. And yet, many women have been using it successfully for many years. However, a condom must always be used with this method of contraception.
TO benefits The calendar method includes the following factors:
- simplicity;
- no cash costs;
- sufficient reliability;
- excess hormones are not introduced into the body;
- it has no contraindications or side effects;
- safety;
- Possibility of use for chronic diseases;
- this method is suitable if it is impossible to use pharmacological or barrier methods of contraception;
- versatility;
- The calendar method can also be used to determine days favorable for conception;
- does not require extraneous actions during an intimate meeting, etc.
Such arguments are difficult to ignore. It is very important that it is used constantly. The calendar method is suitable for use after childbirth, while feeding a newborn baby, or immediately after an abortion. However, I would like to point out once again that it requires care and close attention.
Despite the not very high reliability of this method, thousands of couples successfully use it.
So the challenge is to make it as efficient as possible. To do this, women must have a good understanding of the essence of the calendar method and be able to use it perfectly. Ladies should weigh the pros and cons in order to decide whether to continue using it or move on to other more reliable methods of birth control.
What days are the most dangerous?
How time is getting closer approaches the ovulation phase, the higher the risk of accidental pregnancy. This period of the menstrual cycle is one of its components. However, it does not always result in the appearance of an egg.
Practicing gynecologists believe that such an event occurs about three times a year. Therefore, the threat of unwanted conception becomes rather potential, since no one can say whether ovulation occurred with a ruptured follicle or not.
If this does happen, then the egg is most ready to accept sperm within two days from the moment it enters the uterine cavity. Accordingly, the risk of accidental fertilization at this time increases many times. Ejaculate in the female genital tract can remain active for up to a week.
This means that it is on such days that there is a threat of pregnancy and you should especially protect yourself.
Thus, there are about four to five days corresponding to the ovulation phase. In this case, adjustments should be made for the duration of the menstrual cycle. If it consists of twenty-eight days, then the period under study is longer, but if it includes twenty-four days, then the risk of conception is reduced.
Calendar method of birth control: how to calculate?
For calculations, you need to take the duration of the menstrual cycle as a basis. If it is twenty-eight days, as for most women, then menstruation lasts about six days.
The next phase will occur in approximately eleven days. In some cases it may start earlier or later. Therefore, eleven days are subtracted from twenty-eight days. It turns out the number seventeen.
It is on this day that the period of ovulation occurs. This means that with such a menstrual cycle, the safest days will be from the first to the tenth and from the fourteenth to the twenty-eighth, that is, twenty-four in total.
To make the calendar method the most reliable, bleeding should be monitored for several months, or even better, for a year. From the total number of days obtained, you need to calculate the arithmetic mean. Eleven days should be subtracted from this figure. The resulting number will show the most expected period when the ovulation phase begins.
You can make a table. Here is her example:
If you draw up such a schedule every time, then you don’t need to keep extra numbers in your head, which are also easy to get confused in. With the beginning of each new period, new data is entered into the table and safe periods are calculated. On the remaining days, it is necessary to use a contraceptive, a method of interrupted sexual intercourse, or temporary cessation of sexual activity.
There are numerous women's sites on the Internet with a special calculator that allows you to calculate the most dangerous days. They are based on a robotic program that will make calculations without making an accidental error.
Its great advantage is an individual approach to each person and the characteristics of a particular menstrual cycle.
The calculator calculates both the most successful days for fertilization and the undesirable ones. The woman herself will make the decision.
Risks of getting pregnant: what doctors say
However, when using the calendar method, pregnancy can still occur. And usually the first place when figuring out the reasons why this happened is the irregularity of the menstrual cycle. Even if it is stable, situations may arise when hormonal imbalance occurs.
It can be:
- nervous tension;
- using some medicines;
- hypothermia;
- flu;
- multi-hour flight;
- sudden climate change;
- drinking alcoholic beverages;
- stress, etc.
All these factors can lead to a delay or, conversely, to the onset of menstruation too early. Thus, the number of days in the menstrual cycle will change dramatically. The woman uses old calculations, which indicate that the ovulation phase has not yet begun, while the egg has already been released into the uterine cavity. On such days, unexpected and unwanted conceptions occur.
Therefore, if the cycle is irregular or a failure has occurred, you must simultaneously use the method of measuring basal temperature and examine vaginal discharge. It should be understood that an unforeseen event occurred and if a woman does not want to have an abortion or becomes a mother prematurely, then she needs to insure herself.
During such periods, you need to listen closely to your body. The onset of the ovulation phase may be indicated by mild nagging pain in the lower abdomen, swelling of the mammary glands, sudden mood swings, and headaches.
If you have an irregular menstrual cycle, it is advisable to place a thermometer in the anus at the same time in the morning. The obtained figures are recorded and a curve is drawn with increasing temperature readings. The ovulation period is characterized by fluctuations in thermometer readings around thirty-seven degrees. Together with the calendar method, it will allow you to avoid errors as much as possible. When combining several methods at once, the reliability is within ninety percent.
Gynecologists are of the opinion that the technique of calculating the required date is not bad at all, if you follow it carefully. It allows women suffering from chronic diseases or allergies not to experience the effects of various contraceptives. It is also very effective in cases where the partner has negative reactions to latex, spermicides or other chemical substances, with whom he is forced to contact, coming into contact with the partner’s genital tract.
The calendar method is also suitable for women who do not have regular intimate life, but limited to only rare meetings. It is indispensable for the fairer sex during breastfeeding.
This method of protection is based on following the laws of nature. Therefore, people who are not allowed by their religion to use contraceptives can also use it.
The calendar method is not included in the list recommended by the World Health Association and, nevertheless, it is known in every home. Many women, having carefully calculated all the risks and adapted to it, successfully avoid conception for many years.
Thus, we can conclude that the calendar method is well suited for those ladies who are not afraid of becoming a mother, but are not in a hurry yet. It is better to use this method for couples who are married, in permanent cohabitation or connected by bonds of love. For such people, the unplanned birth of a baby will not be an unpleasant event in their lives.
Modern means of preventing unwanted pregnancy are divided into the following types of contraception: hormonal tablets and injections, barrier contraceptives, for example, a condom , intrauterine devices or "spiral" , natural methods of contraception, including the calendar method of contraception, chemicals preventing pregnancy, as well as surgical methods of contraception.
Contraception (from the Latin “contraceptio” - protection, prevention of conception) - prevention of unwanted pregnancy using various contraceptives.
As often happens, the most reliable means of contraception either have undesirable side effect, are either difficult to use or cause irreversible consequences. Therefore, despite its less reliability, a simple and understandable calendar method of contraception, when used correctly, gives good practical results. What is it?
This method is based on the fact that egg maturation or ovulation occurs in a woman’s body at a strictly defined period of the menstrual cycle. With a 28-day cycle, the follicle in the ovary matures on the 14th day, counting from the first day of menstruation.
It is quite physiological if the moment of ovulation deviates from this period by 1-2 days. A mature egg retains the ability to fertilize for approximately one day, after which it dies. Sperm can remain in the female genital tract for 3-4 days. Therefore, the most dangerous or favorable period for conception during an unwanted pregnancy is 9-16 days of the cycle.
Temperature method of contraception
To more accurately determine the day of ovulation, especially if the cycle is irregular, you can use the temperature method - keeping a graph of basal temperature. The temperature method is based on a sharp change in the hormonal ratio in a woman’s body and a jump in basal temperature at the time of ovulation. The essence of the method is clear from the figure:
Measuring the concentration of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones in morning urine most reliably determines the moment of ovulation. But it requires the use of either less accurate tests or more accurate laboratory tests.
What methods of contraception are used in an emergency?
Emergency contraception is used after unprotected sex, contraceptive failure or misuse, or after sexual assault. There are two such methods:
- Emergency contraceptive pills
- Copper-containing intrauterine devices
It should be remembered that they are effective only before pregnancy, within 24 hours or even hours after intercourse.
Contraception after childbirth or abortion
The relevance of contraception for women after childbirth, caesarean section, miscarriage or abortion is due to the fact that the ability to conceive can be restored quickly, but the lining of the uterus is injured, and the woman’s body is in a state of stress. Therefore, during this period, pregnancy is not only undesirable, but contraindicated!
Lactational amenorrhea method
This physiological method of contraception after pregnancy and childbirth is based on the absence of ovulation during breastfeeding. Its deep natural meaning lies on the surface: first feed the child, and then think about the next pregnancy. The method is effective for no more than 6 months after childbirth, subject to constant and exclusive breastfeeding without interruptions.
The best and safest contraceptive
Every year new methods of contraception appear. And each has advantages and disadvantages, varying degrees of reliability and availability. Some of them are preferable for girls just entering life, others are suitable after the age of 40.
And yet the same effective remedy contraception is common sense, mutual respect between partners and an understanding of the physiology of sexual relations. Only in this case, both the calendar method of contraception and the latest methods of preventing pregnancy and family planning will lead to the desired result.
Calendar method without formulas and calculator
The safest time for pregnancy is the first 2-3 days after menstruation and 3-5 days before the start of menstruation!
The most favorable time for conception is the middle of the cycle.
The calendar method of contraception has been used by women as contraception for many years. This way to avoid unwanted pregnancy is free and convenient for both partners. And the woman is only required to carefully monitor the menstrual cycle and, preferably, her feelings.
So, how are safe days calculated, what is needed for this? Know the length of your menstrual cycle. Moreover, it is advisable to take average indicators. To do this, you should calculate the sum of all days of the menstrual cycles over the last 6 months and divide by 6. The resulting number, usually 26-35, is divided by 2. This way you can get the approximate day of ovulation. Well, since sperm live in the female genital tract for up to three days, three days before ovulation are also dangerous. But to be sure to protect yourself, it is better to abstain for three days after ovulation.
If you decide to use the calendar method of contraception and want to calculate ovulation, then the most favorable days for conception will help you calculate the calendar, which the program will calculate especially for you. And your task will only be to remember the first day of the last menstrual cycle and its (cycle) duration.
Coitus interruptus as a method of contraception is often used in conjunction with the calendar method. It increases its effectiveness. But it would be even better, in addition to the calendar, to be guided by your feelings. Many women have learned to feel ovulation. In this way, you can more accurately “adjust” safe days. So, what are the signs of ovulation, a day when you should never have sex without a reliable means of contraception, if pregnancy is not part of your plans.
1. Pain. Pulling or stitching on the side. Not strong, not requiring pain relief, not worsening your well-being.
2. Increased sexual desire.
3. Copious mucous vaginal discharge, less often bloody.
4. A sharp increase in basal temperature (by about 0.4-0.6 degrees).
After ovulation, women feel pain in the mammary glands. Swelling may occur in the evenings. And a little later, signs of premenstrual syndrome appear.
Preventing pregnancy using natural contraception is considered more reliable if ovulation is determined using special tests sold in pharmacies. However, this method is very expensive.
Surely every representative of the fair sex has come up with the question of how to protect herself from unwanted conception. Medicine knows several ways to help prevent the sperm from meeting the egg, but not all of them are reliable and deserve the approval of specialists. Let's consider possible options how to avoid unplanned conception.
Methods of protection
- Taking medications.
- Use of ointments and gels.
- Using condoms.
- Calendar method of protection.
- Temperature method.
- Study of vaginal discharge.
- Testing method.
- Diagnostics using an ultrasound machine.
Of all the proposed methods, perhaps the most unreliable is the calendar method. Let's consider its description, advantages, disadvantages and methods of use in as much detail as possible.
Calendar method of birth control
This method owes its appearance to the Austrian Knaus and the Japanese Ogino. It was they who proposed this method in the twenties of the twentieth century. The calendar method of birth control involves clearly calculating the most dangerous days and abstaining from sexual intercourse at this time.
It is worth saying that the effectiveness of this method is quite low. Many women around the world who use this method find out every day that they are pregnant.
Who is this method suitable for?
If you want to use the calendar method of birth control, then first you should determine whether you have a regular menstrual cycle. This method of contraception can only be useful for women with a regular cycle.
Also, for the calculation you will need information about your monthly periods. Last year. If all conditions are met, then you can proceed to calculating dangerous days.
Calculation
In order to calculate the calendar method of protection correctly, you will need a piece of paper, a calendar, a pen and a calculator. Write down all your cycles for the last year. There are two ways to help determine dangerous days for conception. Let's look at each of them.
Option one: cycles per year
In order to use the calendar method of protection against unwanted pregnancy, the calculation must be made extremely carefully and take into account each cycle for the designated time.
So, note what the duration of the longest and shortest cycle was over the past year. After this, subtract eleven days from the larger number of days. As a result, you will get a specific day of the cycle before which dangerous days are observed. To find out the day from which you need to start abstaining from sexual intercourse, you need to subtract eighteen days from the shortest cycle.
Example
Your shortest cycle is 27 days. The longest is 36 days. As a result, you should have the following calculations:
- 36-11=25 (this is the day on which the dangerous moments for conception end).
- 27-18=9 (day of the beginning of the fertile period).
So, the result is that from days 9 to 25 you should abstain from sexual intercourse.
Second option: accounting for three months
Not every woman can easily remember all her cycles in a year, much less calculate their duration. It is for such persons that this method of calculation was created.
Remember and write down the duration of the last three cycles. After that, calculate their average. You need to add the number of days together and divide by three. The resulting number is the average.
Next, you need to carry out the following calculations. Subtract 14 days from the resulting figure. You will get the average day of ovulation. A week before the expected fertile day, you must refrain from contact. A female cell lives on average three days. Therefore, during this time after ovulation, you should also abstain from sexual intercourse.
Advantages and disadvantages
It is worth noting that, like any other, this method has its disadvantages and advantages.
Pros:
- does not require unnecessary expenditure of funds;
- there is no need to use additional contraception;
- convenient to use.
Minuses:
- long-term (about two weeks) abstinence from sexual intercourse;
- inaccuracy in calculations;
- the onset of pregnancy due to a minor malfunction of the body.
Reviews from women
Female opinions about this method of contraception were divided into two categories.
For some, the calendar method of birth control has only positive reviews. Such ladies have been using this calculation of dangerous days for a long time and avoid conception.
Others say that the calendar method of birth control is very unreliable. These women include those who used a similar calculation and still ended up pregnant.
Experts' opinions
What do doctors and experienced gynecologists think about this?
Most obstetricians and gynecologists urge women to be wiser and more responsible about their health. According to statistics, out of a thousand representatives of the fair sex who use this method, about three hundred find themselves in an interesting position. Why is this happening?
“Failures” of the calendar method
Quite often it happens that a woman has made a calculation and uses the calendar method of protection against unwanted pregnancy. The table in this case clearly works up to a certain point. Minor malfunction female body can lead to premature ovulation or, conversely, to a delayed release of the egg. In this case, the chosen method of protection turns out to be completely ineffective. What are the reasons for such a failure?
The shift in fertile days occurs for many reasons. Most often these include:
- colds;
- stress and anxiety;
- long trips;
- vacation and climate change;
- banal poisoning and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
- hormonal diseases;
- infections and inflammation of the genital organs.
Conclusion
The calendar method of birth control is not officially recognized by doctors, but everyone knows about its existence. Most gynecologists strongly recommend not using this method to avoid conception.
Despite the fact that doctors are opponents of this method, many doctors accept this method as a way to count fertile days for pregnancy planning. It turns out that the calendar method of calculating dangerous days is very effective when planning a child. At the same time, it is dangerous for use as protection against unplanned pregnancy.
Watch your health. If you want to properly protect yourself and protect yourself as much as possible from unplanned conception, then you should first visit a specialist. It is the doctor who will be able to answer all your questions and choose the right method of contraception, taking into account your wishes and individual characteristics body.
