Are You Diligent Enough for the Rhythm Method
Some women are caught in a situation where they don't want to use birth control, and yet they don't want to become pregnant. They may not be able to use birth control methods, like the pill, which require hormones and they may not like the feeling of IUD's or barrier methods. For this reason, they may seek out another method like the Rhythm Method that has been used for centuries around the world.
What is the Rhythm Method?
This method of birth control is also called fertility awareness, periodic abstinence and the calendar method. It is a way of creating natural birth control by avoiding having intercourse on the days when you ovulate. Many couples actually use this method for the opposite reason - tracking when they ovulate so that they may try to get pregnant.
How to Use the Rhythm Method
First, you'll need to track your menstrual cycle to understand how your body works and to know when you are most fertile. Most people track their cycle for about six months in order to truly develop a consistent pattern. After this time, take your shortest cycle and subtract 19 from it. For instance, if your shortest cycle in those six months was 30 days, then subtract 19 from this and you'll have 11. This would mean that you won't become fertile until 7 days into your cycle, with your cycle starting on the first day of your period.
Next, subtract 10 from your longest menstrual cycle. So, if your longest cycle was 35 days long, and you subtract ten from it, you get 25. This means that you will become infertile again on the 25th day of your cycle. This would then show that from the 7th day of your cycle until the 25th day of your cycle each month you should abstain from sex or use other contraception as your chance of getting pregnant is much higher during these days.
Who Should Use This Method?
You have to remain vigilant and be extremely aware of the changes in your body in order to use this method. People who have irregular cycles shouldn't use this method. Teenagers are generally urged not to use this method as well, as their bodies haven't yet established a set pattern. This method is usually recommended for people in a long term relationship, as you have to abstain from sex a good deal during the month. Furthermore, it's important to realize that this method doesn't prevent STD's at all.
This method, when used perfectly, usually has a 91% success rate. It is often used imperfectly, however, and results in a 75% success rate. It is not always the most accurate method, as there are many calculations that you may have made incorrectly and there is much room for error. While this is a free method of birth control, it is not always the most reliable one and should be considered a good deal before use.
