Natural family planning
PROS/CONS
Pros
Doesn't affect your periods.
Does not temporarily effect your fertility so you can stop using and try for a baby at any time.
It is hormone free and does not involve chemicals or manmade products.
It can be used when breastfeeding.
Because there are no hormones, chemicals or manmade substances involved, natural family planning does not cause any side effects.
Self-administered.
Cons
It will not work without continued commitment and practice. It requires keeping track of your menstrual cycle, cervical mucus and temperature all the time.
It is highly variable and it does not take into account changes to your cycle from illness, travel and stress can affect your cycle. The timing of fertility is highly unpredictable even if your menstrual cycle is regular.
It can be much less effective than hormone, chemical or barrier methods.
You need to have a consistent routine and measure the signals (temperature, cervical mucus and menstrual cycle length) at the same time each day. It requires a very regular lifestyle.
It can interfere with spontaneity. If you decide to abstain during your fertile window, there can sometimes be up to 16 days during which you cannot have sex, depending on your cycle.
Does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The pros and cons listed are not exhaustive. Talk to your doctor or nurse for more information.
SIDE EFFECTS
Natural family planning methods side effects
There are no side effects as no hormones, chemicals or devices are being used.
There are several different methods of natural family planning you can use to track your menstrual cycle. All of them require you to keep track of your menstrual cycle all the time. Ideally, two or more natural family planning methods should be combined for better accuracy and protection.
Calendar based methods involve monitoring your menstrual cycle and determining the length in order to predict your fertile window and non-fertile days. From there you work out your fertile days and abstain from sex or use a barrier method on these days. Before you can use the calendar method as birth control, you need to keep track of the length of your menstrual cycles for at least 6 periods (cycles).
Temperature: Measure your temperature every morning using a very accurate digital thermometer, or one specific for natural family planning. Your temperature will slightly rise (0.2–0.5 degrees Celsius) after your ovulation. You'll be most fertile during the two to three days before your temperature rises. Tracking your temperature every day will help you to identify your non-fertile days.
Monitor changes in the look and feel of your cervical mucous. Hormonal changes during the reproductive cycle change the amount and consistency of your cervical mucous. This can help you to identify your fertile and non-fertile days.
The most effective natural family planning strategy is monitoring several signs and symptoms at the same time, instead of just one.
For example, combining the body temperature method with the monitoring of cervical secretions is called the symptothermal method.
There are no medical risks when using natural family planning methods. The main concern is incorrect use may lead to an unexpected pregnancy. A number of factors such as illness, lifestyle, stress or travel may make fertility indicators harder to interpret meaning you may not accurately predict your fertile window.
PP-UN-WHC-GB-0084 September 2023
