What days are safe for not getting pregnant?

Table of content

• How do ovulation and pregnancy work?

• When are you least likely to get pregnant? What are safe days to avoid pregnancy?

• How do you count the safe time of the month?

• What are fertility awareness methods?

• What are the different types of FAMs?

• Are these fertility awareness methods effective?

• Take-home points

• FAQ on what are safe days to avoid pregnancy

How do ovulation and pregnancy work?

• Ovulation is the main reason you are getting pregnant. Each month during the ovulation period an egg is released from one of the ovaries. This egg can live up to 12 to 24 hours in the fallopian tubes where it waits for the sperm to interact.

• The sperm can survive for 3 to 5 days in the female reproductive tract. If fertilized the egg and sperm together form a zygote and move ahead into the uterus for implantation. Meanwhile, the body prepares your uterus for implantation by forming an endometriosis layer. 

• This endometrium layer sheds off with bleeding when there is no intercourse or fertilization that is your Menstruation. Now that we are clear about everything, let's jump into the topic.

• So, are there any safe days in your menstrual cycle to avoid pregnancy? Yes, fortunately, there are! The menstrual cycle safe days calendar will help you avoid pregnancy by indicating safe days for not getting pregnant.

When are you least likely to get pregnant? What are safe days to avoid pregnancy?

• Safe days of the month can be calculated using a calendar. For this, you need to track the past 6 to 8 months of the menstrual cycle. But what do safe periods or safe days of menstrual cycle actually mean? 

• The safe days of menstrual cycle will provide you with fewer chances of pregnancy. The safe days of menstrual cycle include the days after your menstruation to before the fertile window. These are safe days for not getting pregnant. 

• Even this can get you pregnant if you are a woman with an irregular period. We can determine 99.9% effective safe days to avoid pregnancy.  

• Using a calendar to mark the menstruation days will help to calculate a safe period.

How do you count the safe time of the month?

The safe days of a woman after period will vary depending on the lifestyle, period length, and life span of the egg. In most women, the menstruation cycle lasts about 28 days with the 14th day as ovulation day. But it may also range from the 12th to the 19th day of the cycle. As sperm lives for 5 days in the uterus, you may get pregnant during this period if you have unprotected sex. The egg will only live for 24 hours and will die if not fertilized. If you are someone with irregular or missed periods or if your cycle is less than 27 days it is advised to consult with your gynecologist as soon as possible.

Safe period calculator method

• First find out the shortest cycle and subtract 18 from the total days of the cycle. Count the number of days from day 1 of your current cycle. 

• Mark the day as your 1st fertile day.

So based on this, 1 to 7 days are unfertile and safe days, and 8th to 21st are fertile days as the egg is released followed by menstruation. And 14 days (before your next period) from the 22nd are safe days of a woman after period. 

For your understanding let’s take an example-

If your shortest period is 30 days, subtract 18 from 30-18=12. Then 8 days from day one of your period will be a fertile day. Suppose if day one is the 3rd of the month, then 14th is your first fertile day of the current cycle. You must stop having sex from this day or start using birth control. 

• To find out the last fertile day, replace the shortest with the longest cycle and subtract 11 from the number of days in the cycle. 

• Count the number of days from first day of cycle. Then mark the day as last fertile day.

And how do you count safe days after your period?

For suppose your longest period is 32 days, subtract 11 from 32-11=21. Then 21 days from day one of your period is your last fertile day. If 5th of the month is day one of your period, then 26th is the last fertile day. You can start having sex after this day and cease birth control.

Sometimes even intercourse can prepone your ovulation and egg release, you can also use safe period calculator apps to predict your safe days. As per WHO data, about 37 million induced abortions take place each year across the globe. Remember if all your cycles are shorter than 27 days, the safe period calculator method won’t work for you.

The safe period calculator method is more effective when combined with FAMs (fertility awareness methods).

What are fertility awareness methods?

• Fertility awareness methods are useful to track your ovulation so that you can prevent pregnancy. Are FAMs really effective for birth control? Yes, FAMs are natural family planning methods used by many women.

• FAMs help to calculate the safe days of a woman after period to track the menstrual cycle, egg release, and fertile days. 

• To avoid fertilization during ovulation and predict what are safe days to avoid pregnancy.

In 2019, among the 1.9 billion women population with reproductive age (worldwide), 1.1 billion use contraceptives of which 842 million use modern methods, 80 million use traditional methods or have unmet  needs, and 190 million do not want pregnancy and also not use any contraceptives. (PDF available here)

What are the different types of FAMs?

The different types of FAMs for birth control will allow you to prevent pregnancy before and after your period by tracking your fertility symptoms. You can use any of these fertility awareness methods to predict safe days. 

Tracking their temperature

• You take your temperature every day in the morning before you get out of bed.

• Your body temperature will rise from 96 -980C to 97-990C during your ovulation period. But you need to take the temperature regularly every day through a fertility app or chart. Try this method for 3 months before you use it as a reliable FAMs for birth control.

Using a calendar

The safe days using a calendar method to track the menstrual cycle.By marking the ovulation days analysis of previous 6 to 8 months through menstrual cycle safe days calendar. This safe days calculator helps to detect safe days of menstrual cycle.

Examining their cervical mucus

• Women believe that examining their cervical mucus or vaginal discharge consistency changes before and after your period can prevent pregnancy.

• Women examining their cervical mucus at the time of ovulation found differences in color, texture, and volume.

• The cervical mucus is slippery as raw egg white on most fertile days, and sticky and cloud on less fertile days and became little or no mucus during least fertile days.

• Women can track this on a fertility app or chart the same as tracking their temperature.

Using safe days calculator

• Safe days calculator predicts what are safe days to avoid pregnancy. 

• The safe days to avoid pregnancy using a safe days calculator involves predicting fertile days by calculating ovulation days and safe days.

• Several free tools like android apps are available to determine safe days to have sex using the calendar method. 

Ovulation predictor kits

• Ovulation predictor kits will help to calculate safe days of menstrual cycle.     

• Ovulation predictor kits predict the ovulation day by the detection of hormone levels in the body. The three phases of the menstrual cycle release different hormones into the body that are tracked by ovulation predictor kits. This calculates the safe days of a woman after period.                                             

Are these fertility awareness methods effective?

• It is believed that 76-88% of FAMs for birth control are effective, i.e., 12-24 couples will get pregnant each year even after using all these methods of safe days of the month.

• Using safe days calculator, and fertility awareness methods together will help to prevent pregnancy more effectively.

• Even after using these methods, there is a chance of getting pregnant. So, it is advised to use other contraception methods like IUDs (intrauterine devices), implants, emergency contraception pills (ECPs), or emergency contraception injections with estrogen, and progesterone within 3 days of intercourse. Sometimes it is dangerous to use these ECPs beyond certain period of time as it may lead to fetal death or miscarriage. If you miss or forget to take contraception please consult with your gynecologist.

Take-home points

• Safe days for not getting pregnant in women can be calculated using a calendar, by tracking their temperature, menstrual cycle, and examining their cervical mucus. 

• Safe days to avoid pregnancy are predicted by safe days using calendar methods and fertility awareness methods. 

• FAMs for birth control include tracking temperature, cervical mucus consistency, safe days before and after period, and ovulation predictor kits.

• Emergency contraception methods to prevent pregnancy are EMCs, IUDs, and contraceptive injections.

• Safe period calculator method basically works through tracking the shortest and longest menstrual cycle for 6 to 8 months.

• Safe days to avoid pregnancy are days with contraception, diaphragm, spermicide or contraceptive gel use, condom, cervical cap, implants, or coitus interruptus.

• Never trust single FAMs for birth control, combine more at a time to increase effectiveness.

References

• SPRINGER

• NEJM

• NCBI

• NCBI