This article discusses evidence-based natural birth control methods and their effectiveness in preventing pregnancy.
These methods do not affect your hormone levels or cause medical side effects.
They can prevent pregnancy and increase your likelihood of conceiving.
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Natural birth control methods may be suitable if you’ve been looking for a non-hormonal option.
They also help you better understand yourmenstrual cycleand fertile days.
Many of these methods require a daily time commitment and participation from both sexual partners.
Each month, your ovaries release an egg (ovulation).
These methods detect yourmost fertile daysleading up to and during ovulation.
If your cycle is 28 days, ovulation usually occurs around day 14.
Cycle Tracking
Cycle trackinginvolves tracking your menstrual cycle using a calendar.
This allows you to estimate when ovulation will occur and determine your monthly fertile days.
Cycle tracking is only an option for people with aregular menstrual cyclethat lasts 2632 days each month.
There are also several mobile apps available to track fertility and menstrual cycles.
Talk with a healthcare provider before choosing an app.
Most of the available apps do not follow evidence-based guidance for fertility awareness.
Experts recommend two: Natural Cycles and Clue.
Checking your cervical mucus daily is a proven way to determine your fertile days.
Throughout the month, yourvaginal dischargechanges based on your hormones and the menstrual cycle phase.
Your cervical mucus will likely feel thin and slippery just before ovulation, like egg whites.
You will probably notice more volume than at other times of the month.
After ovulation, the amount of mucus decreases and becomes thicker.
There are several reasons why your cervical mucus might change throughout the month.
It’s your body’s temperature at rest.
Basal body temperature increases during ovulation and remains slightly higher than baseline untilmenstruation(your period).
Tracking your basal body temperature daily can help determine when ovulation occurs.
However, your most fertile days are the few days before ovulation (before your temperature changes).
When used alone, basal body temperature is not effective at preventing pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeedingmay lower your chances of becoming pregnant.
This significantly lowers the likelihood of becoming pregnant.
Withdrawal
Thewithdrawal method(“pulling out”) is the least effective natural birth control method.
It involves pulling thepenisout of the vagina during sexual intercourse beforeejaculation.
Barrier methods prevent the sperm from entering the cervix and fertilizing the egg.
Even so, there is still a chance you will get pregnant even with perfect use.
Understanding your menstrual cycle and fertile days can increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant.
The only birth control methods that protect against STIs are male condoms and female condoms.
Unlike birth control pills, they cannot improveheavy periodsor period pain.
Hormonal birth control may lower the risk of certain types of cancer, likeendometrial cancer.
Natural birth control methods do not affect cancer risk.
Hormonal birth control may also slightly raise the risk of blood clots in some people.
Natural birth control methods are not for everyone.
These methods do not involve using hormones to affect your fertility.
Natural birth control methods include cycle tracking, cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and breastfeeding.
The withdrawal method is not considered effective.
Natural birth control can both prevent pregnancy and increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant.
However, these methods do not protect against STIs.
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