Many women are puzzled: they calculated their safe period before having intercourse, but still ended up pregnant unexpectedly. Is the rhythm method of contraception reliable?
Ultimately, the effectiveness of contraception is simply that if it fails, the person becomes a "human".
Currently, there is no perfect, 100% effective method of contraception. All we can do is choose a more effective and suitable method. However, in real life, many people are superstitious about the rhythm method of contraception, thinking that as long as they calculate the dates correctly, it's free, doesn't require pills or injections, has no side effects, and allows them to fully enjoy the pleasure of "unrestricted contact"—how wonderful! But the reality is that a significant number of unintended pregnancies result from this.
Therefore, the rhythm method of contraception is a very unreliable method of contraception!
First, let's understand what the rhythm method of contraception is!
The rhythm method of contraception, also known as natural family planning, relies on predicting ovulation based on a woman's reproductive physiology and facilitating intercourse during the fertile window of her menstrual cycle to prevent pregnancy. However, the failure rate of the rhythm method is very high, ranging from 14.4% to 47%.
The rhythm method of contraception includes the calendar method, the basal body temperature method, and the cervical mucus observation method.
Calendar method
This applies to women with regular menstrual cycles. Menstrual cycles vary from woman to woman, with 21-35 days considered normal. Regardless of cycle length, ovulation typically occurs about 14 days before the next menstrual period.
Each menstrual cycle, a woman releases one dominant follicle. The egg can survive for 24-48 hours after ovulation, with its fertilization capacity peaking within 24 hours. Sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for 3-5 days. Therefore, the fertile window is 4-5 days before and after ovulation, while the rest of the time is considered the safe period. Even so, a woman's endocrine system is easily affected by various factors, such as overwork, significant emotional fluctuations, medication, and environmental changes, causing ovulation to deviate from its usual pattern and increasing the likelihood of conception.
For women with irregular menstrual cycles, calculating their menstrual cycle is meaningless and has no basis, making ovulation even more unpredictable.
Basal body temperature method
Basal body temperature is measured after a prolonged period of sleep, before any activity has occurred. In women, progesterone stimulates the hypothalamus's thermoregulatory center, causing basal body temperature to rise by 0.3°C to 0.5°C after ovulation. Clinically, it is one of the markers used to determine the date of ovulation. However, due to various external factors, the relationship between basal body temperature curve changes and ovulation time is not constant, and measurement is relatively cumbersome and prone to interfering with the results.
Cervical mucus observation method
During ovulation, under the influence of estrogen, cervical mucus secretion increases, becoming thin, clear, and stretchy to over 10 cm. A smear of the mucus, once dried, reveals fern-like crystals. After ovulation, under the influence of progesterone, mucus secretion gradually decreases, becoming thicker and cloudy, less stretchy, and more prone to breakage. However, this observation method requires training to master.
As the saying goes, "If you walk by the river often, you're bound to get your shoes wet."
Ovulation is easily influenced by external factors such as environment, climate, emotions, and health, which can delay or advance ovulation. Sometimes, things don't go as planned! Therefore, regardless of when you have sex, it's best to use contraception. After all, it's a matter of life and death, so please carefully choose a suitable method of contraception!
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