How Does Symptothermal Method Work?
Natural family planning works best with the symptothermal method, which employs all
the possible techniques of the natural birth control approach. To use the symptothermal method
perfectly, one must be able to accurately combine three natural family planning methods: (1)
Calendar, (2) Basal Body Temperature or BBT, and (3) Cervical Mucus. This method also works
by recording daily observations of woman’s fertility such as changes in the cervix and other
symptoms of ovulation.
1. Calendar Method - The couple uses this method to predict the time of the month when a
woman is most fertile. This method works by marking the first day of the woman’s
period (this is day 1). Then mark the first day of the next period and count the total
number of days between each cycle (the number of days between the first days of each
period).
Example:
First Day of Period Number of Days in First Day of Period Number of Days in
Cycle Cycle
January 20 29 May 12 26
February 18 29 June 9 28
March 18 29 July 9 30
April 16 29 August 5 27
First Fertile Day
Find the shortest cycle in the past record, then subtract 18 from the total number of days
in that cycle. Count that number from day 1 of the current cycle, and mark that day with
an X. (Include day 1 when you count.) The day marked X is your first fertile day.
Example, if your shortest cycle is 26 days long, subtract 18 from 26 — you get 8. Then,
count 8 days starting from day 1 (the first day of your period). If day 1 was on the 4th of
the month, you’ll mark X on the 11th. So the 11th is your first fertile day of this cycle —
you should stop having vaginal sex on this day or start using another method of birth
control.
Last Fertile Day
Find the longest cycle in the record then subtract 11 from the total number of days in that
cycle. Count that number from day 1 (the first day of the period) of the current cycle, and
mark that day with an X. (Include day 1 when you count.) The day marked X is your last
fertile day. Example, if your longest cycle is 30 days long, subtract 11 from 30 — you get
19. Then, count 19 days starting from day 1. If day 1 was on the 4th of the month, you’ll
mark X on the 22nd. So the 22nd is your last fertile day of this cycle — you can start
having unprotected sex the next day.
2. Basal Body Temperature or
BBT - Basal body temperature is
the temperature when a person
first wake from sleep. BBT is
lower in the first part of the cycle,
and rises right after ovulation
under the influence of the
woman’s reproductive hormone,
progesterone. It stays high for the
rest of the cycle. Therefore, if a
woman tracks her temperature
each day, she can identify when
ovulation occurred and when the
fertile period of her cycle has
ended. A small rise in temperature can indicate ovulation, confirming the calendar
method predictions.
3. Cervical Mucus Method - The couple monitors the woman’s cervical mucus. The
hormones that control the woman’s menstrual cycle also make the cervix produce mucus
which refers to the gooey stuff on the cervix that comes out of the vagina as discharge.
The cervical mucus changes in color, texture, and amount during the menstrual cycle
(especially around ovulation). If the mucus has thinned, this is another indication of
ovulation and, as with the basal body temperature, acts as further confirmation of the
calendar method.
These observations are made and then recorded on special Serena Symptothermal Method
charts. By charting all the signs of the woman’s fertility, the information gathered can be used to
empower couples to make choices to postpone or engage in intercourse, according to their wish
to achieve or avoid pregnancy.
STM education teaches couples to chart these signs on a daily basis. Based on the rules that
they learn, couples use the chart to identify the days of fertility and infertility and then decide
whether to have or avoid sexual relations depending on their family planning goals. The multiple
signs of fertility are used together to help couples confidently determine if they are fertile,
infertile or possibly fertile on any given day in the cycle.
