5.

BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE (BBT) METHOD

BBT is measured by taking and recording the temperature each morning before
arising
At the time of ovulation, BBT rises about 0.2 degree Celsius because of the rise in
progesterone with ovulation. A rise in BBT predicts ovulation and to begin
abstinence
Advantages:
• inexpensive
• no side effects
• appropriate for sexual education programs

Disadvantages:
• temperature may result from other conditions/illness
• requires regular and accurate record keeping
6. SYMPTOTHERMAL METHOD
combination of cervical mucus and BBT to determine the fertile period.
“Sympto” stands for the symptoms/signs of cervical secretions
Thermal” stands for the basal body temperature (BBT), which rises after a woman ovulates

Woman takes temperature daily, analyzes cervical mucus everyday.

Couple must abstain from intercourse until 3 days after the rise in temperature or the fourth day
after the peak of mucus change, because these are the woman’s fertile days.

• Inexpensive; no side effects

Advantages: • Provides the couple with more information
• encourages communication

Disadvantages: • more complex and difficult to learn

• requires regular and daily effort.
7. STANDARD DAYS METHOD:CYCLEBEADS
Circle of beads that predicts fertile days

Applicable for menstrual cycles between 26-32 days

First bead RED= first day of menstrual flow

Six BROWN beads = “safe days”

Twelve WHITE beads= fertile days; “unsafe days”

13 additional BROWN= “safe” days

 The woman advances one bead
per day during the month using
the movable rubber ring

If woman reaches a dark brown

bead(appears on the 27th day)
before she begins her next
menses, her cycle is too short
for the method to be reliable.
If woman reaches the end of the
string of beads(32 days) before
menses, she knows her cycle is too
long for the method to be reliable.
 8. CALENDAR (RHYTHM) METHOD
abstinence from intercourse during fertile periods; calculated by recording at least
6 consecutive menstrual cycles

subtract 18 days from the shortest cycle(represents first fertile day)

subtract 11 days from the longest cycle(represents last fertile day)
Advantages:
• inexpensive and convenient
• no side effects
• encourages communication
• appropriate for sexual education programs
Disadvantages:
• requires long periods of abstinence, self-control
• Needs correct calculations
 EXAMPLE: CYCLE RECORD

• Count from the first First Day of Period  Number of Days in

To get day of menstrual Cycle
the period to the March 12
cycle. beginning of the next
menstrual period April 6 26
May 5 30
June 1 28
In this •
Shortest Cycle=26 June 27 27
example • Longest Cycle=30
:
July 26 30
Aug. 20 26
 • Subtract 18 from the shortest
cycle 26-18=8
Continuation of Example in
Predicting
FIRST fertile
• So as shown in the calendar,
If first day period was the 4th
Previous slide:
day day of the month, count 8
days from the first day.
• So you will mark X the day 11
as the first fertile day.

• Subtract 11 from the longest

cycle 30-11=19
Predicting • So as shown in the calendar
LAST fertile below, If first day period was
the 4th day of the month,
day count 19 days from the first
day.
• So you will mark X the day 22
as the last fertile day.
Therefore the fertile period
or the unsafe period starts
from day 11-22