How Do You Use The Rhythm Method As Birth Control?
For people who are opposed to synthetic birth control, or just prefer to rely on their own bodies as clues to their reproductive health, the rhythm method is a tested option. Also called “natural birth control,” the rhythm method relies on the timing of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Here’s how to use it. Take careful note of the first day of menstruation and count the number of days to the next one. That’s the length of your cycle, on which your calculations for your fertility times will be based. Subtract 19 from the length of the menstrual cycle. The result will be around 7 for a short cycle and up to around 11 for a longer one. This is an infertile time, when sexual intercourse is least likely to lead to pregnancy. Avoid sexual intercourse when that infertile period ends. This begins the window of time when you are possibly fertile and most likely to conceive a child. To determine when the next infertile time will begin, subtract 10 from the length of the menstrual cycle. Depending on
