What is necessary for a woman to consider using the rhythm method?
Rhythm Method The rhythm method is one of the first fertility awareness methods to be widely practiced. It is one of the oldest methods of natural birth control and by far one of the best-known forms of fertility awareness. Unfortunately, it is not necessarily the most reliable method of preventing a pregnancy. Theory and Practice The rhythm method is based on three ideas. Firstly, that women ovulate 14 days before menstruation begins, give or take two days. Secondly, that sperm can survive inside a woman for three days. And lastly, that an egg can only be fertilized within 24 hours of being released from the ovaries. Based on these assumptions, the rhythm method requires a woman to count back 14 days from the first day of her period. This will presumably be the day on which she ovulated and will ovulate the following month. In order to avoid pregnancy, she will need to abstain from sex or use another form of birth control, like condoms, around this time. Sources:
