Natural contraception without the pill? This works out!

According to one report the Techniker Krankenkasse, which she recently published – to coincide with the day of the birth control pill – fewer and fewer TK-insured women between the ages of 16 and 19 are having the pill prescribed: In 2013 and 2014 it was 60 percent, the number is 48 in 2018 percent dropped. The 19-year-olds are the hardest hit, according to the verdict of the insurance company. Instead, natural contraceptive methods that do not require hormones are becoming increasingly popular. But are they as safe as the pill? Of course not! Nevertheless, the alternative options promise significantly more advantages for the female body – as long as you know it well and can interpret the signals correctly. The different methods are explained below.

How does natural contraception work?

In order to prevent pregnancy, even without taking the birth control pill, women must understand and correctly classify the signals from their body, which change regularly due to the menstrual cycle. Because only those who are able to determine their fertile days can have unprotected sexual intercourse on the infertile days. Otherwise, the risk of becoming pregnant unintentionally is very high. Important factors such as body temperature or the change in cervical mucus must be included in the observation, but the survival time of the sperm also plays a not inconsiderable role in natural contraception. However, the most important thing is that you have a regular cycle, otherwise it is almost impossible to determine your fertile days. In addition, women have to protect themselves during this time, for example with a condom or diaphragm. Another disadvantage is that other factors such as taking medication, stress or even lack of sleep can influence the following four methods.

1. The temperature method (Perl Index: 0.8 – 3)

The body temperature after waking up is called the basal body temperature – it can help women determine their fertile days. However, this requires some preparation: On the one hand, the waking temperature must be measured at the same time every day for several months. On the other hand, a woman should get at least five hours of sleep beforehand without having eaten or drunk anything. This is the only way to measure a relevant value. The values ​​have to be recorded every day to find out when ovulation is to be expected. Normally, the body temperature is always the same in the first half of the cycle (unless there is a disease) – after ovulation, the basal body temperature rises by at least 0.2 degrees: that’s the reasonhormone progesterone. If the elevated temperature lasts for three days, you can assume that ovulation has taken place. The infertile days are now approaching until the next period. That’s the theory.

In practice, unfortunately, there is no 100 percent certainty that you will not get pregnant with this method. It is all the more important to know your body well and to document your body temperature over a longer period of time. An app that deals with the basal thermometer connects (via Bluetooth) and saves and evaluates the values ​​for you. Here you can use the learning curve to orient yourself in order to limit ovulation and the fertile days.

the Perl index is between about 0.8 and three, which means in plain language: If 100 women use this natural method for a year, up to three will become pregnant. For comparison: The Perl index for the pill is between 0.1 and 0.9, when using a condom it is 0.6 to twelve.

2. The Billings Method (Perl Index: 5 – 35)

Cervical mucus is the discharge produced by glands on the neck of the womb (cervix). This method was named after the medical couple Billings, who found out how the mucus changes during a woman’s cycle and thus reveals the fertile days – since its task is to guide the sperm in the right direction. This is why the consistency of the cervical mucus changes, which can be divided into four different phases: After the period, the female body hardly produces any mucus, before ovulation it suddenly becomes milky and cloudy and also a bit sticky. When ovulation is imminent, it becomes very clear, runny and stringy – and finally, when ovulation is over, it becomes milky-cloudy again. The fertile days are over.

At this point you may be wondering how or with what to determine the consistency of cervical mucus? The answer is very simple: with your fingers. In fact, it’s easiest if you take some mucus from the opening of the vagina every day and rub it between your thumb and forefinger – and pull your fingers apart again. This is the best way to evaluate and document the “spinnability”. Because here, too, it is important that you try the method a few times before you draw any conclusions and determine your fertile days. Likewise, there is a risk that you may be mistaken and have unprotected intercourse even though you are fertile.

the Perl index is accordingly between five and 35.

3. The Symptothermal Method (Perl Index: 0.4 – 2.3)

In principle, only the first two methods (basal and billing) are combined here. In other words, on the one hand, you measure your body temperature after waking up at the same time every morning using a basal thermometer – in contrast to an ordinary thermometer, it has the advantage that up to two digits after the decimal point can be displayed. On the other hand, you need to observe and document the color and consistency of cervical mucus every day. You must document both methods for at least three monthly cycles in order to be able to determine the fertile days with certainty. In addition, it also makes sense to feel the cervix (i.e. the cervix): after the period it is usually tightly closed, on fertile days it is softer and slightly open.

With precise application and observation, the Perl index thus only between 0.4 and 2.3.

4. The calendar method (Perl index: 3 – 9)

This natural contraceptive method is also called the Knaus-Ogino method because it was invented by an Austrian doctor (Knaus) and his Japanese colleague (Ogino). As the name suggests, each cycle of a woman is recorded in a calendar – over six to twelve months. For this reason, the calendar method is also used: A new cycle begins on the first day of menstruation, so you always first enter when the last menstrual period took place. Also record how long each period lasted and any symptoms you may have had during that time. The more precise the entries, the more accurate the evaluation, which you can use to determine the shortest and longest cycle. You can then use this formula to calculate your fertile days – even if your cycle is irregular:

According to this calculation, you could only get pregnant between the sixth and 17th day of your cycle. However, since sperm are viable for up to 72 hours, you may need to add more days. So this method has little basis.

So it is hardly surprising that the Perl index is between three and nine, because the method is anything but safe.

Pros and cons of natural birth control

In summary, none of the above options are as safe as birth control pills. And also that the safety of a natural contraceptive method increases the more regular your cycle is and the better you can interpret yourself and your body’s signals. A regulated daily routine, sufficient sleep and a healthy lifestyle are certainly beneficial, but the methods only promise success if you have patience, perseverance and discipline. In this case, you can also use contraception without hormones.

Another negative aspect is that with natural contraceptive methods, you can’t always have unprotected sex when you like – since it has been proven that lust increases around ovulation. For this reason, you cannot avoid other contraceptives on the fertile days. If you and your partner are comfortable with this and you want to take the time to get to know your cycle better, the Symptothermal method is by far your best bet if you are not trying to conceive.

You might also be interested in:

This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.

branch