Natural birth control methods: does it work?
Contraception through fertility awareness is an attractive concept, but it can be less effective than barrier or hormonal methods.
If you're trying to prevent pregnancy without resorting to hormonal contraception, such as birth control pills, or barrier methods, such as condoms, you might consider natural birth control. Awareness of fertility, natural family planning, and calendar or rhythm method all indicate that a person is following ovulation rather than using artificial methods of contraception.
For couples who are attracted to natural birth control, it has drawbacks - with less effectiveness compared to artificial methods that top the list. Natural birth control methods should only be used by someone if the unintended pregnancy will not be catastrophic and they will be comfortable either continuing the pregnancy or terminating the pregnancy. Below, reproductive health experts describe natural birth control techniques, explain the pros and cons and explain what makes them more likely to work.
Natural vs. Synthetic Birth Control
What is "normal" unlike artificial birth control?
says John Gupta, a women's health nurse and director of medical standards at the American Paternity Union scheme. "Fertility education methods, withdrawal methods, breastfeeding, abstinence, and external axes are all versions of these methods – unlike medications or barrier methods such as birth control pills or condoms."
Fertility awareness is a special category of birth control. "When someone thinks about natural family planning or natural forms of birth control, it involves knowing how your body works, knowing when you're fertile and not in it, and using that knowledge for whatever purpose you have," says Dr. Sharon Song, OB-GYN with Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan, and a faculty member in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Michigan State University.
Natural family planning is a dual concept with contradictory goals. "The interesting thing about natural family planning is that it can be used for pregnancy or contraceptive purposes," Song points out. Some people may use this concept to contraception at some point in their lives, but eventually at a different stage of their lives, in order to become pregnant.
Natural options
These are common forms of natural birth control:
- Fertility awareness methods. Calendar tracking, basal body temperature, and cervical mucus monitoring are among the FAM methods.
- Breastfeeding (menopause when lactating). For breastfeeding women, within six months of giving birth, ovulation and menstruation do not occur, making pregnancy unlikely during that time period.
- Withdrawal. Also known as "withdrawal", a sexual partner pulls his penis out of his partner's vagina before ejaculation.
- Abercourse. Practicing any type of sexual activity – but avoiding vaginal sex with the penis or semen entering the vagina – is external intercourse. Examples include masturbation, oral sex and anal sex.
- Chastity. Although there are different degrees of meaning, abstinence depends on not having sex with anyone. For birth control purposes, it may include abstaining from vaginal sex during fertile periods.
You cannot get pregnant without the ovulatory period. Through fertility awareness, "a patient can track their monthly periods and reliably predict when they will ovulation," says Dr. Jennifer Chen, an OB-GYN physician, a complex family planning fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle and a spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "In order to prevent pregnancy, they simply avoid sexual intercourse (when) they know they are in the ovulation period."
Required accuracy
Any type of birth control – including natural methods – must be performed correctly to prevent pregnancy. The more difficult and challenging the method, the easier it is to make a mistake. With fertility awareness methods, natural physical ups or ups are likely to eliminate your tracking.
In addition to measuring cervical mucus and looking at its consistency, the feeling of the coherence of the cervix itself and its location for changes in height and rigidity, can be another aspect of fertility awareness. "It can be difficult to determine exactly the position and consistency in someone who hasn't done it regularly, and it can be a more difficult way to track," Chen says. "But some people prefer to do it this way and feel comfortable doing it."
Breastfeeding by itself is not enough to prevent pregnancy. "Menopause when breastfeeding is a possible option, but it is very specific," says Song. "It must be within the first six months of delivery. You should breastfeed your baby exclusively - so there are no feeding supplements, and nothing like that. And it should be every four hours during the day, every six hours at night. You can not skip feeding. It is very strict. But if you do, it can be effective."
Fertility Tracking Tools
Natural differences in fertility/family planning awareness include:
- Calendar method.
- Standard days method.
- Basal body temperature method.
- Cervical mucus method.
- Thermal symptom method.
- Cervical changes.
ICalendar
With the calendar or rhythm method, you can draw your menstrual cycle chart on a calendar or other tool like a menstrual tracking app. Using a simple calculation, you determine the first day of fertility and mark the calendar accordingly.
This allows you to predict and plot unsafe days for unprotected sex if you're trying to avoid pregnancy. Mobile apps like Kindara, Natural Cycles, or CycleBeads are designed to help in this process.
Standard days method
This is a type of calendar method for people who have menstrual cycles that consistently last between 26 and 32 days, and standard days 8 to 19 are considered the most fertile days. Avoid sexual intercourse, or use contraception during those days to prevent pregnancy.
Basal body temperature method
Normal body temperature usually rises slightly during ovulation, around 0.5 to 1 degree Fahrenheit. With BBT, you can measure core body temperature – when someone is at full rest – every morning upon waking, before any activity at all, and record it daily. BBT is often performed in conjunction with other fertility awareness methods to increase effectiveness.
Cervical mucus method
The cervix - located at the lower end of the upper part of the vagina - produces mucus that changes just before ovulation. Cervical mucus - or vaginal discharge - increases in quantity, and also becomes thinner, more pronounced and slippery.
After ovulation, the amount of cervical mucus decreases, becomes thicker and less noticeable. Close monitoring of these indicators is a form of natural birth control.
Thermal symptom method
The combination of two fertility awareness methods, such as BBT (thermal) and cervical mucus (symptoms), provides additional information to help predict fertile days.
Cervical changes
During ovulation, the cervix may have changes in the texture, position and size of the opening, which those who follow this method can learn to check. It is usually combined with other FAMs.
Natural attraction
People have a variety of reasons for choosing fertility awareness for the method of birth control. Chen shares comments from interested patients: "They love this method because it doesn't require input from a doctor, it doesn't require any visits to a healthcare facility and it really determines the decision and the ability to control their cravings for pregnancy — something some patients feel they want."
Chen notes that another advantage is not having to deal with the side effects of different contraceptive methods. "And for many people, they feel that it helps them get along with their bodies and know their bodies better."
If your body is constantly working like clockwork, this makes success with natural birth control more likely.
"In theory, if you do it perfectly and don't have sex during the fertile period, you won't be able to get pregnant," Song says. "So it has this theoretical potential for being very effective. But when it comes to real life and real people, it doesn't work either."
For example, if, like many people, you have irregular menstrual cycles or blood stains, it can make it difficult to track ovulation, Song notes. The disease can also disable your accounts.
"If you have to check your temperature and know when you ovulate based on your temperature, and if you have a cold or flu and you have a fever, this type of ejaculation is outside the window," says Song. "So there are a lot of barriers that can make natural family planning difficult for some people, and it requires a lot of work and commitment."
Before you start natural birth control, it is necessary to realize your individual body patterns. "In patients interested in this method, I usually advise them to track their monthly periods for at least three cycles to make sure they have regular, predictable cycles before using this other, less reliable method of contraception," says Chen.
In addition, giving birth recently makes menstrual periods unpredictable, you note. "And these are not ideal candidates to use this method, just because it is very difficult to know exactly when ovulation will be."
Who might be a better candidate?
Chen says, "I would say that for someone who has been tracking their cycles for at least three months, and has regular, predictable cycles, this is a very good method. But for someone who doesn't meet these criteria, they can definitely have a very high failure rate."
The type of natural birth control also makes a difference. "Some of these methods are more effective than others," Gupta says. "Abstinence and outdoor practice are the most effective at preventing pregnancy – but only if you don't have unprotected vaginal sex, or if you have any semen in your vagina."
Fertility education methods are generally about 76% to 88% effective, Gupta says, citing statistics from the Planned Parenthood website. "This means that 12 to 24 out of every 100 people who use FAM will get pregnant each year, depending on the methods used," she explains.
Gupta says that among people using the withdrawal method, she carries about 22 out of every 1,000 each year, or about one in five. "About two out of every 100 people who use breastfeeding as a control become pregnant in the six months that can be used after the baby is born."
Advantages and challenges
Consider the following factors when assessing the possibility of using natural contraceptives.
Advantages of natural birth control:
- Avoids the side effects of certain medications or devices.
- Free or low cost, such as the cost of a thermometer or tracking apps.
- Independence and control of contraceptives.
- It makes you more in tune with your body.
- They may align with religious or personal situations.
Cons of natural birth control:
- Less effective in contraception.
- Reduce spontaneity.
- Tracking, which can be stressful, requires dedication and commitment.
- Irregular menstrual cycles or health issues may interfere with careful tracking.
Person-centered birth control
"I always recommend talking to your doctor and reaching that understanding between you two about whether natural family planning is right for you," says Song. "Where are you from your courses? How regular are your courses? How do you and your partner feel about the different approaches? What have you tried before? What is your motivation? "
With so many birth control options available, Song says, "After having an open and honest conversation with your doctor, about your goals, and what you want from the birth control method, we hope that both of you will discover the best way it is – whether it's natural family planning or not."
Gupta of Planned Parenthood says birth control methods are not a one-size-fits-all size. "The ideal way for someone might not be suitable for someone else," she says. "That's why we offer a full range of contraceptive options – including fertility awareness – as well as information to help people make informed decisions about what is best for them."
Discussions of healthcare providers and patients should be an area free of bias. "When I see someone on a birth control visit, I make sure that the first thing I ask my patient is what they prefer in choosing a birth control method," Chen says. "And I make sure that my entire visit is about this priority. I'm not going to visit birth control with a specific agenda."
She encourages anyone with questions related to birth control to visit OB-GYN, who will work with individual patients to find the best way to meet their needs.
Backup plans and alternative birth control system
"If effectiveness is important to someone, there are other, more effective methods of birth control to consider, including an IUD, implant, or permanent birth control — all of which are more than 99% effective," Gupta says. Next, there's the contraceptive syringe (94% effective), the pill, patch or ring (all 91% effective), she says.
Condoms, which can also be part of a backup plan for natural contraceptives, have certain advantages, including the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases .
"Condoms are the only way to get protection from (both) pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases during vaginal sex, and can be found low-cost or free in many places," Gupta points out. "Condoms can also be considered sexy. They come in a lot of different styles, shapes and textures that can increase the pleasure of both partners."
If you are not sure about using natural contraceptives, or realize that you are not a good candidate, effective contraceptive options include:
- Pills, or birth control patches or rings.
- Contraceptive injections.
- Intrauterine device (IUD) .
- Contraceptive implant such as Nexplanon.
- Condoms.
resources
The first step to performing normal birth control is to learn about your reproductive anatomy, hormonal activity and menstrual / fertility cycles, and understand details such as how long sperm and egg remain in the reproductive system. Check out these resources for in-depth and accurate information on reproductive health and natural birth control methods:
ACOG provides answers about fertility-conscious methods of family planning and other birth control options on its website.
"Taking Responsibility for Your Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Natural Birth Control, Achieving Pregnancy, and Reproductive Health" by Tony Weschler is a reference for Chin and is also recommended for those interested in learning about these methods.
Visit PlannedParenthood.org for facts about contraceptive options including fertility education methods.
Fertility educators can provide individual instructions on fertility education methods. The Association of Fertility Education Professionals can help you locate a fertility education teacher.