Calendar method - How is it calculated?

The calendar method, also known as Ogino-Knaus, periodic abstinence or rhythmic method, is a natural method of contraception and family planning. This involves knowing the phases of a woman's menstrual cycle, her periods of maximum fertility, as well as those in which she is least fertile, in order to be able to avoid an unwanted pregnancy or, on the contrary, to have maximum chances of getting pregnant.

If you have irregular menstrual cycles, is the calendar method still an effective contraceptive solution? Does it protect you against sexually transmitted diseases? How is a woman's fertile period calculated? The answer to these questions, but also to many others, can be found in this article.

What does the calendar method mean?

The calendar method involves accurately identifying the fertile period of the menstrual cycle, the period in which you are most likely to get pregnant, and avoiding sexual contact during this interval. The rest of the days in the menstrual cycle are considered "safe", which means that often no other method of contraception is used.

Although it seems a simple method, in reality, the calendar method is very risky and quite complicated because it is difficult to determine exactly which is the fertile period in a woman's menstrual cycle. In addition, if the menstrual cycles are irregular, they need to be monitored for at least 6 months. Only then can it be determined which is the fertile period and which is the safe period for unprotected sexual contacts.

The calendar method - How does it work?

A woman can get pregnant at any time if she has unprotected sex, but it is most likely to happen during ovulation and in the fertile days around ovulation.

Ovulation is the process by which one or more eggs are released from the ovary, and this happens monthly. Theoretically, with a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days, ovulation occurs on the 14th day, the first day of the cycle being considered the first day of menstruation.

Following the same calculation reasoning:

• if the menstrual cycle has 29 days, the moment of ovulation occurs on the 15th day;

• if it is 30 days, ovulation occurs on the 16th day;

• if it is 32 days then ovulation would occur on day 18 etc.

Once ovulation has occurred, the sperm have 24 hours to fertilize the egg released in the Fallopian tubes. Did you know that sperm can survive up to 7 days after intercourse?

Calendar method - Fertile period

The fertile period is that period of the month when the woman can get pregnant. For women with regular cycles, the calculation is simple and the risk of unwanted pregnancy decreases.

In general, the most fertile period is:

• in the days before ovulation;

• day of ovulation;

• in the 24 hours after ovulation.

If your cycle is regular, the calendar method is simple to calculate, and with a 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs on the 14th day. Let's take a concrete example.

A woman can get pregnant, on average, only 8 days out of the month, the rest of the days being unsuitable for fertilization because ovulation occurs between the 12th and 16th day of the menstrual cycle. In addition, the egg has a very short life.

In the case of an irregular menstrual cycle, anticipating ovulation is much more difficult.

If you want to know even more about the fertile period and the signals your body sends you during those days, read our article and you will know everything about ovulation. In the world of ENROUSH there are no taboos, no secrets, and transparency is a key element. You know this for sure because on our blog we talk about everything that is not talked about, and on the ingredient list of our products we list everything, without omissions. It's not too difficult for us either, after all the only ingredient in our absorbent pads, tampons and pantyliners is 100% organic cotton, GOTS certified. Menstruation doesn't have to be a pain, choose organic natural care and you'll thank yourself for years to come.

Calendar method - Infertile period

When you are outside of your ovulatory days, you are called your non-fertile period. While there is theoretically no chance of getting pregnant during that time, the truth is that the risk is always there if you have unprotected sex.

Irregular menstrual cycle and the calendar method

Although the calendar method is not recommended for an irregular menstrual cycle due to the high risk of getting pregnant, there is a calculation method that you can apply to determine your fertile period. We exemplify below.

The calendar method - Efficiency

The calendar method is a risky contraceptive method and quite difficult to use. The failure rate is over 25%, so an unwanted pregnancy can often result.

In addition, the difficulty of the method can affect the intimate life of couples as there is a need to schedule sexual contacts, depending on the calendar.

Risks - How safe is the calendar method?

What is the big advantage? The calendar method is a contraceptive method without health risks. Neither physical nor mental balance is destabilized.

On the other hand, it can sometimes be difficult for a woman to accurately anticipate, month by month, the fertile period, especially if the menstrual cycle is irregular. Even in the case of a regular cycle, small gaps or miscalculations can sometimes occur that lead to an unwanted pregnancy.

Among the risks, we also count the absence of protection against sexually transmitted diseases and the fact that it does not provide any relief from the pain associated with menstruation, as other contraceptive drugs do.

If the aim is to avoid a pregnancy, then the calendar method is by no means the safest method, but instead it can be really helpful when partners want the woman to get pregnant.

Are there other methods of calculating ovulation?

Ovulation can also be calculated by other, less accessible, but effective methods. These include the basal temperature method and the vaginal discharge method.

Basal temperature method

The basal temperature method helps women know when they are ovulating by taking their temperature every morning. After the day on which ovulation occurs, the woman's basal temperature increases by half a degree Celsius under the influence of the female hormone, preogesterone.

How can you use this method too?

Take your temperature every morning (sublingual, axillary, rectal), immediately after waking up, just before getting out of bed, after at least 5 hours of complete rest. It is very important that the temperature is measured correctly, with the same accurate thermometer every day, ideally at the same time.

Record your temperature values daily during the period of increased fertility and once you notice 3 consecutive values above the average, it means that ovulation has occurred. This fertile period lasts until the third day after ovulation.

If the woman has a cold. has a viral, bacterial infection, this method can be misleading.

Method of vaginal secretions

During the month, the mucus produced by the vagina and cervix changes its characteristics due to fluctuations in the levels of female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. This indicates how close or far you are from ovulation.

A few days before ovulation, the mucus becomes watery, transparent, slightly yellowish. On the day of ovulation, vaginal secretions become thicker, moister, with an egg white-like consistency and can cause the vagina to feel wet. A day after ovulation, the mucus is much less, thicker and stickier.

The test is simple, but it's important to do it daily and record your progress in your journal. Check your vaginal discharge every morning by picking up vaginal mucus with your fingertip and squeezing it between your fingers. If it becomes stringy (filamentous) before it breaks, you're probably ovulating.

Attention, if you have had sexual contact, the vaginal secretions may change and will be more difficult to recognize. Thus, this is also not a method that guarantees complete protection against an unwanted pregnancy.