Fertility Awareness

Family Planning, Natural, Natural Family Planning

How To Prepare

Before you use fertility awareness as a method of birth control, record 3 or 4 of your menstrual cycles to find your pattern of ovulation. If you are trying to not become pregnant during this time, use a method of birth control that does not affect ovulation (such as a condom, diaphragm, or the copper intrauterine device [IUD]) or do not have sex.

Basal body temperature is checked using a special oral thermometer marked in fractions of a degree so you can see even small changes in temperature better than with an ordinary thermometer. Easy-to-read digital thermometers can be found in most pharmacies or at family planning clinics. Do not use a digital ear thermometer for this method.

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Author:	Carrie Henley Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: August 31, 2006
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology Femi Olatunbosun, MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
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