Dear Going natural,

The contraceptive method you are referring to is called Natural Family Planning, or the Symptothermal Method. Its success is based upon a woman's familiarity with her own body, her degree of motivation, and her willingness to use another method of contraception, or to abstain from intercourse during the time of the month when she is fertile. The symptothermal method can be an extremely effective birth control method when taught carefully, understood fully, and used correctly. What follows is not intended to be a substitute for discussion of this method with a practitioner or a fertility awareness group.

The symptothermal method, or STM, is basically a combination of observing changes in cervical mucus and minute temperature changes that occur around ovulation. As far as mucus, STM asks women to learn how to interpret the vaginal sensations of wetness or dryness and the consistency of their mucus discharge so as to determine fertility. Fertility begins as soon as vaginal mucus appears. The mucus usually starts off with a day or two of sticky mucus, which becomes increasingly creamy, wet, slippery, and like egg white. Many women can take a sample and stretch it between two fingers. As soon as mucus appears, it is available to take care of sperm until ovulation. Therefore, to prevent pregnancy, women must abstain from intercourse, or use another form of birth control from the time mucus appears until the evening of the fourth day AFTER it changes to dryness.

To assist with identifying ovulation, a woman takes her basal body temperature with a special thermometer, and keeps a record of the changes. In general, basal temperatures are low before ovulation, and higher afterwards. Women using STM take their basal temperature every morning at the same time and record it on a graph to chart the changes. Fertile time ends either on the fourth day after the mucus changes to dryness, or on the evening of the third day in a row of elevated temperatures, whichever is later, so that she can learn when she is ovulating, and gradually becomes more reliable in her assessment.

A good reference source for information about birth control options is Contraceptive Technology by Robert Hatcher, et al. To learn more specifically about Natural Family Planning, you can contact the Fertility Awareness Services, Box 986, Corvallis, Oregon, 97339, or make an appointment to talk with a provider in Primary Care Medical Services by calling x4-2284 if you're at Columbia.

Alice

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