Planning the family, implementing birth spacing, and making informed reproductive health decisions play a critical role in building healthy families and a modern society. They also pave the way to gender equality, exercising reproductive rights, building financial independence, and achieving women's empowerment. Understanding your own body is foundational for all that, and hence, fertility awareness becomes significant.

As more women turn to body literacy practices, fertility awareness has become an integral part of the discourse on understanding the menstrual cycle, predicting fertile windows, and making informed choices about pregnancy and contraception. Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM) empower women with the knowledge to avoid pregnancy naturally, without using hormonal pills or invasive procedures.

In this article, we will explore the practice of natural contraception using Fertility Awareness Methods, for whom FAM works and for whom it does not, and the backup options in case FAM fails. The article also explains how Saheli Plus, being a non-hormonal contraceptive, complements FAM and acts as a safe backup solution to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

What Are Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM)?

Fertility Awareness Methods track fertility by observing various symptoms of fertility and ovulation. They help identify the fertile window, which is the time period in the menstrual cycle where you are most fertile and likely to conceive. Fertility Awareness Methods include:

• Basal Body Temperature (BBT) method, where you can monitor body temperature daily and identify ovulation
• Cervical Mucus Observation, which lets you predict ovulation by assessing the consistency and appearance of vaginal discharge
• Calendar/Rhythm Method, with which you can determine fertile days in a cycle based on cycle history
• The Symptothermal Method, which combines all those methods to improve accuracy

When you use FAM correctly, you can determine your fertile window and achieve natural contraception without using expensive, hormonal, and invasive contraceptives. Natural contraception is also easily reversible, and it helps you manage fertility without any side effects.

Building a Proactive Approach in Women's Reproductive Health with FAM

Popular contraceptive methods do not come with an elaborate user manual. Using contraceptives is straightforward. Consequently, they do not create the necessity to understand how your body works and how those methods achieve contraception, which is indispensable for making informed health choices and exercising bodily autonomy.

Unlike these contraceptives, natural contraception using Fertility Awareness Methods requires a thorough understanding of the biological rhythms of your body. An in-depth knowledge of your body benefits you in other ways, too. For instance, if you track your cycle and self-examine your body as you practice FAM, you will be able to spot any abnormalities early, undergo diagnostic tests proactively, seek advice from a healthcare professional on time, and take charge of your health.

It also fosters body confidence, mental clarity, and greater involvement of male partners in contraception choices, promoting shared responsibility. Natural contraception also helps you avoid the use of hormonal pills that cause side effects like hormonal imbalance.

When Does FAM Work?

FAM requires discipline and awareness. You cannot afford to make mistakes like forgetting when you are most fertile or having unprotected sex during the fertile window. However, when practised correctly, FAM can be up to 98% effective in preventing pregnancy under ideal conditions, though, in practice, it can be around 76–88%. Fertility Awareness Methods can work well under the following conditions:

• Your menstrual cycles are regular.
• You observe the indicators and track your fertility daily without fail.
• You abstain from sex or use backup contraception during fertile days.

It is evident that natural contraception is not necessarily ideal for everyone, considering they are effective only under these conditions. So, who is it suitable for?

• Women seeking non-hormonal contraception
• Those with consistent, predictable menstrual cycles
• Those who are susceptible to the side effects of hormonal pills

When FAM Does Not Work

FAM may not be suitable for:

• Women with irregular or unpredictable menstrual cycles
• Women at risk of getting STIs
• Those with PCOS, hormonal imbalance, thyroid issues, or perimenopause
• Those using hormonal contraception that masks fertility signs
• People with irregular and inconsistent sleep schedules, which affect BBT accuracy
• Users who cannot consistently track daily

In these cases, Fertility Awareness Methods may not work well, and relying on FAM alone for natural contraception increases the risk of unintended pregnancy.

What to Do When FAM Alone Is Inadequate?

When using FAM for natural contraception does not guarantee protection on fertile days, or in case you made mistakes in tracking and are unable to determine whether you are in the fertile window or not, it is advisable to combine Fertility Awareness Methods with non-hormonal, reversible contraception. This combination gives you protection and the contraception method backs it up.

Saheli Plus: An Ideal FAM Companion

Saheli Plus is the world's first and only non-hormonal oral contraceptive pill (OCP). It complements Fertility Awareness Methods and acts as a backup, helping prevent unwanted pregnancies in case FAM does not work for some reason. Saheli Plus is more suitable for this purpose because:

• Saheli Plus is safe and free from side effects.
• It is affordable and available across the country.
• With a weekly dosage, there are fewer chances of skipping a dose at a crucial moment compared to hormonal OCPs that follow a daily schedule.
• Saheli Plus does not affect the natural hormonal balance or impact ovulation.
• Saheli Plus enables easily reversible contraception; fertility returns quickly after stopping.

FAM: Symbolising A Movement Toward Informed and Empowered Health Decisions

Fertility Awareness Methods may appear to be merely a way to achieve natural contraception without using hormones that cause side effects or painfully invasive procedures. However, they go beyond serving the purpose of contraception.

They encourage women to learn about their own bodies, menstrual cycles, menstrual health, menstrual hygiene, and overall reproductive health. They empower them with the knowledge to make informed health choices and have autonomy over decisions affecting their health and well-being. Fertility Awareness Methods symbolise a movement toward informed, empowered, and holistic reproductive health decisions.

Though natural contraception with FAM has its limitations, when paired with a safe, non-hormonal backup like Saheli Plus, women can enjoy the best of both worlds — freedom from the side effects of hormonal contraception and protection against unintended pregnancies. In an era of choice, fertility awareness is not a step backwards; it is a significant step forward.

FAQs

1. What is the most accurate Fertility Awareness Method?
The symptothermal method, which combines temperature, cervical mucus, and calendar tracking, is considered the most accurate FAM with up to 98% effectiveness.

2. Can you combine FAM with other contraceptives?
Yes. FAM is often combined with barrier methods or non-hormonal contraceptives like Saheli Plus during fertile days to ensure better pregnancy prevention.

3. Is fertility awareness reliable for preventing pregnancy?
When practised correctly, FAM can be reliable. But it requires consistency and discipline. When used correctly, it can be up to 98% effective. Typical use, however, may reduce its effectiveness.

4. What makes Saheli Plus different from other backup methods?
Saheli Plus is non-hormonal, weekly, and does not interfere with your natural cycle, making it perfect for women using FAM who want a side-effect-free backup.