Tips for Contraceptive Success: How To Decrease Failure with the Fertility Awareness Method

By Dawn Stacey, M.Ed., LMHC, About.com Contraception Guide
(Reprinted with her permission)

Natural Family Planning methods must be used consistently and according to instructions in order to attain maximum effectiveness. In order to lower the chances of birth control failure, follow these suggestions if you use fertility awareness as your contraceptive method.

If you have any questions about your birth control method, please contact your healthcare provider. You will lower your chances for birth control failure if you have a proper and thorough understanding of how to use your contraceptive.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: N/A

Tips:

• It is essential that you understand how fertility awareness methods work.
• It is helpful to have knowledge about the female body and how ovulation and fertilization take place.
• Try to make sure that you are using this method precisely and consistently. If not, failure could occur.
• It is critical, with natural family planning, that you accurately predict when your fertile period is.
• Make certain that you have correctly figured out your ovulation pattern; then, abstain before and after your fertile time..
• Remember, it only takes one unprotected act of sexual intercourse to become pregnant.

What You Need:

• Calendar
• Fertility Charts
• Cycle Beads (optional)
• Basal Thermometer

For the rest of Dawn's reprints:

• Tips for Contraceptive Success (introduction to the series)
• What Leads to Contraceptive Failure?
• How To Prevent Condom Failure
• How To Respond to Men's Excuses for Not Wanting to Wear a Condom
• How To Prevent Diaphragm Failure
• How To Decrease Failure with the Fertility Awareness Method
• How To Prevent Oral Contraceptive Failure
• Medications and Inhibitors that Lower Hormonal Contraception Effectiveness
• How to Prevent IUD Failure
  

To learn more about contraception, please visit Dawn's work on About.com.

Or you can consult the Nonviolent Choice Directory's extensive Pregnancy Prevention resources. The Nonviolent Choice Directory also sells nonprescription family planning and safer sex items through our website.