How An Old-School Way Of Having Sex Is Kinda Making A Comeback For Birth Control
Everyone should decide what's best for them.
There's a new kind — scratch that, a VERY old kind — of birth control in town.
No, it is not "beat the baby-carrying stork with your umbrella."
It's called the Fertility Awareness Method.
How does it work?
Well, the reason Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM) have been regaining popularity in recent years is that they're made quite a bit easier with technology. Lots of apps and websites are available to help you track your cycle. There are a few steps to follow (which vary depending on which specific method you choose), but you pretty much have to know your body really, really well. Like, you and your body have to become the bestest of friends.
You + your uterus = best friends forever.
- STEP 1: Track your cycle and the symptoms of each part of your cycle.
- STEP 2: Figure out when you're likely to be ovulating.
- STEP 3: Don't have (unprotected) sex during that time.
Right, but how reliable is it?
Ah, yes. Reliability. So, WOMP WOMP, Fertility Awareness Methods are quite a bit less reliable than other common forms of birth control. Let's do a little comparison:
Here's the (obvious) kicker: You gotta use what's right for you!
Some folks like Fertility Awareness Methods because they don't involve putting chemicals in your body. Other folks love the pill, or an IUD. At the end of the day, you've gotta decide what's right for you, and you might want to talk to your doctor (and your partner) to help make that decision.
Check out a video about Fertility Awareness Methods below.