Billings – Method
The Billings method uses the consistency of the uterine mucus (cervical mucus) to determine the infertile days. The idea is based on the fact that the cervical mucus becomes more fluid and clear shortly before ovulation, during ovulation and shortly after. It becomes “spinnable”, as it were.
This means that during this time the mucus can be drawn into a thread between two fingers, for example. During this time the woman is capable of fertilization. During the rest of the cycle the mucus is thicker and crumbly.
The amount of mucus is smaller. Pregnancy does not occur during this period, which occurs with a decency away from ovulation. If the method is used, the consistency of the uterine mucus must be checked and noted every day.
This is the only way to ensure that the time of ovulation can be determined and the fertile days can be distinguished from the infertile ones. The Billings method has a Pearl Index of about 15, which is relatively high compared to other contraceptive methods. The high Pearl index can be partly explained by the fact that the consistency of the mucus can be misjudged by women and therefore sexual intercourse during the fertile days is not avoided and fertilization of the egg occurs.
Another explanation for the high Pearl Index is that the mucus becomes spinnable at a time other than ovulation due to a hormonal imbalance. The woman may then misinterpret this time as the time of ovulation. She then abstains from sexual intercourse during this time, but unknowingly has sexual intercourse at the actual time of ovulation and then possibly becomes pregnant. It is also worth mentioning that about one third of all women do not have this phenomenon of spinnability of the cervical mucus and therefore cannot use this method. Overall, this method is not very safe.
Symptothermal method = Rötzermethode
The symptothermal contraceptive method is a combination of the Billings method and the temperature method. The days on which the cervical mucus is no longer spinnable and the temperature has risen by about 0.5 degrees Celsius for three days compared to the previous six days are considered to be certainly infertile. This method has a Pearl index between 2.2 – 1.
- Hormone-free contraception
All articles in this series:
