How safe is the temperature method to get pregnant?
The safety of getting pregnant with the temperature method varies from woman to woman and depends on the physical and emotional conditions of the woman. If all the requirements for pregnancy are met, the exact application of the temperature method increases the chances of getting pregnant. In each cycle there are only about 3-5 days on which sexual intercourse can lead to pregnancy.
This is the period from the days before ovulation to the day after ovulation. In order to find this out, the temperature method is very suitable and can make getting pregnant much easier. Of course, the probability of fertilization of an egg depends not only on the optimal time for sexual intercourse, but also on other factors such as the quality of the man’s sperm. It is important to know that even under optimal conditions and at the right time of sexual intercourse, the chance per ovulation is about 30%. This means that even under perfect circumstances it can take several months before pregnancy occurs.
How safe is the temperature method of contraception?
To indicate the safety of a contraceptive method, the Pearl Index is used. It indicates how many out of every 100 women who have used a particular contraceptive method become pregnant in one year. Using the temperature method alone is not very safe for contraception.
Body temperature can be subject to fluctuations that are influenced by external factors. For example, a mild cold, increased stress or a restless night can sometimes cause the temperature to rise slightly. For example, the time of ovulation is more often incorrectly determined with the temperature method when using contraception alone.For this reason, the Pearl Index of the temperature method is between 1 and 3.
In comparison, taking a pill has a Pearl Index of 0.1 to 0.9. However, there is the possibility of combining the temperature method with a method that determines the change in the cervical mucus, so that the safety of this contraception increases enormously. The Pearl Index of the symptothermal method is therefore between 0.4 and 2.3, making it one of the very safe contraceptives.
It is also important to note that the safety of any contraceptive always depends on its precise application. In the case of the thermoregulation and symptothermal methods, this depends very much on the experience of the woman using the contraceptive. Safety therefore increases with longer use.
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