Natural Methods of Family Planning 221
Counting Days Method
With the counting days method, you do not have sexual
intercourse during any time that you might be fertile. This
method can be used only if you have regular cycles that last
between 26 and 32 days. This means that the time from the first
day of one monthly bleeding, to the first day of your next monthly
bleeding, must be at least 26 days, and no more than 32 days.
This method will usually work if you have nearly the same
number of days from one monthly bleeding to the next (regular
cycles). But if you have one cycle of a different length, you can
easily get pregnant. It is common for a woman to have a cycle
of a different length when she is sick or feeling a lot of stress. So
if you are sick or feeling stress, it will be best for you to use a
different family planning method until you are well and your cycle
is normal.
How to use the counting days method:
For this method to work, you cannot have
sexual intercourse from the 8th day of your cycle
through the 19th day of your cycle. If you have
sexual intercourse during this time, you must use
another method of family planning.
I started my
monthly bleeding
8 days ago. So we
cannot have sex today,
or for the next
10 days.
I better go to
my sister’s.
You can use beads, a chart, or some other tool to remember your fertile
days. String 32 beads, of 3 different colors, into a necklace. Each color bead
can represent a different part of your cycle.
13 more blue
beads show days
when sexual
intercourse will
not usually cause
pregnancy.
A red bead
marks the
first day of
your monthly
bleeding.
6 blue beads show days
when sexual intercourse
will not usually cause
pregnancy.
12 white beads
show your fertile time —
when sexual intercourse
can cause pregnancy.
On the first day of your monthly bleeding, put a ring or string around
the red bead. Each day, move the ring past one bead. When the ring
is on any of the white beads, you may get pregnant if you have sexual
intercourse. Whenever you start your next monthly bleeding, move
the ring back to the red bead at the start.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012