Percent of women with unintended pregnancy in first year of typical use[1] | Data required | User requirements | Period of required abstinence/barrier method* | Benefits | Limitations | Teaching aid | |
Fertility-awareness based method | |||||||
Standard Days method | 12 | Period start date | Track cycle with calendar, CycleBeads, or app | Approximately 12 days | Easiest to use Fewest days of abstinence or barrier method | Requires regular cycles of 26 to 32 days in length | CycleBeads (product or app) |
Dynamic Optimal Timing (DOT smartphone app) | 5 | Period start date | Enter period start date in app | Varies, approximately 11 days | Easiest to use Fewest days of abstinence or barrier method App alerts user to fertile days | Requires cycles 20 to 40 days in length | DOT app |
Cervical mucus or ovulation methods | |||||||
TwoDay method | 14 | Observation of cervical secretions | Assess presence/quality of secretions several times daily | Approximately 13 days (range 10 to 14) | Easy to use Appropriate for any cycle length | Must check secretions several times a day | Teaching calendar |
Billings or Creighton methods | 23 | Observation of cervical secretions | Assess presence/quality of secretions several times daily | Approximately 14 to 17 days | Users become attuned to their own physiologic cycle changes Appropriate for any cycle length | Labor intensive to teach and use | Teaching calendar |
Multimodal methods | |||||||
Sensiplan symptothermal method | 2 | Observation of cervical secretions and BBT | Assess presence/quality of secretions several times daily | Approximately 12 to 17 days | Users become attuned to their own physiologic cycle changes Can be used with short, long, or irregular cycles | Labor intensive to track 2 parameters | Tracking calendar |
Marquette method | 11 | Observation of cervical secretions and urinary LH test | Must measure and track 2 indicators | Minimum 9 days | Users become attuned to their own physiologic cycle changes Can be used with any cycle length | Cost of urine test kit | Urinary LH test kit |
Natural Cycles (smartphone app) | 8 to 10 | Menstrual calendar, BBT, and optional LH test | Enter period start date, BBT, and secretion data in app | Varies | Users become attuned to their own physiologic cycle changes Can be used with any cycle length | Requires input of patient-specific BBT data Cost of monthly subscription and thermometer | App-based program |
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