Don’t I have to abstain from sex for a lot of days every cycle in order for the Justisse Method to work as a form of birth control?
Every woman’s cycle is different. Couples need only abstain on fertile days. Generally, a woman is fertile for about 1week of every menstrual cycle when there is cervical mucus present and on ovulation day. Cervical mucus is present several days before and on ovulation day. It allows for the sperm to survive and wait for ovulation to occur. Sperm can survive in cervical mucus for several days. After ovulation, the egg lives only 12 to 24 hours and the cervical mucus disappears. When there is no cervical mucus present, the sperm die within minutes. The Justisse Method User’s Guide has photographs and describes in detail how to look for cervical mucus secretions. It is recommended not to have sexual intercourse on fertile days for maximum effectiveness when using the Justisse Method for birth control. Some couples chose to use a Barrier Method on fertile days (condom, foam, cervical cap, diaphragm, etc.). If this is the case, they are no longer strictly using the Justisse Method for birt
