How do Fertility Awareness Methods work?
It is based on the fact that a woman is fertile only around the time of ovulation (the release of a ripe egg from an ovary). It relies on the following beliefs: • An egg is usually released each cycle • The egg is released about 14 days before the menstruation cycle • The egg lives 12-24 hours, and after the sperm get into a woman’s reproductive system, they might be able to fertilize (join) an egg for up to five days This means that a woman is fertile for as long as five days before ovulation due to sperm life and after ovulation she is considered fertile for two to three days. This means that the woman is fertile for seven to eight days of her cycle each month. The remaining days are not believed to be fertile days, and intercourse during that part of the cycle should not result in pregnancy. The aim of FAM is to recognize when the ovulation is approaching (fertile phase begins) and when it has passed (fertile phase ends).
