Fertility awareness is a means of understanding a woman's reproductive cycle by observing and writing down fertility signs. These signs determine whether or not she can become pregnant on a given day. A woman is actually fertile during only about a fourth of her cycle. This method is a great way for a woman to learn more about her body.

What are the three primary fertility signs? They are a woman's temperature when she first wakes up; her cervical fluid (the fluid at the mouth of a woman's womb); and the position of her cervix. The fertility awareness method permits a woman to use this information so that she may abstain from intercourse when she are most fertile. The failure rate among women who use this method perfectly is two to three percent; while the failure rate among most women who use this method is 13-20 percent.

Before Ovulation

• Waking temperatures remain low.
• Cervical fluid looks similar to raw egg white and becomes wet and then dry.
• Cervix rises and becomes softer and open.

After Ovulation

• Waking temperatures rise for 12-16 days.
• Cervical fluid quickly dries up after ovulation.
• Cervix quickly drops and becomes firm and closed after ovulation.

• The fertility awareness or symptothermal method helps a woman track and improve PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms.
• It empowers women with practical knowledge.
• The method helps a woman know when during her cycle to have sex to become pregnant or to avoid pregnancy, depending on her goal.
• It is useful in conjunction with other contraceptive methods, such as barrier contraceptives (such as condoms ) and withdrawal .

• This method provides no protection against sexually transmitted infection.
• The method involves daily charting of fertility signs.
• It requires discipline for a number of days in the cycle if a woman chooses to avoid sex rather than use a barrier contraceptive during her fertile days.
• As a contraceptive, this method is unforgiving of improper use. If a woman has sex when this method tells her to abstain, she are very likely to become pregnant.
• Abstinence is required at the time in a woman's cycle when her sexual urge is usually at its peak.