symptothermal method of natural family planning

Last reviewed 01/2018

• Symptothermal Method
  • combines basal body temperature (BBT), cervical methods, cervical position, and/or historical cycle data to prospectively and retrospectively identify the peri-ovulatory period
  • in its most effective form, 2 signs are used to 'double check' each phase as confirmation for the couple that the woman is unlikely to be fertile
  • typical-use unplanned pregnancy rates have been reported as low as 1% to 3% in Europe and India
    • however, unplanned pregnancy rates as high as 13% to 20% have also been reported for typical users of the Symptothermal Method
      
      
• critics warn that combining signs and symptoms can overestimate the fertile phases by a couple of days or more. In contrast, because there is no requirement to abstain every other day before the fertile phase, the total abstinence time is approximately equivalent to cervical secretion methods

Reference:

• 1) Pallone SR, Bergus GR.Fertility awareness-based methods: another option for family planning. J Am Board Fam Med. 2009 Mar-Apr;22(2):147-57.
• 2) Evans C.Natural family planning is effective and culturally acceptable.BMJ. 2012 Jul 23;345:e4908. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e4908.
• 3) Freundl G et al.State-of-the-art of non-hormonal methods of contraception: IV. Natural family planning. Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2010 Apr;15(2):113-23