Safe Days For Sex: Calculate Safe Days To Avoid Pregnancy

For a woman wanting to become pregnant and raise a family, the knowledge of her reproductive system is very important. Understanding fertility is crucial for both man and woman as it will help them to care for each other’s reproductive health as well as prevent the risk of unwanted pregnancies. When talking of unwanted pregnancies, the question of safe days for sex assumes importance. Women need to gain an understanding of those times during her menstrual cycle when the chances of her conceiving becomes high.

A woman can utilise her understanding of her monthly menstruation cycle to have sex that will lead her to become pregnant. On the other hand, she can also make use of safe days for sex by engaging in sexual activities without fearing unwanted pregnancy to occur. Getting deeply aware of her menstrual cycle will allow her to differentiate betweeen safe sex days as well as unsafe one. If for whatever reason, the urge for engaging in a sexual activity arises during unsafe days, then through her knowledge of safe days for unprotected sex she can use a suitable contraception to avoid the undesirable consequences of unplanned sexual activity.

Understanding Women’s Menstrual Cycle

picture of sanitary napkins, Credit: Canva

Every woman undergoes a menstrual cycle which includes vaginal bleeding. It happens every month throughout the year. The menstrual cycle starts with the vaginal bleeding, which is commonly referred to as a ‘period’. After a gap of 14 days, the ovaries in the women’s reproductive system release an egg into either of the fallopian tubes which are also known as uterine tubes as they lead to the womb or the uterus. It is also the time when a new lining in the uterus is built by the women’s body. The function of this lining is to provide nourishment to an egg that is fertilized.

If a new egg gets released and is united with the male sperm in the fallopian tube then this egg will get fertilized. Thus, we can say that the process of fertilization has taken place. The egg that is fertilized will move up till it has reached the uterus and will attach itself to its lining. This fertilized egg will, over a period of nine months, get developed into a human baby. In this case, throughout the period of nine months, the lining of the uterus will remain intact, causing the woman not to experience her monthly cycle.

How Many Days After My Period Can I Get Pregnant?

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In order to gain a good knowledge of safe days for sex you must have an idea of those days when you are most fertile. In the course of every menstrual cycle, a period of six days when there is a high likelihood for women to get pregnant. These six days are the exact opposite of those safe days for sex when you can indulge in sexual intercourse without worrying about unplanned pregnancy.

However, these days are not easy to predict at all. The reason behind it is that no woman has the same menstrual cycle month after month during the whole year. It is subject to great variations. Having said that, it has been shown that the days in which women can easily conceive usually occur right before the ovulation as well as around it. By now you must have gained a rough idea of safe days for unprotected sex.

Is it safe 5 days before and after menstruation? It is a common question that is on the minds of many women. An egg can stay alive for upto 24 hours after leaving the ovary. Sperm, on the other hand, remains alive for a period of five days after sexual activity. The implantation process of the egg is something that occurs within a period of a week to twelve days after a woman completes her ovulation. It means that women have a high potential to conceive after they complete their menstruation. It usually happens if you engage in sex during the last days of your period. As you’re nearing the end of your menstruation consequently you are nearing those days when you can get pregnant. In the light of this fact, the days immediately before your menstruation are safe days to avoid pregnancy.

How Do You Calculate Safe Days?

For determining safe days for sex, a number of fertility awareness methods are used. They are:

1. Calendar method

2. Cervical mucus method

3. Temperature method

1.   Calendar Method

a calendar, Credit: Canva

For utilising this method to determine safe sex days, start by marking the very first day of the month when you began menstruating on a calender. When you reach the second month, make sure to mark the day when you started your period. Now count all the days that have elapsed between the first days of the menstruation that occured in the first and second months.

To find out safe days for sex using this method go through the following steps:

1. Figure out the briefest cycle that occured to you in the past year.

2. Deduct 18 from the overall days of that cycle.

3. The number that you get should be counted right from the day one of the period cycle that you are in right now. You can denote it with the symbol ‘X’.

4. This day (x) is one of those days when you can get pregnant.

2.   Cervical Mucus Method

stretchy band, Credit: Canva

Your menstrual cycle is regulated by certain hormones. It is due to their presence that your cervix generates mucus. Mucus is the discharge that comes from your vagina. As you near your ovulation an increase in estrogen levels causes their accelerated production. This mucus is defined by its stretchy and clear texture. It is also an indicator of you being prone to becoming pregnant.

3.   Temperature Method

woman with a thermometer, Credit: Canva

Your body temperature when you are resting is called the basal temperature. If you will take the assistance of a special kind of basal thermometer for measuring your temperature during your ovulation you will find that it is slightly higher than usual. You can note it down after waking up. If you see it higher then you can safely assume that your chances of conceiving are high. You are not going through safe days for sex.

By now you must have gained a good knowledge of safe days for sex. You can use any of the above mentioned methods to plan out your sexual activity. However, keep in mind that none of these methods is 100 percent reliable because menstrual cycles are prone to fluctuations. Unless you want to get pregnant it is best to use a contraception instead of relying on safe days for sex.