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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Incidence of irregular cycles among Mayan women who reported having regular cycles: implications for fertility awareness methods.

Despite the low contraceptive prevalence among the Mayan population of Guatemala, past research has found interest in natural methods. A calendar rhythm method with a simple blanket rule would appear to be preferable to more complicated methods. Under a blanket rule, the number of days of abstinence is predetermined and all couples are instructed to abstain during the same interval of the menstrual cycle. However, regular menstrual cycles may be key to successful practice of a calendar method. A database of 880 cycles of 301 women of the Guatemalan highlands was analyzed to determine the length and regularity of menstrual cycles in this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Natural family planning in the Philippines.

The calendar rhythm method of natural family planning (NFP) is one of the most popular contraceptive methods in the Philippines. As a result, the Philippines has one of the highest NFP prevalence rates in the developing world. In recent years, family planning program officials have become increasingly interested in improving the practice of NFP, both by improving the quality of rhythm practice and by introducing newer, more accurate NFP methods. Over the years a substantial body of research data related to NFP practice in the Philippines has accumulated. This paper presents major findings from past research on NFP in the Philippines, discusses their implications for program management, describes current research, and suggests needs for future research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Calendar rhythm efficacy: a review.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the unplanned pregnancy rate of calendar rhythm. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of eight studies of calendar rhythm published between 1940 and 1989. RESULTS: There exist few studies of the calendar rhythm method. Analysis of the best of these studies resulted in a conservative estimated Pearl rate of 18.5 +/- 1.8, and a less conservative estimate of 15.0 +/- 4.0, standardized to 12 months' observation; these results are in the range of other natural and barrier methods. DISCUSSION: We need properly done clinical trials of the calendar rhythm method to scientifically establish its effectiveness.

Female↗
PubMed1998

Women's interest in natural family planning.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, approximately 4% of women of reproductive age use natural family planning (NFP) to avoid pregnancy. It is unclear whether this low number is related to a lack of available information, women's lack of interest, or other factors. Our study examined women's interest in using NFP either to become pregnant or to avoid it. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 1500 women, aged 18 to 50, who were randomly selected from driver's license renewal records in Missouri for the year beginning July 1991 and ending June 1992. RESULTS: Of the 747 returned questionnaires, 484 were from women who were still potentially fertile. Of these women, 22.5% indicated that they would be likely or very likely to use NFP in the future to avoid pregnancy, and 37.4% indicated that they would be likely or very likely to use NFP in the future to become pregnant. Only 2.8% were currently using a method of NFP. Past use of any method of NFP (including the outdated calendar rhythm method) to avoid pregnancy was associated with interest in future use of modern methods of NFP to avoid pregnancy. Past use of NFP to become pregnant and the possible desire for future pregnancy were associated with interest in future use of NFP to conceive. CONCLUSIONS: Many women who are not currently using NFP indicated that they are interested in doing so in the future, either to avoid pregnancy or to conceive. Interest in future use of NFP is associated with, but not limited to, those who have previously used NFP.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Knowledge of reproductive physiology and modern contraceptives in rural Peru.

This report is based on fieldwork conducted in a Peruvian community in 1986, which investigated Quechua-speaking Indians' knowledge of the female reproductive organs, perceptions of the way contraceptives work in the body, folk beliefs about conception and menstruation, and opinions about modern contraceptives. The findings reveal that the men have a more accurate knowledge of the female reproductive organs than the women do. However, the women are more knowledgeable about the action of modern contraceptives in the body. Most respondents perceived modern contraceptive methods as the best methods available, but the majority reported using the calendar rhythm method. This preference for rhythm is based on its economic advantage and on its adaptability to folk beliefs about physiology. The men's dominant role in reproductive behavior is related to cultural norms that emphasize traditional gender roles and that prohibit communication about sexual matters between men and women. Educational material, based on the respondents' knowledge of reproduction and taking into account their folk beliefs, might help to decrease the fear of contraceptive side effects and increase understanding of the function of contraceptives.

Contraceptive Agents, Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Contraceptive methods used by young women in the township of Lomé (Togo)].

Despite intensive development of reproductive health services among Togolese youth over the past ten years, contraceptive prevalence remains low, particularly among young women. To help understand the reasons for the low rate of use of reproductive health services by young women (adolescents and young adults) and to assess prevalence of their contraceptive use in Lomé. In a cross-sectional study in the five precincts of Lomé township from March 08, 1999, to April 17, 1999, approximately 500 adolescent girls and young women (aged 10-24 years) were interviewed according to a semi-structured questionnaire. The variables studied were: social and demographic characteristics; knowledge about family planning, including whether they had discussed sexual issues with their parents; conditions of contraceptive use (method used by the interviewee or her sexual partner, who made the decision, geographical and financial accessibility of the method); suggestions to improve contraceptive prevalence. Data were analysed with Epi-Info 6.3 and comparisons tested with the chi-square test (significance set at 5%). 63.6% (318 of 500) of the young women and female teenagers lived with a partner; 43.4% discussed some aspects of reproductive health with their parents, especially menstruation and STDs, including AIDS. Although 93.4% of the interviewees knew about condoms and 68.2% about the calendar (rhythm) method, few of them used these (respectively 33.6% and 31.8%). The interviewees decided about contraceptive use with their partners (37%) or alone (28%), and rarely asked their parents (1%). Contraceptives were obtained at a health facility by 3.8% of the subjects, and at the drugstore or market by 20.6%. The main reason for the low rates of use of health facilities (10.4%) and of medical contraceptive methods (11.2% of all contraceptive methods used) were: lack of means, information, and interest (in such facilities and methods), and finally, lack of sexual activity. The condom was essentially the only modern contraceptive method used. The main reason for the low rate of use of reproductive health services may be that apart from the condom, women and female teenagers rarely use modern contraceptive methods. Improving information about reproductive health, creating more "young friendly clinics", and developing peer educators might improve the contraceptive prevalence rate among young women in Togo.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Attitudes toward the rhythm method in the Philippines.

Two sets of focus group discussions on the advantages and disadvantages of the rhythm method were carried out in the Philippines in 1980 and 1981. The first discussions were held among 30 women and nine men 21-40 years of age, and the second among eight women 25-35 years of age who had voluntary pregnancy terminations after the method had failed. Among the perceived advantages of rhythm were that it permits spontaneous intercourse on the safe days and has no bad side effects. Among the perceived disadvantages were that it is ineffective, especially for women with irregular periods, and it requires abstinence. The women who had had voluntary pregnancy terminations discussed their motivations and rationales and the methods that they had used. The information obtained from the discussions formed the basis for support materials that are now used throughout the country.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1992

Natural family planning.

Natural family planning includes the calendar (rhythm), basal body temperature, ovulation (mucus), and sympto-thermal methods. Reliability of such methods often is underestimated, but effectiveness of various methods has been reported. Correct understanding and use of proper techniques, primarily abstinence during fertile periods, is imperative for effectiveness. New methods being studied may heighten awareness of fertile times and shorten required periods of abstinence or use of back-up methods.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Continuation and effectiveness of programme and non-programme methods of family planning in Sri Lanka.

"The objective of this paper is to examine continuation and effectiveness of contraception based on a 1986 survey of more than 3,200 women in rural Sri Lanka. Data on both programme and non-programme methods of contraception are analyzed. Programme methods are defined as including all those methods that are provided through the public or private family planning programmes (namely, oral pills, IUDs, injectables, condoms, female barrier methods and sterilization). Non-programme methods refer to those that are not provided through any structured programme; these methods include calendar rhythm (commonly referred to as 'safe period' in Sri Lanka), withdrawal, abstinence and other traditional methods."

Asia↗
PubMed1996

Development of new formulas to identify the fertile time of the menstrual cycle.

The calendar method is perceived to be less effective than other methods of family planning. A large existing data set was used to determine how well the fertile time is identified using the traditional calendar method formula and to determine if better formulas could be developed to identify the fertile time more accurately and require less abstinence. We compared the traditional formula with three alternatives, two of which were developed for this analysis. All three alternative formulas performed better than the traditional formula in identifying the presumed fertile time. The result of our analysis is a summary table which can be used to select the best rules for testing the effectiveness of the calendar method.

Family Planning Services↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Calendar methods of fertility regulation: a rule of thumb.

"[Many] illiterate women, particularly in the third world, find [it] difficult to apply usual calendar methods for the regulation of fertility. Some of them are even unable to make simple subtractions. In this paper we are therefore trying to evaluate the applicability and the efficiency of an extremely simple rule which entails only [the ability to count] a number of days, and always the same way." (SUMMARY IN ITA)

Contraception↗
PubMed1991

An evaluation of the Bioself 110 electronic fertility indicator as a contraceptive aid.

The Bioself 110 is a hand-held electronic device that combines the BBT and calendar methods of fertility regulation for planning or preventing pregnancy. A pilot study was undertaken in three centers in the United Kingdom to evaluate the Bioself 110 as a contraceptive aid. This paper deals with 1238 cycles from 131 women. Only one unplanned pregnancy occurred where a volunteer correctly used the Bioself 110 and had intercourse on a supposedly "safe" day. A second pregnancy was experienced by a volunteer who incorrectly used the device and had intercourse on what she though was a "safe" day. Another 11 unplanned pregnancies occurred due to barrier method failures, as well as 11 pregnancies where the volunteers knowingly had unprotected intercourse during the fertile phase. There were five planned pregnancies. The Bioself 110 was correctly used in 71% of the cycles studied. Eighty-four percent of the volunteers indicated that they were satisfied with the Bioself 110 after six to twelve cycles of use. It was concluded that the Bioself 110 can serve as an effective family planning aid and should be added to the menu of contraceptive methods available to women today.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Chromosomal abnormalities in the Kaiser-Permanente Birth Defects Study, with special reference to contraceptive use around the time of conception.

Chromosomal abnormalities were studied in 33,551 abortions and births to women whose contraceptive histories had been recorded at their first antenatal visit in 1975-1977. Chromosome examinations were performed exclusively on clinical grounds. There were 45 de novo abnormalities detected (1.34/1,000); three of them were detected at amniocentesis. Trisomy 21 was observed in 27 cases (0.80/1,000), trisomy 18 in nine (0.27), other trisomies in three (0.09), and translocations or deletions in five (0.15). One case of triploidy and six cases of inherited abnormalities were detected. There were no significant racial variations. No increase in risk for chromosomal abnormalities was found among women who had used oral contraceptives prior to becoming pregnant or among women who experienced oral contraceptive breakthrough pregnancies. Two cases of trisomy 18 were observed among the 814 deliveries following oral contraceptive breakthrough conceptions (2.46/1,000), two cases of trisomy 21 occurred in 338 births following failures of rhythm contraception (5.92/1,000), and no cases of trisomy 21 or 18 among the 1,569 women using spermicides at the time of conception.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed1985

The ageing gamete in relation to birth control failures and Down syndrome.

Some indirect relationships between contraception failures and offspring with a pathological condition are reviewed, and a causal connection between them is suggested. This hypothesis is supported by the decreasing incidence of Down syndrome (DS) in general in recent years, and the increase among the younger maternal age categories as well as the effect of birth order. A more than doubled incidence of DS children among young Catholic mothers and the fact that conceptions of children with DS are preceded by unusually long periods of abstinence are emphasised and discussed. These data offer circumstantial evidence that the conceptions that occur despite application of the so called "natural" family planning methods in particular are at high risk. The impact of reproductive biological failures ("nature") and of reproductive behaviour ("nurture") on the human gametes can be disentangled by thorough studies of the epidemiology of major and minor congenital anomalies.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Use-effectiveness and client satisfaction in six centers teaching the Billings Ovulation Method.

Use-effectiveness of the Billings Ovulation Method (OM) is reported for 1139 clients from six centers who were followed for at least 24 months. Method failure rates were 1% when calculated by either Pearl formula or life table analysis. Combined method and user failure rates were 20% when calculated with the Pearl formula, and 16% at 12 months and 23% at 24 months by life table analysis. Pregnancy rates were higher for couples using OM alone, than for couples using OM in combination with additional fertility awareness methods or together with barrier methods. The difference was significant when estimated by the Pearl formula but not when analyzed by the life table. The emotional implications underlying the apparent contradiction between a desire to avoid pregnancy and the deliberate coital use of fertile days are reflected in the differences between method and user failure rates, the high client satisfaction levels reported with "user failure," and 56% continuation rate at 24 months. The will require in-depth exploration.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed1979

Use of contraceptives prior to and after conception and exposure to other fetal hazards.

In a large prospective study, set up to determine whether reproductive outcomes are affected by prior contraceptive use, 34,344 women were recruited at their first antenatal visit and followed until pregnancy termination. This paper summarizes the study methods and describes the demographic differences between subjects who used various contraceptives shortly before conception, and those who experienced contraceptive failures. Thirty percent of the women had used oral contraceptives (OCs) during the 5 months prior to conception and 2.4% had continued using them after their LMP. IUDs had been used by 5.8% of women before conception and 1.1% after. If these rates are also true for the whole population of the U.S., they indicate that approximately 70,000 babies are born each year following pill-failures and 30,000 following failures of IUD's. Exposure to other fetal hazards was common, with 48% of pregnant women drinking alcohol, 28% smoking, and 15% receiving diagnostic X-rays. OC use was more common among smokers and drinkers, and OC failures were significantly associated with the use of anti-epileptics, aspirin, and with exposure to radiation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Contraception survey: Denmark 1988.

In 1988 a survey** was conducted in 1,033 women living in Denmark, whose ages ranged from 15 to 44 years. The main aims of the study were to identify the influence, if any, of demographic and socioeconomic factors on contraceptive use and to assess the women's knowledge of selected facts concerning their own fertility. The study's additional objectives were to gain insight into factors influencing communication on the subject of contraception, such as advice obtained from professional counsellors, general information dissemination and discussion between partners, and to investigate women's attitudes and opinions regarding contraceptive methods and their use. The results are discussed in relation to the findings of other studies on the use of contraceptives both worldwide and in a number of European countries. The Danish findings are also examined in the context of possible action to reduce the relatively high rate of legally induced abortions in Denmark.

Adolescent↗