Advantages & Disadvantages of the Birth Control Rhythm Method

Women who experience a normal menstrual cycle release a mature egg approximately 2 weeks after their last menstrual period. This process is known as ovulation. The egg eventually makes its way into the fallopian tubes awaiting fertilization. In healthy men, the average amount of sperm transferred during ejaculation can range between 50 and 150 million. But only one will penetrate the egg and fertilize it. According to the American Pregnancy Association, if the egg does not become fertilized, menstruation results. Contraception methods such as the rhythm method are intended to impede the fertilization process.

What is the Rhythm Method?

• Natural Fertility Management explains that the rhythm method is a form of contraception that, if performed successfully, has an approximately 98 percent success rate. In order to use the rhythm method you must keep a calendar and be aware of your period length, daily morning basal temperature and cervical mucus changes. Each of these important factors will give you insight into when you ovulate and when your most fertile time of the month is.

The Calendar

• For women who have the time and inclination to keep careful documentation of their periods and note their biological changes for a complete year prior to implementing the rhythm method, the form of contraception can be quite successful. But for a woman who is unable to keep up with the changes in her body, or has an irregular period, the success rate of the rhythm method significantly declines. In fact, Birth Control Solutions reports that the menstrual cycle is broken into three phases: the pre-infertility phase, the fertility phase and the post-infertility phase. Because the rhythm method assumes that fertility begins in the precise middle of the menstrual cycle, women who are irregular cannot depend on it as a contraceptive method.

Side Effects

• One of the most positive advantages of the rhythm method is the fact that no devices need to be inserted and no medications must be ingested. Thus, there are no unhealthy side effects. According to Brown University, oral contraceptives pose a risk of high blood pressure, decreased sex drive, blood clots and certain cancers. The rhythm method causes none of these risks and can also be discontinued at any time without the worry of infertility problems.

Cost

• Birth control medications and implanted forms of contraception can be quite costly, especially if you do not have a prescription plan that covers them. Aetna explains that there are no costs to consider while using the rhythm method. Therefore, if finances are an issue, or you are on a tight budget, the rhythm method can provide a free form of contraception for women with predictable cycles. And for women who are unsure of their future pregnancy plans, the rhythm method lacks the permanent effects of surgery.

Abstinence

• During the height of fertility, abstinence is suggested to prevent pregnancy when the rhythm method is being used. For some women, the uncertainty of knowing "exactly" when this fertile time is makes the method less appealing. The inability to be spontaneous during the fertile period is another disadvantage. But, for women who have their fertile days well plotted on their calendar and are willing to forsake spontaneity in exchange for a healthier way to avoid pregnancy, the rhythm method may be advantageous.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

• According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, those between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Unfortunately, the rhythm method offers no defense against STDs and should therefore be used only by married couples in trusted relationships or couples who are fully committed to their relationship.