One of the few known methods of natural contraception is the mucus method. It was developed by a couple from Australia and is known from their last name as the Billings method. This method consists in observing the cervical mucus during the menstrual cycle and on this basis determining the fertile days when sexual abstinence is required.
Certainly, the advantage in this situation is less emphasis on counting days according to the calendar, or observing body temperature and keeping full notes. There are also drawbacks to this method, as it is undoubtedly necessary to learn to distinguish the characteristics of fertile mucus from infertile, which indicates the days when intercourse is “safe”. How to tell the difference between the two types of mucus? These differences are due to hormonal changes. The pre-ovulatory increase in estrogen affects the cervical mucus, increasing its amount and making it slippery, transparent and malleable. A characteristic feature of the so-called fertile mucus is its “extensibility”, and it is most often observed during ovulation, when it is said that the mucus is at its peak. Fertile days are counted from the moment this mucus appears and additionally for 4 consecutive days. In the second phase of the cycle, the second most important hormone, progesterone, plays a major role, making the mucus thick, sticky and sticky. To sum up: “safe” days are counted from the 4th day from the last day of fertile mucus, during the observation of thick mucus, until the first changes and features of fertile mucus reappear.
Another disadvantage of the method is, unfortunately, its failure as a contraceptive method for natural family planning. It has been calculated that the Pearl Index, which tells about the number of pregnancies per 100 women using a specific method of contraception for 1 year, ranges from 1 to 23 for this method. This proves that almost every 4-5 pairs using this method of contraception will have a partner into an “unplanned” pregnancy.
Text: Katarzyna Kuśmierczyk
Read also about the thermal method