1.

Normal Methods
The world is already teeming with people today. Some countries have reached
overpopulation and could not almost feed all the mouths of its countrymen.
Overpopulation is now considered an international crisis, and it is not only the job of the
government to taper the overgrowth. As healthcare providers, we must be able to educate
our clients on the methods of family planning that can immensely help the world in the
control of the population.
Contraceptives are products used to prevent pregnancy by women and men. Each
individual has their own choice in what contraceptive they want to use, so you must
assess their preference first before providing the best contraceptive for them. There are
Assesment of Natural Methods; first, A pregnancy test must be performed first to make
sure that the woman seeking for birth control is not presently pregnant. Second, Assess
for the OB history of the client, any past sexually transmitted diseases, the status of the
past pregnancies, and if they have used a family planning method that did not turn out
effective. Third, Assess subjectively the needs, preferences, desires, and feelings of the
client regarding family planning. And the last, Assess the sexual practices of the client,
the frequency, the number of their sexual partners, and if they have any allergies to latex.
The natural family planning methods do not include any chemical or foreign body
introduction into the human body. Most people who are very conscious of their religious
beliefs are more inclined to use the natural way of birth control. Some want to use natural
methods because it is more cost effective. There are the abstinence This natural method
involves abstaining from sexual intercourse and is the most effective natural birth control
method with ideally 0% fail rate. It is also the most effective way to avoid STIs.
However, most people find it difficult to comply with abstinence, so only a few of them
use this method.
First is the calendar methods. Also called as the rhythm method, this natural
method of family planning involves refraining from coitus during the days that the
woman is fertile. According to the menstrual cycle, 3 or 4 days before and 3 or 4 days
after ovulation, the woman is likely to conceive. The process in calculating for the
woman’s safe days is achieved when the woman records her menstrual cycle for six
months. She subtracts 18 from the shortest cycle and the difference is the first fertile day.
She also subtracts 11 from the longest cycle, and this becomes the last fertile day.
Starting from the first fertile day until the last day, the woman should avoid coitus to
avoid conception. It has an ideal fail rate of 5%, but when used it has a typical fail rate of
25%.
Second method is The basal body temperature. The basal body temperature is the
woman’s temperature at rest. BBT falls at 0.5⁰F before the day of ovulation and during
ovulation, it rises to a full degree because of progesterone and maintains its level
throughout the menstrual cycle, and this is the basis for the method. The woman must
take her temperature early every morning before any activity, and if she notices that there
is a slight decrease and then an increase in her temperature, this is a sign that she has
ovulated. The woman must abstain from coitus for the next 3 days. The BBT method has
an ideal fail rate of 9% and has a typical use fail rate of 25%.
Third method is cervical mucus method. The basis of this method is the changes
in the cervical mucus during ovulation. To check if the woman is ovulating, the cervical
mucus must be copious, thin, and watery. The cervical mucus must exhibit the property
of spinnbarkeit, wherein it can be stretched up until at least 1 inch and feels slippery. The
fertile days of a woman according to this method is as long as the cervical mucus is
copious and watery and a day after it. Therefore, she must avoid coitus during these days.
When used typically, it has a fail rate of 25%.
Next, Ovulation Detection. The ovulation detection method is an over-the-counter
kit that can predict ovulation through the surge of luteinizing hormone that happens 12 to
24 hours before ovulation. The kit requires the urine specimen of the woman to detect the
LH. The kit is 98% to 99% accurate and is fast becoming the method of choice by
women.
Then, Lactation Amenorrhea Method. Through exclusive breastfeeding of the
infant, the woman is able to suppress ovulation through the method of lactation
amenorrhea method. However, if the infant is not exclusively breastfed, this method
would not be an effective birth control method. It is also best to advise the woman that
after 3 months of exclusive breastfeeding, she must make plans of choosing another
method of contraception.
 The last is Coitus Interruptus. This is one of the oldest methods of contraception.
The couple still proceeds with the coitus, but the man withdraws the moment he
ejaculates to emit the spermatozoa outside of the vagina. The disadvantage of this method
is the pre-ejaculation fluid that contains a few spermatozoa that may cause fertilization.
Coitus interruptus is only 75% effective because of this.