Human BIO108: Biology
UNC-Asheville, s2008
Fertility Awareness
What is it?
Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) is a set of practices used to determine a woman's fertile and infertile phases in woman' order to avoid or achieve pregnancy, pinpointing when a woman is most fertile, when ovulation has occurred, and when she might be pregnant.
How does it work?
There are four components of tracking fertility: 1) menstruation 2) waking temperature/basal body temperature 3) cervical fluid 4) cervical position
Menstruation
By tracking menstrual cycles, ovulation can be predicted according to the number of days within the cycles. Ovulation usually occurs 14-15 days before menses 14(menstrual bleeding).
Waking Temperature/Basal Body Temperature
Cervical Fluid
Body temperature rises and falls in a consistent pattern Ovulation causes a woman's temperature to remain woman' elevated for about 2 weeks FAM looks for this rise to tell when post-ovulation occurs post-
Secreted by the woman's body before ovulation to woman' improve the sperms' chances for survival and of sperms' reaching the ovum (egg) No cervical fluid is known as a "dry" or "safe" day dry" safe"
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BIO108: Human Biology
UNC-Asheville, s2008
Cervical Position
How does ovulation Ovulation work?
occurs when a mature egg is released from the ovary, swept into the fallopian tube, and is available to be fertilized Ovulation typically occurs 14 days before next bleeding period the fertile window can start a few days before that. A woman's ovum (egg) only lives for about 24 hours, but woman' because the life span of a man's sperm is longer, the man' "window of fertility" is about six days. fertility" Under the best conditions, sperm may live in the uterus and fallopian tubes for a maximum of 6 days.
The cervix is the muscular opening of the cervix During ovulation, the cervix becomes softer, opens, and raises its position At infertile times, it is low, closed, and firm
Ovulation Video
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/o...