Patient's question:
Patient Gender:Other: Female
How many days after menstruation should one wait to have sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy?
Doctor's answer:
Safe period contraception refers to avoiding sexual intercourse during the fertile window (the period around ovulation when pregnancy is most likely) without using any contraception methods or undergoing surgery, to achieve the purpose of contraception.Women in their fertile period typically ovulate around the middle of their menstrual cycle, which is known as the ovulation period. After the egg is released, the window for fertilization is within 24 hours. Sperm can survive for 1 to 3 days inside the female reproductive tract if they gain the ability to fertilize in the healthy cervical mucus. If the average menstrual cycle is 28 days, ovulation usually occurs 14 days before the next period. If the exact ovulation time can be determined, avoiding sexual intercourse during the fertile window (5 days before ovulation and 1 week after) can achieve contraception, which is the principle of safe period contraception.
Women in their fertile period should learn to master the following key points about ovulation:
(1) Keep a menstrual diary to track the ovulation period: Start recording from the first day of menstruation and continue for three months. This helps determine the length of your menstrual cycle (the time between two periods), the duration of each period, and thus identify the ovulation period between cycles. Avoiding sexual intercourse during the fertile window before and after ovulation can achieve contraception.
(2) Basal body temperature measurement: Basal body temperature (BBT), also known as resting temperature, refers to the body temperature after 6–8 hours of complete rest. Before going to bed, shake the thermometer down to below 35°C and place it beside the pillow. Upon waking, do not speak, get out of bed, or drink water. Place the thermometer under your tongue to measure the temperature, then