How reliable is charting at preventing pregnancy?

[Firiel]

I completely disagree unless the ovulation cycle is very regular and even then I wouldn't take that risk. When I wanted to prevent pregnancy I used condoms with spermicide and the pill. Nothing less.

 

That's fine to disagree about 4.5% being reliable birth control. But the numbers are correct-- those methods combined have a 96.5% efficiency rate. I called it reliable because most people consider the Pill to be reliable birth control, and it's typical use failure rate is 9%, double the rate of the rhythm method and condoms used together.

 

Obviously, your method is even MORE reliable, which is good! Those three methods together create a failure rate of only about .5%, or about the same failure rate as an IUD.

 

ETA: All these numbers assume "typical use" of course... if you are better than the average person about using each method correctly, the failure rates are much lower.

[Batya33]

That's fine to disagree about 4.5% being reliable birth control. But the numbers are correct-- those methods combined have a 96.5% efficiency rate. I called it reliable because most people consider the Pill to be reliable birth control, and it's typical use failure rate is 9%, double the rate of the rhythm method and condoms used together.

 

Obviously, your method is even MORE reliable, which is good! Those three methods together create a failure rate of only about .5%, or about the same failure rate as an IUD.

 

ETA: All these numbers assume "typical use" of course... if you are better than the average person about using each method correctly, the failure rates are much lower.

 

I used to use those methods of birth control when I did not want to become pregnant. I don't think for this OP 4.5% is sufficient. I know that when I used the pill plus condoms the failure rate was less than 4.5% (and, back then, meaning over 20 years ago the failure rate of the pill was less than the 9% you quoted). I also think it depends on whether the person takes it properly and of course doesn't mix with antibiotics.

 

From my perspective, again, in this particular situation I think abstinence is called for since his girlfriend does not seem to care as much about an accidental pregnancy as he does and he doesn't seem to want to go through another situation where she is pregnant.

[redrose85]

Well, charting as a method of birth control led to my friend's beautiful baby girl But, she was using that method for years before she got pregnant accidentally. I'd say if you're prepared for it to happen, then chart. If it would be a very bad thing, use proper birth control.

[Fudgie]

That's a very bad method. She could very well be wrong or miscalculate. I'm sorry to be blunt but if you two have already gone through 1 abortion, i would think that you would want to be extra, extra, extra super careful.

 

There are hormone-free methods for sure. She could get a copper IUD. I have a hormonal IUD and I love mine, never had kids and never want them. You just have to find the right gyno. As for her worrying about "risks", well, there are risks to everything, including charting. Risk that she'll end up with an unwanted pregnancy. That's a pretty darn big risk.

 

If she is very anti-hormone though, why not you two use some barrier methods? Perhaps a (male) condom, spermicide, AND a cervical cap or diaphragm? All at the same time?