Safe Days Calculator

Also Use: Ovulation Calculator, will help you determine your “fertility window”.

Also Use: Due Date Calculator, If you want to know when your precious is coming.

• An unplanned pregnancy can lead to psychological or financial problems for some. Therefore, it is important to be aware of methods to prevent pregnancy, in simple words we call them “contraceptive methods”. There are lots of contraceptive methods available like barrier methods(condoms), intrauterine devices(Cu-T), oral contraceptive pills, safe day calculator method(calendar method) etc.

• In this blog, we’ll focus our attention on the calendar method safe days or safe period chart method. It is important to mention here that among the contraceptive methods, calendar-safe days are not among the best methods to prevent pregnancy.

• We’ll look into what are safe days, what are safe period chart, how to use our safe days calculator, and how to count safe days after period. What is a menstrual cycle calculator?

What are safe days?

Before understanding how to use a safe days calculator? It is important to know what are safe days.  Safe days are those parts of the months or your menstrual cycle when there are very low chances of getting pregnant if you have sexual intercourse.  Having intercourse on a safe day doesn’t ensure that you are 100% safe. The effectiveness of the safe day method is around 88% effective and with perfect use, it is 95% effective.

What are Safe Days or Safe Period Calculator?

After knowing what are safe days? Let's learn about how to use a safe days calculator or a safe period calculator. Safe days calculator has an algorithm which works on the principle that there are only certain fertile days a woman can have and rest days can be safe days.

Ovulation happens on cycle length minus 14 days. To get a rough idea, suppose you have a 28-day menstrual cycle then the 14th day of the cycle is the day of ovulation and around these days you are most likely to get pregnant. To avoid pregnancy, a safe day calculator has set algorithms in which you enter the longest cycle length and shortest cycle length then it gives you results as days in which you can have sexual intercourse and prevent pregnancy.

If you’re wondering how to count safe days after periods manually? Or a safe days calculator for irregular cycle? Or how to maintain a safe day calendar? We’ll be answering these in further sections.

Why is the safe days calculator needed?

Safe Days Calculator is easy to use, here are reasons to use Safe Day Calculator:

1. Easy to use

2. No need to use condoms

3. No need for oral contraceptive pills

4. High effectiveness 

5. Prevention of unwanted pregnancy

6. Natural methods of contraception 

How to count safe days after periods? 

Let's learn the algorithm of a safe period calculator or safe sex days calculator, this method can also be used manually by you to safe Period calculate.

Here are the steps:

1. Starting by counting length 10-12 of menstrual cycle length: Count the length of your menstrual cycle each month starting from day 1 of bleeding to the next month’s day 1 of bleeding. You have to keep tracking your menstrual cycle length even after 10-12 cycles. We’ll discuss the limitations of the safe period calculator, do read those to avoid confusion.

2. Determining the length of the shortest cycle: After counting the length of 10-12 cycles, determine the cycle with the shortest length. For example, suppose someone has the shortest cycle of length 28 days. Now subtract 18 days from it i.e., 28-18 =10. Now the 10th day(counted from the 1st day of bleeding) of your cycle is the first fertile day.

3. Determining the length of the longest cycle: After counting the length of 10-12 cycles, determine the cycle with the longest length. For example, suppose someone has the shortest cycle of length 35 days. Now subtract 11 days from it i.e, 35-11 =24. Now the 24th day(counted from the 1st day of bleeding) of your cycle is the last fertile day.

4. Avoiding sexual intercourse in fertile window days: The safe period calculator or safe days calculator works on the principle and gives you days on which you can have sexual intercourse by avoiding intercourse on fertile days and if you want to get pregnant try in fertile days.

5. Keep tracking your menstrual cycle: Keep tracking your menstrual cycle to avoid discrepancy and update your fertile days, if you find a new shortest cycle or longest cycle.

What is a Safe Period Chart And How do you use it to know days after periods?

A more modern approach for a safe days calculator for not getting pregnant is the standard days method or safe period chart method. Here’s how to use it:

1. This method works best if you have cycles of length 26-32 days.

2. Start by counting each day of the cycle starting from day 1 of menses(bleeding) to next month's 1st day of menses.

3. From day 1 of the cycle to day 7, you are considered to be infertile. You can have unprotected sex.

4. From day 8 to day 19, you are considered fertile, try on these days to become pregnant 

5. From day 20 onwards you can again have unprotected sex.

6. Start again with day 1 of your next cycle.

Situations in which the safe period calculator does not work

What are the Limitations of a Safe Days calculator? What Are situations in which a safe period calculator does not work? Here are the conditions safe period chart or calculator does not work and its limitations:]

1. No use in irregular cycles: People with Irregular cycles cannot use it.

2. No protection from STIs: If you want protection from STIs, it cannot prevent sexually transmitted diseases 

3. If you cannot Abstinence or have a backup: Abstinence from sex or a backup method when not on safe days.

4. If you find it difficult to track cycles: Needs several months of tracking of cycles, which can be annoying for some.

5. If you have Abnormal uterine bleeding(pain, or irregular menses): If you have severe pain during menses or irregular cycles then other methods like pills can help regularising cycles and prevent pain during menses.

Does the Safe Period calculator help?

he effectiveness of a safe days calculator can be greater, if you use it correctly considering you have regular cycles, a not-too-short length and not too long. Here are reasons why people consider the safe period chart method helpful: 

1. No need to consume pills.

2. No need for implantable or injectable methods of contraception

3. It is Free and inexpensive

4. Natural method

5. Effective, if used correctly

6. Reversible means if you want to get pregnant you can get pregnant, it is not the same case with pills or implants.

7. Prevents side effects of other methods of contraception like pills, or Intrauterine devices.

Other methods to avoid unwanted pregnancy

After getting through safe days for not getting pregnant, Let’s have a look at other methods of Contraception to avoid pregnancy:

1. barrier methods like Condoms, cervical caps, spermicides, diaphragm etc.

2. Abstinence, not having sex prevents unwanted pregnancy.

3. Oral contraceptive pills or Injectables.

4. Intrauterine devices like Cu-T(copper T).

5. Sterilisation surgeries like tubal ligation or vasectomy

Take Home-points

1. A safe period calculator to avoid pregnancy is an effective method if used correctly.

2. Safe days are those parts of the months or your menstrual cycle when there are very low chances of getting pregnant if you have sexual intercourse. 

3. Having intercourse on a safe day doesn’t ensure that you are 100% safe. Effectiveness varies between 88-95%.

4. You have to track your 10-12 cycles, before starting to use the safe period method.

5. For easy you can use the safe days calendar or standard days method.

6. You can use the Sprint Medical Safe Days calculator if you’re finding it difficult to do the maths by yourself.

7. The benefits of using a safe period chart are it is easy to use, prevents side effects of oral pills or injectables, is reversible etc.

8. The limitation of a safe sex day calculator is that it cannot be used for irregular cycles if you cannot abstain or cannot use a backup method during unsafe days.

9. Other methods to prevent unwanted pregnancy are abstinence from sex, barrier methods, oral contraceptive pills, Intrauterine devices etc.

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References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010782402002883

2. https://www.jabfm.org/content/22/2/147.short

3. https://www.datocms-assets.com/21281/1662539230-contraceptive-technologies_failure-rates-table-2018.pdf