Cyclebeads

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/this_is_green/2224717957/)
This is something I read about in a womans magazine article. I found it to be very interesting and something many women do not know about. So I researched the topic online, and this is what I learned. It is a very simple system, however, I do not consider it to be foulproof. it does not work for everyone and is probably only good for women with very predictable cycles.

CycleBeads are a highly effective, inexpensive approach to natural family planning. They make it easy for a woman to track her menstrual cycle and clearly identify the days she could become pregnant and the days when pregnancy is most unlikely. CycleBeads have no side effects due to the lack of hormones or chemicals involved. CycleBeads are based on the Standard Days Method, which works best for women who have regular menstrual cycles (between 26 and 32 days long). In this system, days 1-7 of a woman's menstrual cycle are considered infertile. Days 8-19 are considered fertile. Infertility is considered to resume beginning on day 20. When used to avoid pregnancy, the Standard Days Method has a perfect-use failure rate of 5% per year.

How to use CycleBeads:

CycleBeads consist of a series of color-coded beads that represent a woman's fertile and low fertility days. The color of the bead indicates whether she is likely to be fertile or not.

On the first day of her period the woman puts the rubber ring on the red bead. Each day the ring is moved ahead by one bead, always in the direction of the arrow. When the ring is on the red bead or a dark bead, there is a very low chance of pregnancy. When the ring is on a white bead - Days 8 through 19 - there is a high chance of getting pregnant if she has unprotected intercourse.