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There are many myths surrounding a woman's menstrual cycle. It is important to have the correct information.
Myth: I can get pregnant at any time of the month.
Truth: During a woman's menstrual cycle, there are a small number of days during which she is likely to get pregnant - a few days before she ovulates and the day she ovulates. These days may not be at the same time every cycle, because she doesn't always ovulate on the same day. Studies on the Standard Days Method™ have shown that the "fertile window", the time during which a woman could get pregnant, is Days 8 through 19 of their menstrual cycles for most women*. This "fertile window" takes into account the days around ovulation as well as the fact that ovulation may occur on different days from one cycle to the next.
Myth: My menstrual cycle is the time when I have my period.
Truth: A woman's menstrual cycle is not the same thing as her period. Her period is just the days when she is actually having menstrual bleeding. Her cycle is the whole time from the beginning of one period until the beginning of the next period. A woman's menstrual cycle begins the first day of her period. It ends just before she starts her next period. So the first day of her period is Day 1 of her cycle. By counting each day, beginning with Day 1, and continuing every day until she starts her next period, a woman can know how long her cycle is. CycleBeads help a woman to keep track of the days of her menstrual cycle from the first day of her period until the day prior to her next period, and help her identify during which days of her cycle it is possible for her to get pregnant.
Myth: I ovulate at the same time every month.
Truth: Most women ovulate around the middle of their cycles, but the exact day they ovulate maybe different from one cycle to another. The Standard Days Method™ helps a woman identify her entire fertile window, taking into account that it is not the same every cycle.
Myth: If I have sex before I ovulate, I won't get pregnant.
Truth: Actually, a woman can get pregnant if she has sex up to five days before she ovulates. That's right -- she can get pregnant on Wednesday if she had sex last Saturday. A man's sperm can live for up to five days in the woman's body. So some sperm could still be in her body - waiting for the egg to come out when she ovulates. The Standard Days Method™ takes into account that there is a "fertile window" during which it is possible for a woman to get pregnant. This fertile window includes a few days before ovulation and the day of ovulation. It also considers that ovulation can happen any time over a period of several days, around the middle of the woman's menstrual cycle. That is why it is important for a woman using the Standard Days Method™ to realize that she could get pregnant if she has sex on Days 8 through 19 of her cycle.
*Arevalo M. et al., Contraception, 2002; 65:333-338.
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