Why is it 60-74% effective on women with children compared to 80-91% for women who have never given birth?
ANSWER: The cervical cap needs to hug the cervix tightly. Women who have had vaginal births have cervixes that opened wide to pass the baby through. The cervix may also have been cut on the passage, possibly leaving some scar tissue. When the cervix shrinks back, it can be shaped a bit uneven and rarely returns to its small, button-shaped unpregnant/undelivered size. Women who have delivered babies vaginally will have all varieties of different sizes and shapes to their cervixes. A proper fit, however, makes all the difference in how effective the cap will be. It really comes down to good fit and lots of practice by each woman to place it properly.
Why must a cervical cap must stay in place for 8 hours after
intercourse if male sperm lasts up to 5 days in women´s bodies?
ANSWER: 8 hours is usually sufficient time for the spermicide, which is used with the cap, to deactivate/kill the sperm. The spermicide works primarily through its slightly acid ingredients. Sperm cannot live in an acid environment, which is what our vaginas are like when we are not ovulating. When we ovulate, the secretions in the vagina lose their acidity and keep the sperm alive to travel up the reproductive system. Sperm will live a long time - 5 days or so - under the very best of conditions, like in an alkaline rather than in an acid environment. However, as long as the cap is properly covering the cervix firmly and there is adequate spermicidal jelly, the sperm should not survive.
Is it absolutely necessary to use spermicide with the cervical
cap?
ANSWER: A cervical cap, used by itself, that is on the cervix in a very tight suction - so tight that it becomes very difficult to remove when you want to take it out - may protect you against sperm traveling into the cervix opening. If the cap's suction should slip and you are not using spermicide, you may become pregnant.
Is it possible to determine ovulation 2 or 3 days BEFORE it occurs?
ANSWER: Some women use a number of signs that they have learned to recognize as their own ovulatory signals. It takes practice to learn to know one's own body, but the method is quite simple and can be pretty accurate. One example is observing the vaginal mucus. It will change into what women call "fertile mucus." You may also experience a pain or stitch, which can be the actual egg leaving the ovary. Taking the early morning temperature each day can also help, because your body's temperature rises slightly at ovulation. Women who use these tools keep a daily diary to chart their monthly changes. When you put them all together, it is called fertility awareness.
I see the changes in my cervical mucus, but how can I relate it to a 2-3 days period before ovulation?
ANSWER: The changes occur slowly with a mix of different quality mucus to full blown fertile mucus. This is why it is important to keep a diary for a few months so that you can recognize and follow our own body's changes. Learn more about fertility awareness.
