Question: Dear Dr, What are the safe days in my cycle? Jackie.
Dear Jackie,
Safe days refer to the period along the menstrual cycle when a woman cannot become pregnant besides use of any other family planning methods like the barrier or hormonal methods.
A menstrual cycle is the monthly series of changes a woman’s body goes through in preparation for the possibility of pregnancy. Each month, one of the ovaries releases an egg; a process called ovulation.
At the same time, hormonal changes prepare the uterus for pregnancy. If ovulation takes place and the egg is not fertilised, the lining of the uterus sheds through the vagina; termed as the menstrual period.
So, a menstrual cycle runs from the first day of the menstrual period to the day just before the start of the next menstrual period.
A normal menstrual cycle ranges between 21 and 35 days, however the majority of women have a 28 days cycle. I will also stress that it is normal for a menstrual to change as long as it is still in the above said normal range. Determination of safe days requires one to have understood and followed their menstrual cycle very well and also have the knowledge of the fertile phase of the cycle.
To understand the fertile phase, it is important to know that ovulation always occurs around the mid-cycle. For example, if the cycle is 28 days, ovulation is expected on the 14th day of the cycle (counting from the first day of the last immediate period).
Because cycles usually change – in that this month it may be 28 days, then next month it gets to 26 or even 32 days – ovulation days will also change accordingly. Therefore, ovulation phase is not a single day but a set of days in the mid-menstrual cycle starting from Day 10 to day 18, all counted from the first day of the last menstrual period.
Safe days will be the other dry (when out of period) days of the cycle, although extra care must be taken especially from day eight to day 10 because sperms can stay alive in a woman’s body for up to five days; meaning there is a small chance that pregnancy can occur. So, using a condom on those days is highly recommended.
