Lancet (London, England), 2(7788), 1193-1194, 1972
Ovulation method of family planning
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- St Vincent's HospitalMelbourne
Abstract not indexed. Read at publisher
Topics
Billings ovulation method family planning 1972, Billings JJ ovulation method cervical mucus natural family planning, ovulation method Lancet Billings original description, cervical mucus method natural fertility regulation, Billings method fertility awareness contraception, natural family planning ovulation detection mucus symptom, ovulation method effectiveness Catholic family planning, fertility awareness based method Billings 1972 Lancet
PMID 4117608 4117608 DOI 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92610-4 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92610-4
Cite this article
Billings, J. J. (1972). Ovulation method of family planning. Lancet (London, England), 2(7788), 1193-1194. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92610-4
Billings JJ. Ovulation method of family planning. Lancet. 1972;2(7788):1193-1194. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(72)92610-4
Billings, J. J. "Ovulation method of family planning." Lancet (London, England), vol. 2, no. 7788, 1972, pp. 1193-1194.
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The Billings method
Delangue AF, 1993·Soins Gynecol Obstet Pueric Pediatr
The Billings method, or cervical mucus method, is a natural family planning method developed during the 1970s by the Australian physicians John and Evelyn Billings. The method requires periodic abstinence during the periods recognized as fertile according to the characteristics of the mucus. The method can be used to avoid pregnancy or to favor it through identification of the day of maximum fecundity. The method does not alter the natural rhythms of the body or entail unpleasant side effects. At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, the cervix is closed by a mucus plug and the sperm survive less than two hours in the acidic environment of the vagina. Several days before ovulation, the cervix begins to secrete mucus that will protect the sperm from the acidity of the vagina and permit their passage to the uterus. Thus protected, the sperm can survive up to four days. Mucus at this stage has an elastic quality. After ovulation, the mucus thickens and becomes increasingly impenetrable to sperm. It feels sticky and gelatinous. The Billings method requires observation of the sensation of wetness or dryness and the characteristics of the mucus. Each evening the woman should note that day's observations on a chart. The "peak day" is the last day of elastic mucus that gives a sensation of wetness. The peak day is the most visible sign of ovulation and can be recognized only on the next day. The three days following the peak day are considered fertile, because ovulation can occur up to 48 hours after the peak and the ovum can survive up to 24 hours. If the Billings method is used to avoid pregnancy, intercourse should be avoided during menstruation as the appearance of mucus may be masked in a short cycle. Intercourse is permissible in the evening of every second day until the appearance of the mucus.
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Cervical mucus as a biological sign of fertility and infertility
Billings JJ, 1984·Contracept Fertil Sex (Paris)
The ovulation method makes women aware of certain changes in their cervical mucus. These modifications help to distinguish the beginning and end of the cycle's fertile period and indicate the time of maximum fertility. In addition to pinpointing the date of ovulation, the method permits the user to know she is not fertile when there is no ovulation. The principle of the method is the state of "basic infertility" which preceeds follicular development. The method cannot be implemented with success unless it is properly acquired. After some preliminary considerations regarding the fertile period, ovluation detection and periodic abstinence, some clinical and hormonal observations are compared in 2 basic studies in order to show to what extent cervical mucus reflects ovarian activity. The application of the method requires an understanding of the "basic infertility profile" and 2 sets of rules regarding the 1st days and the peak sign which indicate respectively the beginning and end of the fertile period. The criteria of an ideal birth control method and the importance of proper teaching are also dealt with. With regard to Natural Family Planning, 2 problems are pointed out--incomplete terminology in data collection and absence of a positive and detailed approach to periodic abstinence. (author's modified)
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The ovulation method of family planning
France JT, 1973·IPPF Med Bull
The ovulation method of family planning relies on self-recognition of physiological changes occuring around time of ovulation rather than a calendar to enable a couple to avoid sexual intercourse during the fertile period. The most practical signs are elevated basal body temperature, changes in the amount and physicochemical properties of cervical mucus, and ovulation pain. The basal body temperature rises about .3 degrees C following ovulation. The problem with this method is that it is retrospective. The mucus symptoms, as described by Billings and associates in Melbourne, Australia, 1) a variable number of days with no vaginal discharge following menstrual bleeding; 2) onset of mucus symptoms characterized by increasing quantities of ''cloudy'' or ''sticky'' secretion; 3) a clear, slippery lubricative mucus having the characteristics of raw white of egg (spinnbarkeit), which is an immediate forwarning of ovulation; 4) a variable period of thick, opaque, diminished volume discharge followed by dry days. The clear ''peak symptom'' mucus lasts 1-2 days; in a study of 22 women followed for 27 cycles this symptom occurred .9 days +3 or -2 days before ovulation. The problem is that 2 of the 22 cycles reported in detail had ovulation 3 days after the peak symptom and 1 had ovulation 4 days after. Intercourse on the 4th day, therefore, would have had a significant risk of pregnancy. Weissman and associates collected data on 282 women on the Pacific island of Tonga who used the mucus symptoms alone to control conception. In the 2503 cycles there were 53 unplanned pregnancies, 25.4 per 100 woman-years using the Pearl formula. 50 resulted from the couples ''taking a chance,'' 2 misunderstood the method, 28 abandoned the method because they wanted more children, and 1 woman became pregnant even though she thought she understood the method. Field trials with groups who are more motivated than those in the Tongan trial are needed.
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