Family Planning

Providing Calendar-BasedMethodsWhen to StartOnce trained, a woman or couple usually can begin using calendar-basedmethods at any time. Give clients who cannot start immediately anothermethod to use until they can start.Woman’s situationHaving regularmenstrual cyclesWhen to startAny time of the monthóNo need to wait until the start of next monthlybleeding.No monthlybleedingAfter childbirth(whether or notbreastfeeding)After miscarriageor abortionSwitching froma hormonalmethodAfter takingemergencycontraceptive pillsóóóóóóóDelay calendar-based methods until monthlybleeding returns.Delay the Standard Days Method until she hashad 3 menstrual cycles and the last one was26–32 days long.Regular cycles will return later in breastfeedingwomen than in women who are not breastfeeding.Delay the Standard Days Method until the startof her next monthly bleeding, when she canstart if she has no bleeding due to injury to thegenital tract.Delay starting the Standard Days Method untilthe start of her next monthly bleeding.If she is switching from injectables, delay theStandard Days Method at least until her repeatinjection would have been given, and then startit at the beginning of her next monthly bleeding.Delay the Standard Days Method until the startof her next monthly bleeding.17Fertility Awareness MethodsProviding Calendar-Based Methods243