L5.2.4.1.2.1: Standard Days Method (SDM)

• Standard Days Method

  ❖ Identifies a fixed fertile window in the woman’s cycle (8-19 Days) within a regular menstrual cycle ranging from 26-32 days.

  ❖ All other days aside from days 8-19 are considered not fertile.
• Clients use color coded Cycle Beads (each bead refers to a day in the cycle) to mark the fertile and infertile days of her menstrual cycle and to monitor cycle length. Marking the days on the calendar will help.
• Red Bead: Day 1 of the menstrual cycle. (Start of menstruation)
• White Bead: Days when you can get pregnant. (Fertile days)
• Brown Beads: Days when you are unlikely to get pregnant. (Infertile days)
• Dark Brown Bead: Tells you your cycle is shorter than 26 days.
• Criteria To Use

  A woman can only use this method if:

  1. Her menstrual cycle is regular (Periods usually come at the same time)
  2. Cycle is never shorter than 26 days
  3. Cycle is never longer than 32 days

  This is because women might find it challenging to determine their fertile days.
• Applications used with the SDM

  ICycleBeads is a smartphone app that allows a woman to use the SDM through her android or IOS device. The app asks for the woman’s first day of

  the period and creates a calendar or a virtual representation of the Cycle Beads. With a click of a button, this tool informs the woman where she is in her cycle and whether she is on the day where pregnancy is unlikely or not.
• EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SDM METHOD:

  About 5 per 100 women who consistently and correctly use the method and abstain on fertile days become pregnant over the first day of use.