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TwoDay Method®:
Top 15 Most Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the TwoDay Method®?
The TwoDay Method is a natural, fertility awareness method based on the presence of cervical secretions as the sign of a woman’s
fertility. A TwoDay Method user considers herself fertile “today” if: (1) she notices any cervical secretions today (of any type, color,
consistency, stretchiness, etc), or (2) she noticed any secretions yesterday. If she did not notice any cervical secretions today or
yesterday (two consecutive days with no noticeable secretions) her probability of pregnancy “today” is very low. A woman with any
cycle length can use the TwoDay Method.

In a clinical trial, the TwoDay Method was found to be 97% effective, as well as easy for women to learn and use correctly.1
Subsequent studies determined that more than 90% of couples who chose the method liked it and would recommend it to others
and that most providers are confident in their clients’ ability to use it. It also fits well into routine family planning counseling, as the
time required to counsel on the method is comparable to other modern family planning methods.2


2. Does the TwoDay Method take into account different types of secretions or other fertility signs?
When researchers were developing the TwoDay Method, they recognized that the common characteristic of all fertile days is the
presence of noticeable cervical secretions, while other signs and symptoms of fertility are much more variable.3 Further, research
shows that women do not need to learn how to distinguish between the different types of secretions to determine when they are
fertile. All they need to know is how to check for the presence or absence of secretions, regardless of characteristics. This has
important implications for effectiveness (ease of use increases correct use) and for programmatic feasibility (requires less training for
providers and less time to teach it to clients).


3. Why are secretions an indicator of fertility?
Cervical secretions are a highly reliable indicator of fertility because:
•	 The cervix produces secretions in response to hormonal signals from the ovary. Thus, they are produced in very close sync with
   the processes leading to and immediately following ovulation.
•	 Secretions are an integral, necessary part of the fertilization process. They are necessary for sperm to enter the uterus, gain the
   capacity to swim to meet the egg and penetrate the egg’s outer layers to fertilize it. These steps are necessary for fertilization to
   happen, and none can occur if there are no cervical secretions.4


4. Why does the algorithm call for TWO days (and not just days with secretions)?
Secretions do not “disappear” until one or two days after ovulation, and the viable lifespan of the egg is 12-24 hours post ovulation.
Thus, it is unlikely that the egg will still be viable (able to be fertilized) by the time secretions are no longer noticeable (and
fertilization cannot occur in the absence of secretions). To make the probability of pregnancy even smaller, the TwoDay Method marks
the first “dry” day as still potentially fertile. This makes the method significantly more effective, by adding just one more day in which
unprotected intercourse should be avoided.


5. Why does the TwoDay Method not use a fixed number of days?
The TwoDay Method was developed precisely because some women prefer a method based on their body’s signs and symptoms of
fertility. Days considered fertile by the TwoDay Method are identified based on physiological events of each individual woman and
                         I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G
are specific for that cycle. The actual number of days identified as fertile may vary from woman to woman and from cycle to cycle.
On average, TwoDay Method users will identify 12-13 days as potentially fertile each cycle.5 In reality, not all days with secretions are
actually fertile. Strictly speaking, some secretions just indicate that fertility will start very soon or has just ended. But by considering
all days with secretions as potentially fertile, the method becomes more effective as well as easier to use.


6. How do women check for the presence of secretions?
Women can check for secretions by seeing or touching them in their underwear or on toilet paper. Some women prefer to touch
their external genitals (vulva). Many women soon learn to detect the presence of secretions just by the sensation they feel in their
genital area, without needing to touch or see them. TwoDay Method users are counseled to check for secretions in whichever way
they prefer.


7. Do women often confuse sweat, semen, and/or water for secretions?
Most women easily distinguish their cervical secretions from other fluids. Many already are aware of their secretions prior to learning
about the TwoDay Method, even though they did not know that secretions were related to their fertility. Almost all of them are able
to see and feel the difference between secretions and other moisture (such as semen, sweat, or water) that they feel in the genital
area.


8. What about if a woman has an infection?
In TwoDay Method counseling, women are not taught to distinguish “normal” cervical secretions from infectious or other abnormal
vaginal discharge. Thus, users could indeed misinterpret abnormal vaginal discharge as a sign of fertility.6 However, TwoDay Method
users are taught that if they notice secretions for more than 14 consecutive days, they should consult with their health care provider,
who would then diagnose and treat them or refer them to another provider. Clients may consider using another method until their
situation is resolved.


9. Can postpartum women use the TwoDay Method? Breastfeeding women?
Postpartum women, whether or not they are breastfeeding, can use the TwoDay Method. However, there are a number of issues to
consider. Secretions can be difficult to notice and interpret before the return of menstruation (amenorrhea), when women may have
many days with secretions even when they are not ovulating. For these women, following the TwoDay Method algorithm would result
in extended avoidance of unprotected sex, even though they are not fertile. Breastfeeding women may continue to have non-fertile
secretions during the first few cycles after the return of menstruation. If a woman wants to use the TwoDay Method at this time, she
should be counseled that she is likely to have secretions that do not indicate fertility, particularly before she has her first post-partum
menses.7


10. What about days with menstruation?
The TwoDay Method considers days with menstruation as non-fertile, since the probability of pregnancy is very low on these days.
The days that pass between menstruation and ovulation are more than enough for sperm to lose their potential to fertilize the egg
(the viable lifespan of the sperm is up to five days).8


11. What about women who are on medications?
Most medications do not interfere with the production of secretions. Antihistamines may dry them up, making them more difficult
to detect and also making fertilization less likely. However, if a woman is taking a medication that her health care provider considers
may interfere with detection of secretions, or if she is having difficulty noticing them, she should consider using another method while
she is on the medication. If she plans to take the medication for an extended period of time, she should consider changing to another
method.


12. Are family planning providers able to offer this method?


                                                                                                                                                  2
Studies have shown that providers can be trained to offer the TwoDay Method in a relatively short time – usually no more than
two to three hours. With this preparation and adequate supervision, they are able to counsel women appropriately on the TwoDay
                         I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G
Method. In addition, providers who offer the TwoDay Method report that their clients are interested in the method and that they are
confident their clients can use the TwoDay Method correctly.9 In the TwoDay Method efficacy trial, approximately two-thirds of the
providers were facility-based, and the remainder were community health workers, suggesting that the TwoDay Method can be offered
equally well by different levels of providers.10


13. Do women and their partners like this method?
Over 90% of women and men who participated in the efficacy study in Peru, Guatemala, and the Philippines, as well as those in a
recent study in Peru, reported that they liked the method, found it easy to use and planned to continue using it after the study ended.
11, 12
       Many women report that they like the TwoDay Method because it has no side effects and, once they have learned to use it, does
not require return visits to a health care provider or any additional cost.


14. Are there particular charts or other materials a woman needs to use the TwoDay Method? Are there
any materials available for providers to use to teach the method?
All a woman needs is a way to keep track of whether she had secretions “yesterday” or “today”. A simple reminder card has been
developed and tested for this purpose. Training materials and job aids for providers also are available. Please refer to
http://www.irh.org/resources-TDM.htm to download these materials in English, French, and Spanish.


15. Can women start using the TwoDay Method any time during their menstrual cycle? Or do they need
to wait until the start of a new cycle?
Research has shown that women can learn and begin to use the TwoDay Method at any time during the cycle. There is no need to
impose a medical barrier by requiring women to wait until they start a new cycle. However, women should be advised that if they
are beyond the seventh day of their cycles and have had unprotected intercourse after day seven, they may already by pregnant – and
should be counseled accordingly.13




                                                                                                                                                 3
               4301 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 310, Washington, D.C. 20008 USA | irhinfo@georgetown.edu | www.irh.org


                        I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G
1
  Arévalo, M., Jennings V., Nikula M., and Sinai I. (2004). “Efficacy of the new TwoDay Method of family planning”. Fertility and Sterility 82(4):885-892.
2
  Jennings,V., Sinai, I., Sacieta, L., Lundgren, R. (2011). “TwoDay Method: a Quick Start Approach”. Contraception. 84(2):144-9.
3
  Sinai I, Jennings V, Arévalo M. (1999). “The TwoDay Algorithm: a new algorithm to identify the fertile time of the menstrual cycle”. Contraception.
   60(2):65-70.
4
  Odeblad, E. (1997), “Cervical Mucus and their Functions”. Journal of the Irish College of Physicians and Surgeons 26:27-32.
5
  Sinai, I., Jennings,V., Arévalo, M. (1999). “The TwoDay Algorithm: a new algorithm to identify the fertile time of the menstrual cycle”. Contraception.
   60(2):65-70.
6
  Arévalo, M., Jennings V., Nikula M., and Sinai I. (2004). “Efficacy of the new TwoDay Method of family planning”. Fertility and Sterility 82(4):885-892.
7
  Arévalo, M., Jennings V., and Sinai I. (2003). “Application of simple fertility awareness–based methods of family planning to breastfeeding women”.
   Fertility and Sterility 80(5): 1241-1248.
8
  Wilcox, A, Weinberg C, Baird D. “Post-ovulatory aging of the human oocyte and embryo failure”. Human Reproduction. 1998; 13:394-397
9
  Ibid.
10
   Arévalo, M., Jennings V., Nikula M., and Sinai I. (2004). “Efficacy of the new TwoDay Method of family planning”. Fertility and Sterility 82(4):885-892.
11
   Ibid.
12
   Ibid.
13
   Ibid.




                            I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G            4

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The TwoDay Method® Top 15 FAQs

  • 1. TwoDay Method®: Top 15 Most Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is the TwoDay Method®? The TwoDay Method is a natural, fertility awareness method based on the presence of cervical secretions as the sign of a woman’s fertility. A TwoDay Method user considers herself fertile “today” if: (1) she notices any cervical secretions today (of any type, color, consistency, stretchiness, etc), or (2) she noticed any secretions yesterday. If she did not notice any cervical secretions today or yesterday (two consecutive days with no noticeable secretions) her probability of pregnancy “today” is very low. A woman with any cycle length can use the TwoDay Method. In a clinical trial, the TwoDay Method was found to be 97% effective, as well as easy for women to learn and use correctly.1 Subsequent studies determined that more than 90% of couples who chose the method liked it and would recommend it to others and that most providers are confident in their clients’ ability to use it. It also fits well into routine family planning counseling, as the time required to counsel on the method is comparable to other modern family planning methods.2 2. Does the TwoDay Method take into account different types of secretions or other fertility signs? When researchers were developing the TwoDay Method, they recognized that the common characteristic of all fertile days is the presence of noticeable cervical secretions, while other signs and symptoms of fertility are much more variable.3 Further, research shows that women do not need to learn how to distinguish between the different types of secretions to determine when they are fertile. All they need to know is how to check for the presence or absence of secretions, regardless of characteristics. This has important implications for effectiveness (ease of use increases correct use) and for programmatic feasibility (requires less training for providers and less time to teach it to clients). 3. Why are secretions an indicator of fertility? Cervical secretions are a highly reliable indicator of fertility because: • The cervix produces secretions in response to hormonal signals from the ovary. Thus, they are produced in very close sync with the processes leading to and immediately following ovulation. • Secretions are an integral, necessary part of the fertilization process. They are necessary for sperm to enter the uterus, gain the capacity to swim to meet the egg and penetrate the egg’s outer layers to fertilize it. These steps are necessary for fertilization to happen, and none can occur if there are no cervical secretions.4 4. Why does the algorithm call for TWO days (and not just days with secretions)? Secretions do not “disappear” until one or two days after ovulation, and the viable lifespan of the egg is 12-24 hours post ovulation. Thus, it is unlikely that the egg will still be viable (able to be fertilized) by the time secretions are no longer noticeable (and fertilization cannot occur in the absence of secretions). To make the probability of pregnancy even smaller, the TwoDay Method marks the first “dry” day as still potentially fertile. This makes the method significantly more effective, by adding just one more day in which unprotected intercourse should be avoided. 5. Why does the TwoDay Method not use a fixed number of days? The TwoDay Method was developed precisely because some women prefer a method based on their body’s signs and symptoms of fertility. Days considered fertile by the TwoDay Method are identified based on physiological events of each individual woman and I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G
  • 2. are specific for that cycle. The actual number of days identified as fertile may vary from woman to woman and from cycle to cycle. On average, TwoDay Method users will identify 12-13 days as potentially fertile each cycle.5 In reality, not all days with secretions are actually fertile. Strictly speaking, some secretions just indicate that fertility will start very soon or has just ended. But by considering all days with secretions as potentially fertile, the method becomes more effective as well as easier to use. 6. How do women check for the presence of secretions? Women can check for secretions by seeing or touching them in their underwear or on toilet paper. Some women prefer to touch their external genitals (vulva). Many women soon learn to detect the presence of secretions just by the sensation they feel in their genital area, without needing to touch or see them. TwoDay Method users are counseled to check for secretions in whichever way they prefer. 7. Do women often confuse sweat, semen, and/or water for secretions? Most women easily distinguish their cervical secretions from other fluids. Many already are aware of their secretions prior to learning about the TwoDay Method, even though they did not know that secretions were related to their fertility. Almost all of them are able to see and feel the difference between secretions and other moisture (such as semen, sweat, or water) that they feel in the genital area. 8. What about if a woman has an infection? In TwoDay Method counseling, women are not taught to distinguish “normal” cervical secretions from infectious or other abnormal vaginal discharge. Thus, users could indeed misinterpret abnormal vaginal discharge as a sign of fertility.6 However, TwoDay Method users are taught that if they notice secretions for more than 14 consecutive days, they should consult with their health care provider, who would then diagnose and treat them or refer them to another provider. Clients may consider using another method until their situation is resolved. 9. Can postpartum women use the TwoDay Method? Breastfeeding women? Postpartum women, whether or not they are breastfeeding, can use the TwoDay Method. However, there are a number of issues to consider. Secretions can be difficult to notice and interpret before the return of menstruation (amenorrhea), when women may have many days with secretions even when they are not ovulating. For these women, following the TwoDay Method algorithm would result in extended avoidance of unprotected sex, even though they are not fertile. Breastfeeding women may continue to have non-fertile secretions during the first few cycles after the return of menstruation. If a woman wants to use the TwoDay Method at this time, she should be counseled that she is likely to have secretions that do not indicate fertility, particularly before she has her first post-partum menses.7 10. What about days with menstruation? The TwoDay Method considers days with menstruation as non-fertile, since the probability of pregnancy is very low on these days. The days that pass between menstruation and ovulation are more than enough for sperm to lose their potential to fertilize the egg (the viable lifespan of the sperm is up to five days).8 11. What about women who are on medications? Most medications do not interfere with the production of secretions. Antihistamines may dry them up, making them more difficult to detect and also making fertilization less likely. However, if a woman is taking a medication that her health care provider considers may interfere with detection of secretions, or if she is having difficulty noticing them, she should consider using another method while she is on the medication. If she plans to take the medication for an extended period of time, she should consider changing to another method. 12. Are family planning providers able to offer this method? 2 Studies have shown that providers can be trained to offer the TwoDay Method in a relatively short time – usually no more than two to three hours. With this preparation and adequate supervision, they are able to counsel women appropriately on the TwoDay I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G
  • 3. Method. In addition, providers who offer the TwoDay Method report that their clients are interested in the method and that they are confident their clients can use the TwoDay Method correctly.9 In the TwoDay Method efficacy trial, approximately two-thirds of the providers were facility-based, and the remainder were community health workers, suggesting that the TwoDay Method can be offered equally well by different levels of providers.10 13. Do women and their partners like this method? Over 90% of women and men who participated in the efficacy study in Peru, Guatemala, and the Philippines, as well as those in a recent study in Peru, reported that they liked the method, found it easy to use and planned to continue using it after the study ended. 11, 12 Many women report that they like the TwoDay Method because it has no side effects and, once they have learned to use it, does not require return visits to a health care provider or any additional cost. 14. Are there particular charts or other materials a woman needs to use the TwoDay Method? Are there any materials available for providers to use to teach the method? All a woman needs is a way to keep track of whether she had secretions “yesterday” or “today”. A simple reminder card has been developed and tested for this purpose. Training materials and job aids for providers also are available. Please refer to http://www.irh.org/resources-TDM.htm to download these materials in English, French, and Spanish. 15. Can women start using the TwoDay Method any time during their menstrual cycle? Or do they need to wait until the start of a new cycle? Research has shown that women can learn and begin to use the TwoDay Method at any time during the cycle. There is no need to impose a medical barrier by requiring women to wait until they start a new cycle. However, women should be advised that if they are beyond the seventh day of their cycles and have had unprotected intercourse after day seven, they may already by pregnant – and should be counseled accordingly.13 3 4301 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 310, Washington, D.C. 20008 USA | irhinfo@georgetown.edu | www.irh.org I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G
  • 4. 1 Arévalo, M., Jennings V., Nikula M., and Sinai I. (2004). “Efficacy of the new TwoDay Method of family planning”. Fertility and Sterility 82(4):885-892. 2 Jennings,V., Sinai, I., Sacieta, L., Lundgren, R. (2011). “TwoDay Method: a Quick Start Approach”. Contraception. 84(2):144-9. 3 Sinai I, Jennings V, Arévalo M. (1999). “The TwoDay Algorithm: a new algorithm to identify the fertile time of the menstrual cycle”. Contraception. 60(2):65-70. 4 Odeblad, E. (1997), “Cervical Mucus and their Functions”. Journal of the Irish College of Physicians and Surgeons 26:27-32. 5 Sinai, I., Jennings,V., Arévalo, M. (1999). “The TwoDay Algorithm: a new algorithm to identify the fertile time of the menstrual cycle”. Contraception. 60(2):65-70. 6 Arévalo, M., Jennings V., Nikula M., and Sinai I. (2004). “Efficacy of the new TwoDay Method of family planning”. Fertility and Sterility 82(4):885-892. 7 Arévalo, M., Jennings V., and Sinai I. (2003). “Application of simple fertility awareness–based methods of family planning to breastfeeding women”. Fertility and Sterility 80(5): 1241-1248. 8 Wilcox, A, Weinberg C, Baird D. “Post-ovulatory aging of the human oocyte and embryo failure”. Human Reproduction. 1998; 13:394-397 9 Ibid. 10 Arévalo, M., Jennings V., Nikula M., and Sinai I. (2004). “Efficacy of the new TwoDay Method of family planning”. Fertility and Sterility 82(4):885-892. 11 Ibid. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid. I N S T I T U T E F O R R E P R O D U C T I V E H E A LT H G E O R G E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y W W W. I R H .O R G 4