Do you usually know when you are in your fertile period?

February 2021, study conducted by Trocando Fraldas with over 6,100 women between January 29 and February 4, 2021: For women who are trying to get pregnant, the fertile period is the most important phase of the cycle. That is why ovulation symptoms are so important to identify, making it much easier for women to know the right time to have intercourse and finally conceive.

However, not all women know how to identify when they are in the fertile period, as we found in our most recent study, 55% of Brazilian women do not know how to identify the period. Among women who are trying to conceive, at least 52% cannot recognize when they are in the fertile period.

Do you usually know when you are in your fertile period?

Ovulation Symptoms

The study also found that among younger women, ages 18 to 29, the percentage who do not know how to identify the fertile period is higher than in other age groups (59% among those 18 to 24, and 55% among those 25 to 29).

Nevertheless, the body presents symptoms when ovulating, but this information is unknown to 52% of the participants in the study. The symptoms are not always so clear, and therefore it is important for women to know their body and cycle well.

Did you know that the body shows ovulation symptoms?

  • Rondônia is the state where the most women know that the body shows ovulation symptoms, with 64% of respondents.
  • In Santa Catarina, and Paraná, at least 53% know about these symptoms.
  • In São Paulo, at least half of the population has this knowledge. And in Rio de Janeiro, this percentage drops to 48%.
  • The state with the lowest percentage of women who know that ovulation presents symptoms is Pará, with 34% of participants.

How to track the menstrual cycle?

To recognize ovulation symptoms, a woman needs to be able to track her cycle, as the fertile period is the ideal time to get pregnant. It usually occurs on average 14 days before menstruation and lasts around 6 to 7 days. However, not all women have regular cycles of 28, 30, or 31 days. That is why a fertile period calculator can help, providing a prediction of when the fertile period might occur.

With this in mind, our study found that 53% of participants use an app, the fertile period calculator, to track their menstrual cycle. Among those trying to conceive, 60% opt to use a tracking app.

And most importantly, 70% of those interviewed remember the date of their last period, information that should be included in the calculator. Additionally, 80% feel when their period is about to start.

  • The Federal District is the state where the most women use apps to track their cycles, with 69% of respondents.
  • In Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, 60% and 57% respectively, choose to use a cycle tracking app.
  • The states with the lowest rates of app usage are Tocantins and Amapá, with 37% and 29% respectively.

State Rankings of Brazilian Women Who Use Apps to Track Their Cycle

  • 1.Federal District
  • 2.Mato Grosso
  • 3.Rondônia
  • 4.Rio de Janeiro
  • 5.Santa Catarina
  • 6.Minas Gerais
  • 7.São Paulo
  • 8.Rio Grande do Norte
  • 9.Paraíba
  • 10.Espírito Santo
  • 11.Pernambuco
  • 12.Paraná
  • 13.Acre
  • 14.Goiás
  • 15.Ceará
  • 16.Roraima
  • 17.Piauí
  • 18.Amazonas
  • 19.Bahia
  • 20.Maranhão
  • 21.Alagoas
  • 22.Rio Grande do Sul
  • 23.Mato Grosso do Sul
  • 24.Pará
  • 25.Sergipe
  • 26.Tocantins
  • 27.Amapá

Does the birth control pill regulate menstruation?

Additionally, our study also found that 82% of women know that birth control regulates menstruation. Many of them, when they start trying to conceive, think that after stopping the pill, they will get pregnant quickly. But it’s not always that easy.

Many women get their period the month after they stop taking the medication, but it is common for menstruation to be delayed, especially in those who already had irregular cycles naturally. The body may take several months to detox from artificial hormones and return to producing natural hormones.

That is why it is very important for a woman to track her cycle with the calculator and understand the ovulation signs her body gives. This will further increase her chances of getting a positive result.

Fertile Period Recognition by State

We already mentioned at the beginning of the study that 55% of Brazilian women do not know how to identify when they are in the fertile period, and below we mention the data by state.

  • The state where the most women know how to identify the fertile period is the Federal District, with 52% of participants.
  • In Minas Gerais and São Paulo, 49% are able to know when they are in the fertile period. And in Rio de Janeiro, 47%.
  • Sergipe is the state where the fewest women know how to identify the period, with 34% of the population.

Index of Brazilian Women Who Know When They Are in the Fertile Period, by State

Research Method

The study had national coverage and was conducted with more than 6,100 women between January 29 and February 4, 2021. The data collection method involved an online questionnaire.

The following questions were addressed:

  • Do you feel when your period is coming?
  • Did you know that birth control can regulate menstruation?
  • Did you know that the body shows ovulation symptoms?
  • Do you always remember the first day of your last period?
  • Do you use an app to track your menstrual cycle?

In order to compare results between regions and states, affirmative answers were counted numerically, 1 for "yes" and 0 for "no". Some questions, in order to obtain more qualitative results, included more options.