3. When first starting to chart, avoid intercourse and alternative sex until you are confident in identifying fertile and infertile days.

When first starting to chart, avoid intercourse or alternative sex until you have confidently identified a change towards or away from a pattern of mucus, or until you are confident to identify a particular day as fertile or infertile. For most women, it takes from 3 to 6 weeks to develop that confidence, depending on how clearly the symptoms of your unfolding patterns of fertility an infertility are.  

Women who experience a continuous vaginal cell discharge, which may occur for women who are coming off hormonal contraception or who are breastfeeding, should avoid unprotected intercourse until they review their charting technique and interpretation with their HRHP..

Avoiding intercourse until you are confident helps you observe your mucus pattern and dry days without confusion from seminal fluid discharge after intercourse. Once you have observed dry days and a mucus pattern without being confused, your confidence to use the method according to your intention will come very quickly. Confidence is achieved at different times for different women.