Understanding disruptive factors

Several factors can negatively impact the accuracy of the sympto-thermal cycle prediction method, including sickness, alcohol, stress, disturbed sleep, being undercooled, and jetlag.

It's important to record a disruptive factor in your Shekan app, once it occurs.

Let's look at each of these factors in more detail.

Sickness

When you're sick, your body undergoes a variety of changes that can affect your basal body temperature and cervical mucus. For example, if you have a fever, your basal body temperature will be higher than usual, which could falsely indicate ovulation. Similarly, certain medications or illnesses can cause changes in cervical mucus that could be misinterpreted as fertility signs. Therefore, when you are sick, it's best to avoid relying solely on the Shekan app and consider using other methods of contraception.

Alcohol

Alcohol consumption can also affect your basal body temperature and cervical mucus. Drinking too much alcohol can cause your body temperature to temporarily rise, making it difficult to pinpoint ovulation accurately. Additionally, alcohol can dehydrate you and affect the consistency of cervical mucus, making it harder to interpret fertility signs. If you do choose to drink alcohol while using the Shekan app's sympto-thermal method, try to limit your consumption and be aware of the potential impact on your fertility tracking.

Stress

High levels of stress can disrupt your menstrual cycle and affect ovulation, making it difficult to predict your fertile window accurately. Stress can also affect your basal body temperature and cervical mucus, leading to false readings. The Shekan app cannot differentiate between stress-induced changes and true fertility signs, so it's essential to try to manage stress while using the app.

Disturbed sleep

Lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep can also affect your basal body temperature and cervical mucus. Irregular sleep patterns can disrupt your body's natural rhythms, making it difficult to pinpoint ovulation. Additionally, fatigue and stress caused by lack of sleep can also mimic fertility signs. Therefore, it's crucial to try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and get enough rest while using the Shekan app to predict your fertility.

Being undercooled

Exposure to extreme cold or prolonged exposure to cold can also affect your basal body temperature, potentially leading to false readings. When you're undercooked, your body may try to conserve heat, causing your basal body temperature to rise. The Shekan app cannot differentiate between undercooling and true fertility signs, so it's best to avoid relying solely on the Shekan app and consider using other methods of contraception during times of extreme cold or sudden changes in temperature.

Jetlag

Traveling across multiple time zones can disrupt your body's natural rhythms and affect your menstrual cycle, potentially leading to false readings. Additionally, the stress and fatigue of travel can also affect your basal body temperature and cervical mucus. If you're traveling and using the Shekan app, be aware of the potential impact of jetlag on your fertility tracking.

While the Shekan app is an effective tool for tracking your menstrual cycle and predicting ovulation, several factors can affect its accuracy. To optimize your fertility tracking, try to manage these factors and maintain a consistent routine.

Hint: If disruptive factors occur too often, your Shekan app will automatically switch to the calendar method to prevent wrong predictions.