Quick, are you ovulating? Currently in the first part of your cycle? The second? Is there a second? If you think the answers don't matter to you - a woman with better things to do than track her egg's schedule - you're wrong, but not alone. More than 50 percent of women of the reproductive age aren't sure when they're fertile - and 98 percent aren't clear about how many days that fertile period lasts.
"I know the general mechanics of reproduction - but none of the details," says Bonnie, a single 31-year-old. "That was taught in high school, but who was listening?" Many of us decide that the info is irrelevant until we're ready to get pregnant, at which point, as Alison, 30, says, "I'll read every book on fertility out there."
This attitude is a product of our times. With birth control pills readily available, many women come of age knowing that their cycles can be manipulated and ovulation suppressed. Take the Pill and presto! - no fertile times to monitor. "The only thing I keep track of is that I take my pill," says Faran, 23.
Also, medical professionals aren't always forthcoming. When Jennifer, 29, asked a nurse at her gynaecologist about a gel-like discharge she'd noticed, she says, "I was told it was normal - that's it. No explanation." (It was cervical mucus, a sign of ovulation.)
Why the brush off? Nurses and doctors may be pressed for time, but they may fear also patients will become cavalier about birth control. "The information could be used the wrong way," says Dr Hilda Hutcherson, a gynaecologist and GLAMOUR contributing editor. "You don't want a woman to think, I'm about to get my period, it's okay to have unprotected sex."
Point taken: since a woman's fertility pattern can vary, you shouldn't ever risk going contraception-free. But knowing the facts about your cycle - when you're at high and low risk of pregnancy - can help you avoid unnecessary panic. This is real life - condoms slip. Pills are forgotten. How much should you freak? And when is emergency action most definitely needed?
"Having the facts could've saved me and my husband a lot of worry," says Leslie, 28, recalling a pregnancy scare after unprotected sex. "I was frantic until a friend walked me through my cycle and explained that I couldn't possibly have ovulated yet. I couldn't believe how clueless I had been!"
Understanding your cycle will give you a head start once you're ready to get pregnant: you'll know the length of your cycle and when you ovulate - key info in the baby-making game. And being informed can help you protect your reproductive health.
"The more you know what's normal and not, the better you can identify whether something is wrong," says fertility expert, Dr Margaret Polaneczky. Discover the specifics of your cycle:
Five things you need to know to not get pregnant
1.When you're least, more and most fertile
Technically, fertilisation is possible only during the 12- to 24-hour life of a ripe egg, making the day you ovulate your most fertile day. But because your cycle can vary from month to month, consider the day you believe you ovulate plus the two days before and the two days after (a total of five days) your riskiest time for sex, advises fertility expert, Dr David Adamson.
So when do you ovulate? Generally, it's 14 days before your period begins. That's the average length of the second part of your cycle, says Dr Michael Soules, a reproductive endocrinologist. To approximate the day you ovulate, work out the average length of your cycle - say it's 32 days - then subtract 14, to get day 18 (the first day of your period being day one).
It's not just the five days around ovulation that are risky. You're fertile three days before that window, since sperm can survive in your body from then until ovulation. When are you least fertile? The 10 days before your period and during your period.
2.What ovulation looks like
Two to four days before you ovulate, the mucus that's secreted by your cervix increases in volume (to the point where you can notice it). "It's the consistency of raw egg whites - clear and stretchy," says Dr Adamson. Once you ovulate and after your egg dies (or has been fertilised), the mucus becomes thicker and paste-like - but odds are you won't see it at all during this time.
Other clues: a slight pain in your ovary as the egg prepares to break free, and a rise in libido. Studies show that women are more likely to have sex during their fertile days than during non-fertile days.
"I tell women they need to be careful about contraception if they're brushing their teeth and thinking: 'He's looking extra-cute'," says June Lamphier, a midwife.
3. No period? You can still get pregnant
Whether you're not menstruating regularly because you're underweight or because you're naturally irregular, you should still use contraception. "You could ovulate at any time," warns fertility expert, Dr Vanessa Cullins. "If you are very thin, for instance, just a minute shift in weight may cause you to ovulate."
4. The worst birth control pills to forget
Experts believe the riskiest pills to miss are the first and last of the packet. Skip these and you lengthen the time you go without the Pill, increasing the chance that your natural hormone levels will return and you will ovulate.
Unfortunately, "The first pill is also the easiest to miss, as it's the one that's affected when you forget to fill your prescription," says Dr Katharine O'Connell, assistant clinical professor of gynaecology. If you often forget to take your pill, start a new packet on a weekday.
5.How to handle birth control malfunction
We can't repeat it enough: birth control is crucial all the time. As Dr Adamson says, "Another word for people who rely only on the rhythm method - parents." Knowing about your fertility is meant to help you gauge when a mistake is riskiest and when you should use emergency contraception. Have a supply on hand in case of a problem.
Five things you need to know to fall pregnant
1.When to have sex
Having sex every day to guarantee a pregnancy, "may be sabotaging your efforts", says Dr Kaylen Silverberg, a fertility specialist. "Men need up to 48 hours to restock sperm, so daily sex can mean he doesn't have enough sperm during the time of ovulation," explains Dr Silverberg.
Doctors advise having sex every other day during your fertile days.
2.How long it can take
In any given month, the chances of getting pregnant are 10-15 percent for a man and woman who are both under 35, healthy and trying to conceive.
After a year of trying, 88 percent of such couples will be pregnant; after two years, 95 percent will be. On average, a couple aged 30 will take six months to conceive, and a couple who are both 35 will take nine months.
3. Be healthy
Cut down on alcohol and caffeine. Chemicals in cigarettes interfere with oestrogen production, which is necessary for your egg to ripen and uterine lining to thicken. What's more, smokers are 50 percent more likely to miscarry once they get pregnant.
When it comes to weight, you don't want to be too thin or very overweight. And fertility rates start to slide appreciably after 35.
"If you want to get pregnant naturally," says Dr Adamson, "I'd recommend planning your first pregnancy ideally before 35, and at the very latest 39. By 40, the quality of your eggs is 50 percent of what it was at 31."
4. What the variations in your cycle mean
It's natural for your cycle to be shorter or longer from month to month. But if you're unsuccessful in getting pregnant and you're in your 20s or 30s, watch your cycle to ensure that it's not consistently becoming shorter each month - that could be a sign of approaching perimenopause. Track your cycle to see if it's consistently within the normal range of between 21 and 35 days.
If your cycle is not within normal range and/or your bleeding varies in amount or colour, alert your doctor. Among the problems she may discuss with you are fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, premature ovarian failure or a thyroid disorder.
5.There is no magic position
Heard that it's helpful to put your legs in the air after sex to help sperm reach the target? Forget it. "Once sperm are released, they rush for the cervix," says Hilda, "and they can find their way whether you're sitting, standing or dangling upside down."