Periodic abstinence
Also known as fertility awareness, natural family planning, and the rhythm method, this approach entails not having sexual intercourse on the days of a woman’s menstrual cycle when she could become pregnant or using a barrier method (such as a condom, the diaphragm or a cervical cap) for birth control on those days.
Because a sperm may live in the female’s reproductive tract for up to 7 days and the egg remains fertile for about 24 hours, a woman can get pregnant within a substantial window of time — from 7 days before ovulation to 3 days after. Methods to approximate when a woman is fertile are usually based on the menstrual cycle, changes in cervical mucus, or changes in body temperature. This approach to birth control will likely fail and the woman to become pregnant.
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- Periodic breathing
Clusters of breaths separated by intervals of apnea (no breathing) or near-apnea. As opposed to normal breathing which is usually regular. Periodic breathing was originally thought to arise from serious neurologic or cardiovascular disease and therefore to carry a poor outlook. It is now known that periodic breathing also tends to occur during sleep, it […]
- Periodic fever
Recurrences of fever that last from a few days to a few weeks and are separated by symptom-free intervals of varying duration. This pattern of fever can be caused by recurrent infection, malignancy or noninfectious inflammatory disorders. Periodic fever that lasts for more than two years is rarely due to a malignancy or an infection. […]
- Periodontal
Having to do with the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.
- Periodontal disease
A bacterial infection that destroys the attachment fibers and supporting bones that hold the teeth in the mouth. Left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. The main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on teeth.
- Periodontics
The branch of dentistry that is concerned with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect the gums and supporting structures of the teeth.