Considering yesterday's news about mounting lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson for its dangerous and sometimes toxic Ortho Evra patch, it's important to remind you about the natural and more safer options, always at your disposal.

The twist on these natural methods, however, is that none of them involve using a prophylactic or spermicide.

• Using the calendar to chart a woman's menstrual cycle.
• Pinpointing the day a woman ovulates by monitoring her basal body temperature (her temperature when she first wakes up).
• Tracking variations in a woman's vaginal discharge (the mucus forming around the cervix) that signal changes in her body's estrogen levels.

Interestingly, the article warns against relying on the lactational amenorrhea method, although some believe breastfeeding slows the hormones that trigger ovulation. Because each woman responds differently to breastfeeding, however, some experts believe it's safer and wiser to consider herself fertile and seek out more effective solutions.