 
<prompt> Percentage of births whose mothers are amenorrheic, abstaining, or insusceptible to the risk of pregnancy |  <response> Figure 7.1 shows, the percentage of babies whose mothers are amenorrheic declines from over 95 percent in the two months immediately after a birth to 52 percent during the period two to three months after birth. By 4 to 5 months after a birth, mothers of only 36 percent of births are still amenorrheic, and by 12 to 13 months after a birth, mothers have not resumed menstruation in the case of only 16 percent of births. The median duration of postpartum amenorrhea is 3.4 months. As in other Islamic countries, many couples in Egypt observe the traditional practice of abstaining from sexual relations for a period of 40 days after a birth. Reflecting this tradition, the percentage of births for which the mother is still abstaining decreases rapidly, from 77 percent immediately (0-1 months) after a birth to 16 percent at 2 to 3 months after a birth. The combined effects of postpartum amenorrhea and postpartum abstinence are reflected in the period of postpartum insusceptibility after a birth. Overall, 60 percent of women are susceptible to the risk of pregnancy at 4-5 months after a birth, and around 75 percent are susceptible at 8 to 9 months after a birth.  