In an official statement, the FDA announced its approval of an innovative app named Natural Cycles. Natural Cycles is an app that allows individuals to track body temperature, menstrual cycles and other aspects to get a clear idea about fertility. FDA said that “the app, called Natural Cycles, contains an algorithm that calculates the days of the month a woman is likely to be fertile based on daily body temperature readings and menstrual cycle information, a method of contraception called fertility awareness. Designed for mobile devices, it is intended for use in pre-menopausal women aged 18 and older.”
Nevertheless, the FDA keeps its warning regarding the possible inefficiency of this method as well. It says for instance that no contraceptive method is 100% efficient. It’s a warning that users should be concerned about chances of unexpected pregnancy. That having said, the journey of Natural Cycles has not been perfect till now. For instance, the company has been saying that the device is 99% accurate when it comes to predicting the fertility level. To counter that, many women who used the device and the app had to go for abortion, a Swedish hospital had reported to the corresponding agency.
The same app was approved in the European Union region, as an alternative contraceptive. Using this app is requiring a few steps. For instance, the woman has to take the temperature reading of her body at the very morning after waking up. A Basal body thermometer is to be used for the purpose, considering that they’re more efficient than the normal thermometer. The details regarding menstrual cycle are also to be provided to the app. Based on this set of information, Natural Cycles will decide whether the person is fertile. If fertile, the app would also display a ‘Use Protection’ message on the interface.
