An App That Can Help Prevent Pregnancy

In a development that has flummoxed many and attracted criticism as well, a mobile app has got the approval to be used as a means of contraception. Surprised? Well, many of us are and this is not fake news doing the rounds on the internet. The app called Natural Cycles was first officially approved by the European Union. And now, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the app to be used as form of contraception.

How the app works?

The app utilizes non-invasive methods to stop pregnancy. It’s actually based on a very simple theory. It’s common knowledge that when a woman is ovulating, her body temperature registers a difference, as compared to her temperature on normal days.Before ovulation, a woman’s basal body temperature (BBT) is usually in the range of 97.2 to 97.7 degrees Fahrenheit. However, a day after ovulation, the BBT may rise by around 0.5 to 1.0 degree. This increase in BBT will last until the next period. Using charting techniques, one can identify days when there’s a high probability of getting pregnant. If one wants to avoid pregnancy, the woman should avoid having sex on these days. On the other hand, if the woman is looking to get pregnant, these days will be the most appropriate to have sex with your partner.

However, doing the chartingmanually can be challenging and it can also have errors. This is exactly where the Natural Cycles app can come handy by automating the entire process. On any given day, the user just has to measure and input their body temperature to know whether it’s a safe day or risky day. The app’s inbuilt algorithm analyzes data collected over several months and compares it with the day’s BBT to tell the user whether it’s safe to have sex on that day. The unsafe days will be marked as ‘Red Days’, which will tell the user to either avoid sex or use a condom. Conversely, the app can also be used by women who may want to get pregnant. On days when the app raises the red flag, these women can have sex and increase their chances of getting pregnant.

The app may have been officially approved and certified as a contraception option, but not everyone is okay with using the app. There are people who believe that the app may be unreliable, as it takes decisions based on data entered by the user. Some also say that nature’s ways don’t work the same every time and there can always be exceptions. There may also be situations when people may fail to follow the instructions provided by the app.

However, despite the criticism, the app is being used by thousands of people. It has also received good ratings and reviews on both Google Play and App Store.