The other downside - which stands for any app that relies on basal body temperature - is that results may be skewed by illness and fever (not necessarily ideal during a pandemic!).įrequently asked questions about birth control apps Can you use birth control apps and other birth control methods? So, in the meantime, you may want to look into alternative birth control methods. The biggest downside is that it takes a few months of tracking before the readings are accurate. Thus, it gives them the information they need to avoid sex, or have at it. Then, the app uses the information to deduce the days an individual is their most and least fertile. Natural Cycles also has users enter information about their cycle and symptoms. (People on a monthly subscription can buy the thermometer separately.)
This app works by having users track their basal body temperature every single morning using the thermometer that comes with a yearly subscription.
can demonstrate “substantial equivalence” to other existing, similar devices (in this case, other birth control apps).are deemed a low or moderate risk to consumers.Receiving clearance is different than approval, in that clearance is generally granted to medical devices that: In 2018, under what’s called the “ De Novo” classification, Natural Cycles became the first birth control-based app in the United States to receive clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For: People who want to avoid pregnancy, people trying to get pregnant.If you’re trying to avoid getting pregnant, you’ll want to use an app and another form of birth control, such as external or internal condoms. The reason birth control apps (and other fertility awareness methods) aren’t more effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy? A combination of user error and variance in menstrual cycle.Īs a general rule, this method will be most effective for people with regular periods, but it will likely be ineffective for those who have irregular periods. For a sense of comparison, with typical use, external condoms are 82 percent effective, and the birth control pill is 91 percent effective. Using birth control apps as a natural birth control method is known as family awareness method (FAM).īroadly speaking, FAM is a way to track your period, so that you can avoid intercourse without a condom during ovulation, which is the time of the month when you are at the highest chance of getting pregnant.Īccording to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, FAM is only about 76 percent effective at reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy with typical use. That said, if you’re asking this, you may want to know whether a birth control app can help decrease your risk of pregnancy. It depends on what exactly you’re looking for the app to be effective at executing, as well as the app.