Inaccurate contraception app cause 37 unwanted pregnancies

Natural Cycles app should display unresponsive days of the woman - apparently inaccurate

At least 37 women who used the Natural Cycles contraceptive app got pregnant within three months. This was reported by the public television Swedish TV station "SVT" The idea of ​​the app is to recognize days of the menstrual cycle, in which a woman can not get pregnant. But apparently this method does not seem to work very well. The app will now be reported to the Swedish Medicines Agency.

The app is based on the contraceptive method, in which the woman measures her body temperature every morning after waking up, as the temperature rises by about half a degree after ovulation. The temperature is then entered by the woman in the cycle app. On the basis of these data can be determined theoretically, on which days unprotected sex is possible without becoming pregnant.

Contraception using the smartphone app "Natural Cycles" recently led to unwanted pregnancies in 37 Swedes. (Image: from Lieres / fotolia.com)

37 reported unwanted pregnancies

The 37 unwanted pregnancies were reported as these women sought abortions at Stockholm's largest hospital "Södersjukhuset". The number of unreported cases is probably even greater. All affected women used the "Natural Cycles" contraceptive app.

"It's a new method, and we're seeing a number of unwanted pregnancies, so let's report it to the Medical Products Agency," said Carina Montin, spokeswoman for the Södersjukhuset Hospital, opposite Swedish broadcaster SVT. The Swedish Medicines Agency is now starting a study on natural cycles.

App is approved under EU law

The app is not approved by the Medical Products Agency in Sweden, but has received certification under the EU regulatory framework for medical devices. The app has become known in particular by the fact that it applies as a hormone-free alternative to birth control pills and indeed "free from side effects". The algorithm used was even checked by the TÜV.

The app operator reacts

In a written response to the broadcaster SVT, the app operator commented: "No contraception is 100 percent effective, and unwanted pregnancies are a risk to all contraceptives." Natural Cycles has a Pearl index of seven, which means 93 percent efficiency which will also be communicated. In plain terms, that out of a hundred women who use the app for one year as the only contraceptive method, seven women still get pregnant.

Although the company shares the view that the app is not a suitable protection for young people, it points out that most users are in their thirties.

Red and green days

The operator of "Natural Cycles" promotes easy handling. The App distinguishes between red and green days. "Can I have sex without protection? Yes, on a green day. You can not get pregnant at this time because you are not fertile, "the operator defines the rules of the app.

The app is based on a unique algorithm that takes into account temperature and many other factors such as sperm survival, temperature fluctuations and irregularities in the cycle.

The app enjoys worldwide popularity

According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, around 600,000 women around the world are supposed to observe their cycle using "natural cycles". The fertility calculation algorithm used was checked for technical functionality by TÜV. That makes the app seem naturally trustworthy.

Criticism of the temperature method has been around for a long time

The app is a kind of further development of the temperature method, which has been criticized for its inaccuracy for some time. Infections, fever, alcohol consumption, jet lag, lack of sleep, shift work or interrupted sleep can lead to fluctuations in body temperature and thus falsify the measurement results. (Vb)