Choosing the right contraception can be tricky, and many women change their method of use quite regularly to see what suits them best. It can be a tough one for some, particularly when it comes to non-hormonal contraceptives. Now it seems that the Swedish contraceptive mobile app Natural Cycles is facing complaints, as a number of women have become pregnant while using it.
The Södersjukhuset hospital, which is based in Stockholm, Sweden, recently made a complaint to the Swedish Medical Products Agency, which is responsible for regulating the development of medicinal products, as women using it have become pregnant. In the last quarter of 2017, the hospital recorded 37 pregnancies that occurred while women were using the app.
Natural Cycles claims to be a highly effective method of contraception. It tracks your temperature to determine when you’re least likely to be fertile. The information it provides can then be used to determine whether or not protection is needed during sex. According to Natural Cycles' website, the app uses a specific algorithm that takes temperature and other useful information such as sperm survival and cycle irregularities into account.
Natural Cycles has been gaining popularity recently, and the number of British women downloading the app increased from 5,000 in 2016 to 125,000 in 2017.
Previous research conducted by those behind the app found that it is just as safe and effective to use as the birth control pill, if not more so. Its effectiveness was reported to be 99 percent with perfect use and 93 percent with typical use – the pill is 91 percent effective under typical use.
A rep for Natural Cycles said in a statement that as the number of people using the app increases, it's only natural that the number of unwanted pregnancies will too, the Evening Standard reports.
“We don’t think it’s helpful to fuel the fear of contraception by scaring the public with abortion news – there is already a fear of hormones and if doctors or the general media add a fear of new types of certified contraception, which are clinically proven to be effective, there is really not much left to choose from," he added.
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