While there are many forms of birth control available in the market, many Filipinas still prefer natural family planning methods like the calendar method. Also known as the rhythm method, it involves tracking a woman’s menstrual cycle using a calendar to pinpoint the days when she is ovulating and most likely to conceive so she can avoid having intercourse on those days. This form of birth control has a low effectiveness rate due to a high possibility of miscalculation–but thanks to technology, a number of apps have been produced to help women have a better understanding of their fertility cycles. One of them can even be synced to your
smartwatch!
From Natural Cycles Official Website
The Natural Cycles app, the only cycle-tracking app to be cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as birth control, can now be synced with specific Apple Watch models so that users can feed the birth control algorithm with temperature data from their smartwatch. Unlike other period-tracking apps, Natural Cycles requires the user to note their basal body temperature daily and extremely consistently to detect ovulation and predict their fertile window—the six days when having intercourse is more likely to result in pregnancy.
The Apple Watch Series 8 and 9, as well as the Ultra and Ultra 2 models, are equipped with temperature sensors that can collect the subtle temperature shifts that occur during your menstrual cycle. This becomes more accurate when the watches are worn overnight.
The future of fitness trackers as birth control
From Apple Official Website
As the Natural Cycles app notes the user’s basal body temperature in the course of a few months, it begins to find a pattern and pinpoints when the user has ovulated and when they’re likely to ovulate in the following months. However, the app’s algorithm depends on the temperatures you input, your reported days of menstruation, and other data to predict your fertile days.
With perfect use, Natural Cycles says it’s up to 98% effective, but women should still take caution when using the app, as the data for ovulation and period estimates are just that—estimates. However, while the only wearables that Natural Cycles integrates with for now are the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch, it opens a world of possibilities for smartwatches to become the next birth control tech. Smartwatches like the Fitbit Sense 2 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 also offer temperature sensors. With health data more accessible, studies can be done to refine and improve the algorithm and tech to increase the effectiveness of pregnancy planning apps and tools.
Should you use apps to help with birth control?
From Bedsider Official GIPHY
Natural Cycles is the first app to be approved by the FDA and marketed as contraception, but there are many other similar apps that can track a woman’s fertility and menstruation cycle. Because they simplify data logging, these apps can help women better understand their cycles and be more attuned to their bodies. From there, they can use information–like their body temperature or the consistency of cervical fluid–to note the days when they’re most likely to become pregnant.
But while OB-GYNs might recommend the use of these apps to track periods, women should still take caution when using fertility apps, especially if they are trying to avoid getting pregnant. Smartphones aren’t perfect, people don’t always plug in the right data, and there are many other factors that can affect fertility—sleep quality, stress, alcohol, and sickness can cause you to have irregular periods, which also affects your basal body temperature.
Still, when used properly, these fertility awareness apps can go a long way in tracking a woman’s menstrual cycle. Who knows? With a fiber-fast internet connection and improved wearable technology, we might just get a more effective birth control app in the future!