An app for birth control? Some experts urge caution despite regulatory approval
Global News
The contraceptive app, called Natural Cycles, received Health Canada approval on Jan. 9 for its use as a medical device for birth control.
Some women are trading in birth control pills for contraceptive apps, but some health experts question the reliability of this tech-driven approach.
One of these contraceptive apps, called Natural Cycles, received Health Canada approval on Jan. 9 for its use as a medical device for birth control.
Previously sold in Canada as a fertility tracker, Natural Cycle is the first app to be cleared as a contraceptive in Canada, according to the company. It’s also approved for use as a form of birth control in the United States and Europe.
The app is a form of natural and hormone-free contraception that allows users to track their fertility to know when it’s safe for them to have unprotected sex and not get pregnant.
While some people are hailing it as a hormone-free alternative to birth control pills, others, such as Diane Francoeur, CEO of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC), say relying on a smartphone app to deter pregnancy is “playing with fire.”
“We’re always happy when we have a new contraceptive method. But you really have to know if it is applicable to you,” Francoeur warned. “And the first question is: do you do you want to take a chance to be pregnant or not? If the answer is no, this is not for you.”
This is because many people’s period cycle can fluctuate due to a number of factors such as hormones, stress, travel or sickness, she said. The Natural Cycles app relies on tracking a woman’s menstrual cycle to predict fertile days accurately, with better accuracy achieved when the cycle is regular or consistent.
“Unfortunately, we’re not robots. And if you have a robot who has a perfect 28-day cycle, then okay, but most women will have a cycle that’s going to move around in a couple of days,” she said.