{"id":17661,"date":"2018-08-23T10:01:02","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T15:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=17661"},"modified":"2026-02-05T07:45:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T12:45:46","slug":"what-to-consider-before-switching-to-the-new-birth-control-app","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/what-to-consider-before-switching-to-the-new-birth-control-app\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Consider Before Switching to the New Birth Control App"},"content":{"rendered":"

For women who have spent most of their reproductive years planning their lives around birth control \u2014 whether that means dealing with side effects from the Pill or scheduling doctor\u2019s visits for <\/span>IUDs<\/span><\/a>, implants or shots \u2014 the idea of a hormone-free, noninvasive contraceptive might be alluring. <\/span><\/p>\n

Today, some mobile apps promise exactly that. Earlier this month, <\/span>Natural Cycles<\/span><\/a> became the first FDA-approved mobile app for contraception. Although women have been using fertility-tracking apps to aid pregnancy efforts for years, a growing number of women are now using them to avoid unwanted pregnancy. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome patients are interested in contraceptive options that they feel are more natural and less likely to have side effects,\u201d said Dr. <\/span>Allie Linton<\/span><\/a>, an ob-gyn at Children\u2019s Hospital of Wisconsin and\u00a0Froedtert Hospital and a\u00a0professor at Medical College of Wisconsin. \u201cSome women wish to avoid hormones altogether, and others dislike the idea of<\/span> using a contraceptive device such as an IUD or implant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Using a mobile app in lieu of popping a pill or inserting an IUD might sound good on paper, but apps aren\u2019t a fit for everyone. Here\u2019s what to know if you\u2019re thinking of making the switch to a contraceptive app.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does Natural Cycles work?<\/h3>\n

Natural Cycles uses an algorithm to monitor your cycle by analyzing daily basal body temperature readings, meaning your lowest at-rest temperature. Users take their temperatures first thing in the morning before getting out of bed and record their data in the app. <\/span>According to <\/span>its creators,<\/span><\/a> the algorithm also factors in sperm survival, temperature fluctuations and cycle irregularities. Based on that information, the app tells you whether it\u2019s a green day \u2014 when you\u2019re not fertile and it\u2019s safe to have sex \u2014 or a red day, when you\u2019re at risk for pregnancy and should either use protection or abstain from sex. <\/span><\/p>\n

If this idea sounds familiar, that\u2019s because Natural Cycles is a digital version of <\/span>fertility awareness\u2013based birth control<\/span><\/a>, sometimes referred to as <\/span>natural family planning<\/span><\/a> or the rhythm method. The rhythm method has long been championed by the <\/span>Catholic Church<\/span><\/a>, but it\u2019s often dismissed by critics as a game of \u201cVatican roulette,\u201d a nod to the relatively high failure rate of fertility awareness\u2013based birth control.<\/span><\/p>\n

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reports that fertility-awareness methods are <\/span>some of the least effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies<\/span><\/a>. They have a 24-percent typical use failure rate, meaning an average of 24 women out of 100 accidentally become pregnant during their first year using that contraception method. By comparison, the typical use rate for the Pill is 9 percent and between 0.2 and 0.8 percent for IUDs. The Natural Cycles app also faced a backlash recently after <\/span>37 women in Sweden became pregnant while using it.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

However, <\/span>a study of more than 22,000 women using Natural Cycles<\/span><\/a> (funded by the company) found a typical use rate of 7 percent, putting it on par with hormonal birth control pills. To some experts, those numbers are promising.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe big thing with being able to establish safety and efficacy is to have enough data that\u2019s reliable,\u201d said Dr. <\/span>Joseph B. Davis<\/span>, a fertility specialist and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. \u201cThe company went through a lot of effort to show the actual benefit of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Who\u2019s a good candidate for the birth control app?<\/h3>\n

After taking birth control pills for nearly 15 years, Holly, a 29-year-old marketer in Los Angeles, wanted a break. When she went off the Pill, she started using two apps in conjunction: Natural Cycles and the period-tracking app <\/span>Clue<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to take hormonal birth control anymore. There were just too many bad side effects,\u201d she said, adding that the anxiety she experienced during the Pill\u2019s placebo weeks was worse than typical PMS symptoms. \u201cI felt like it was affecting my mental health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For women who experience unpleasant or upsetting side effects on hormonal birth control, an app like Natural Cycles might be a worthwhile alternative. The app might also appeal to women who are allergic to the copper used in the nonhormonal ParaGard IUD.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from avoiding the pill\u2019s side effects, Holly liked the idea of switching to an app to \u201cmake sure things were working\u201d in case she wanted to have kids one day. Women who are planning to start a family soon may be especially good candidates for Natural Cycles, Davis said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat might be a really nice transition,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause they can come off the hormones, get cycles back to regularity and still postpone pregnancy as long as they want to use the app.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to other forms of birth control, the app requires a lot of legwork. The ideal user is someone who\u2019s motivated to follow the app\u2019s instructions to a T and can consistently record temperature readings at the same time each morning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before deciding if it\u2019s a good fit, you should fully understand the limitations of the app and the steps required to avoid pregnancy, which include practicing abstinence or using barrier-method contraception like condoms during ovulation. The ideal candidate also has regular menstrual cycles. Women transitioning off hormonal birth control might have irregular periods for a while, which could compromise the app\u2019s accuracy or result in more red (no-sex) days. Adolescents and women nearing menopause tend to have irregular cycles and might not be good candidates for the app.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who should think twice before switching to a birth control app?<\/h3>\n

If you have irregular cycles or experience amenorrhea (absence of periods) while on hormonal birth control, an immediate switch to the app may not be entirely effective. Natural Cycles says it <\/span>takes around one to three cycles for the app to \u201cget to know you,\u201d<\/span><\/a> so you may have more red days in the beginning. If your periods were irregular before starting hormonal birth control, you may find that they\u2019re still erratic after you come off the hormones, making it harder for the app to predict your cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Women should also consider whether an app fits their lifestyle. If you wake at a different hour every morning to accommodate an erratic work schedule, or if you tend to sleep in on the weekends, you may find it more challenging to enter consistent temperature readings than a woman with a rigid daily schedule. Natural Cycles also warns that <\/span>sickness and hangovers can affect your temperature<\/span><\/a>, which can lead to more red days during a given cycle.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bottom line<\/h3>\n

Ultimately, fertility awareness apps like Natural Cycles could be a good option for women who are able and willing to take consistent, daily temperature readings, women with predictable menstrual cycles, women planning to start a family soon or women who are avoiding hormonal birth control for personal or medical reasons. <\/span><\/p>\n

But if an unplanned pregnancy would be catastrophic, you\u2019re better off using <\/span>contraceptives with a higher success rate, like an IUD.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI support giving women as many options as possible,\u201d Linton said. \u201cThat said, it is important for women to know that if pregnancy prevention is their primary goal, we have methods of contraception that are more effective than Natural Cycles.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Ready to book a gynecologist’s appointment? Visit Zocdoc.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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