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Birth Control Brand Cleared To Launch First Form Of Wearable Contraception

Kimberley Bond

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Birth Control Brand Cleared To Launch First Form Of Wearable Contraception

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

We could very well be bidding goodbye to more traditional forms of contraception, as the very first form of wearable contraception is set to be launched.

Natural Cycles, the brand behind the divisive birth control app typically endorsed by influencers, has announced it's developed new software which can automatically track your fertility.

Currently, users of Natural Cycles have to input their temperature manually. The app's algorithm then uses data inputted to track the users' fertility.

Natural Cycles uses an algorithm based on your temperature (Credit: Unsplash)
Natural Cycles uses an algorithm based on your temperature (Credit: Unsplash)
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However, the new wearable contraception converts temperature and heart rate data received from wearable devices that collect continuous nightly biometric data to a format that can be interpreted by the Natural Cycles algorithm.

This change will remove the manual steps of measuring orally and entering temperature data for those users who wear an integrated device.

The new technology has received clearance from the FDA in the US as well as in Europe, and could be an option for women looking to change their contraception very soon.

While 100 per cent natural, and favoured by those who don't like using hormonal-based contraception, Natural Cycles does carry a risk of pregnancy (like all forms of contraception).

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As no contraceptive is 100% effective, you could be risking pregnancy (Credit: Pexels)
As no contraceptive is 100% effective, you could be risking pregnancy (Credit: Pexels)

The company claim that, if used 'perfectly', Natural Cycles can be 99 per cent effective as a form of contraception, however, effectiveness drops to 93 per cent outside of laboratory settings.

And while many people (particularly former Love Island stars) have praised Natural Cycles, others have warned that app can be dangerously unreliable.

Its algorithm calculates your fertility based on your temperature, which can be higher or lower for a myriad of different factors - and can lead to the difficulties surrounding unwanted pregnancies.

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You should always seek advice before changing contraception (Credit: Unsplash)
You should always seek advice before changing contraception (Credit: Unsplash)

It also does not cater for fairly common ailments such as polycystic ovary syndrome, which can make your cycles irregular.

In Sweden, where the company is based, a major hospital reported that 37 of the 668 women who had sought an abortion there between September and December 2017 were using Natural Cycles as their sole form of birth control, according to The Guardian.

If you're thinking about switching away from your regular contraception, be sure to seek medical advice first.

Topics: UK News, Sex & Relationships, Health

Kimberley Bond
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