A contraceptive app sounds like a dream come true, no more nasty side effects from the pill, no more painful IUD procedures. That is, until you read into it and realise it’s essentially practicing celibacy when your most fertile, or at least using protection when you are. Tracking your temperature to see if you’re on a ‘green’ or ‘red’ day, the app allows you to see whether or not you need to use protection that day.
Cynically, we read this and think, ‘hmm, maybe not’. However, a lot of women have put their faith in this app, which boasts 99% success and claims to be more effective than the pill. Now, after tens of thousands of downloads, the real results are in: unwanted pregnancies.
The Södersjukhuset hospital in Stockholm has logged a complaint with the Swedish Medical Products Agency, responsible for regulating medical devises, claiming that hospital staff had recorded 37 unwanted pregnancies in the last quarter of 2017 after using the app.
Around 125,000 British women supposedly used the app in 2017, after a study into its effectiveness found it was 99% effective under ‘perfect use’ and 93% under ‘typical’ use. This is 3% more effective than the pill. Perfect use means using the app correctly and consistently for one year, essentially taking your temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed every day for one year. Typical use means using the app correctly within that first year.
While it is approved by EU regulators, midwives at the Swedish hospital have reported the app stating they ‘have duty to report all side effects, such as pregnancies’. Natural Cycles have put out a statement in response, saying:
‘If you have a popular form of contraception such as Natural Cycles, then you also have to expect a certain amount of unwanted pregnancies from users using this method. Our studies have repeatedly shown that our app provides a high level of effectiveness similar to methods that require a daily routine.
‘We have not been involved in the study that SÖS is referring to so we cannot comment on specifics. However, we understand that it sounds alarming, but when Natural Cycles’ user base increases, naturally so will the amount of unwanted pregnancies coming from users using us, just as it would do with any kind of new contraception.
‘We agree with what midwife Carina Montin says, 'perhaps young people should use another form of contraception'.
We’re also inclined to agree that this app may be more suited to understanding your own cycle and fertility than necessarily using it as a contraceptive. While hormonal contraceptives aren’t perfect, by any means, they’re tried and tested methods in preventing unwanted pregnancy. We can only hope there’s more research into both hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives, for both women and men, to protect against pregnancy in a less soul-crushing way, bringing a hot water bottle to work, way. Natural Cycles goal, ‘to increase contractive choice so that all women find a suitable method of contraception’ is one we should strive toward, but maybe not with their app- at least for now.
Click through to see the best products for acne-prone skin...
The Best Products For Acne-Prone Skin
1 of 10Murad Rapid Relief Spot Treatment, £20
Apply a thin layer of this serum meets moisturiser all over the affected area and let the Salicylic acid get to work to minimise the appearance of spots.
2 of 10Glossier Zit Stick, £12
Keep this handy stick in your handbag and apply it at the first sign of a spot - so, whenever that sore, swollen bump appears. Formulated with 2% salicylic acid to exfoliate the skin and tea-tree oil to calm the area - you'll notice the benefits in no time.
3 of 10Votary Blemish Rescue Oil - Tamanu and Salicylic, £35
It might sound counter intuitive to add more oil to oily skin but it can in fact help to balance the skin's mantle. This blemish oil calms irritated skin, helps to heal spots and will also treat scars.
![La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+], £17](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/lifestyle-images/galleries/580888efa0991aa448719c99/la-roche-posay-acne-spot-product.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
4 of 10La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+], £17
La Roche-Posay's anti-blemish cream is formulated to target oily, blemish-prone skin. It has become a cult product for beauty buffs who have raved about its magical ability to unclog pores, minimise imperfections and give the surface of the skin a smooth velvety finish.
5 of 10Tea Tree Night Lotion, £10 from The Body Shop Tea Tree Squeaky-Clean Scrub, £7 from The Body Shop
The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil range is proven to contain healing and antibacterial properties for every type of skin. The Body Shop claim that the range can create clearer skin in 3-days without over-stripping the skin. We love the Tea Tree Squeaky Clean Scrub (with biodegradable micro-beads) and Tea Tree Night Lotion to combat shine and impurities day and night.
6 of 10Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, £13
This highly coveted skin elixir is not only surprisingly affordable but also promises to refresh and repair your complexion by clearing up and soothing whiteheads overnight. All Mario Badescu asks is that you dip a cotton swab into the pink sediment, dab on a pimple and wash off in the morning. Do not shake the bottle.
7 of 10Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, £17
Enriched with cocoa butter, rosemary, eucalyptus and chamomile this indulgent cream cleanses, soothes and moisturises. Used alongside Liz Earle's pure cotton cloth, dead skin cells and daily grime are lifted away to reveal brighter looking skin.
8 of 10Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Toner, £45
Aesop is fast becoming the favorite beauty brand of the year because of the visible results. The parsley seed extract cleanses deep within the pores - exactly what you need for troublesome skin. Frequent use of this product will prevent future breakouts, and using this overnight won't leave you feeling oily or clogged up the next morning.
9 of 10Origins Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, £25
The most common places for acne and spots, particularly in the winter months, are your cheeks and jawline. To prevent this your skin must be well moisturized, and this Origins product is enriched with boosting ingredients to brighten your complexion. And it's completely oil-free.
10 of 10Kiehls Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, £38
Apply this serum onto your acne scars or discolouration after you've washed your face and before you moisturise, and overtime it will even your complexion.
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