A controversial app aimed at empowering women to manage their sex lives by predicting fertile days is being criticized for making inaccurate claims that could lead to unintended pregnancies.
Many women in the UK, including 69% of 18-24 year olds, use smartphone apps to track their menstrual cycles and identify their most fertile and least fertile days. However, experts caution that the data used by these apps to make predictions is often unreliable and limited.
Despite these concerns, one app, called the Period & Fertility Tracker, falsely promotes itself as a reliable method of contraception. Another app, Cycles, claims to accurately predict pregnancy chances daily but offers a disclaimer on its website stating it is for informational purposes only.
While some apps offer features to manage fertility goals and check chances of pregnancy each day, their effectiveness is doubted by experts. The increasing use of “natural contraception” methods raises further concerns, as studies show a rise in unintended pregnancies among users of these apps.
The accuracy of these apps in predicting fertile windows is also questioned, as they rely on traditional methods that have a high risk of error. Despite some apps requiring daily data entry for improved accuracy, the overall effectiveness of these methods remains low.
Regulators are urged to address the potential dangers posed by unregulated apps that claim to be contraceptives. While only one app is authorized to be sold as a contraceptive in some countries, the overall lack of regulation raises concerns about the safety and accuracy of these apps.
In conclusion, the growing trend of relying on period tracking apps for contraception raises serious issues about women’s health and the need for more reliable contraceptive methods.
Source: www.theguardian.com
