Natural Cycles reached a milestone as the first manufacturer of digital birth control solutions certified by the FDA. The company has been hard at work in recent months, and it is asking the federal agency to grant authorization for smart integration with certain wearable devices.
The app takes into account temperature measurements and period cycle observations to anticipate when a person is more likely to get pregnant. While some fertility methods have been around for a time, they can be quite efficient when they are used properly, matching the usefulness of classic birth control tools.
Smarter data collection
People who use the app have to record their temperature manually when they wake up. The new feature would handle this task as a wearable device could collect the data faster and more efficiently.
Some users may run into issues if they forget to record the temperature in the morning, and many have requested the introduction of support for wearable accessories, a feature that would make the app easier to use and more reliable in the long run.
A beta version is available
Those who want to trial the support for wearable accessories can do so by downloading the beta version of the app. It is not possible to access it in the regular version of the app since FDA has to approve it before it can be released, and only a nasal thermometer has been cleared for use for now.
Some have criticized the FDA for approving the app in 2018. The app was promoted hard on social media as an effective alternative to classic birth control, but people have to learn additional stuff to be able to use fertility awareness without the potential risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
The need to rely on third-party accessories can also lead to new privacy concerns, but the company argued that only trusted partners would be selected.
