Natural Cycles is the first app to be certified for contraception in Europe. The app predicts the days on which a woman is fertile and may be used for planning pregnancy and contraception. It was developed by CERN scientist Dr. Elina Berglund, who founded the company with her husband, Dr. Raoul Scherwitzl.
The annual subscription for Natural Cycles costs $89.99. The monthly subscription is $9.99
No, Natural Cycles is not currently covered by insurance; customers must purchase either a monthly or annual subscription. However, customers can also buy Natural Cycles with their FSA or HSA.
Yes, according to clinical studies, Natural Cycles is accurate. On their website, Natural Cycles claims to be 98% effective with perfect use, and 93% effective with imperfect use. If one were to look at the positive reviews of thousands of women who say that Natural Cycles has been an effective form of birth control, then yes, Natural Cycles has been for the most part, accurate and effective. However, it must be noted that Natural Cycles was investigated by the Swedish government after 36 women in Sweden were reported to have become pregnant even though they were monitoring their cycles with the Natural Cycles app. Although a Swedish regulator closed its investigation and did rule that they found "no major issues" with the app compared to other menstrual tracking methods, users should be aware that no method of contraception, including Natural Cycles, is 100% effective.
No, Natural Cycles has not yet been "approved" by the FDA. However, Natural Cycles was "cleared" by the FDA in 2018 and has the unique distinction of being the first ever birth control app to be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. You might be asking: what is the difference between being approved and being cleared by the FDA? When the FDA approves something, they've determined that "the benefits of the product outweigh the known risks for the intended use" of that product. However, when the FDA has cleared a product, this means that the manufacturer of the product (in this case, Natural Cycles) was able to successfully demonstrate that their product was "substantially equivalent to another (similarly) legally marketed device" that has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
While somewhat controversial, Natural Cycles is by most accounts still a legitimate company, app, and service.If we look at their standing in the Apple App Store, for example, they have 7.5K ratings with an average of 4.8 stars out of 5. Natural Cycles is powered by an algorithm that determines a woman's fertility status based on their basal body temperature.Their fertility status can then be used to plan or prevent a pregnancy. Additionally, users will receive unique insights into their cycle based on the data gained by the Natural Cycles app. According to their site, the Natural Cycles app is as effective, if not more so than other forms of contraception: Contraceptives and their Effectiveness
Contraceptive pills, vaginal rings, and hormonal IUDs are all forms of hormonal contraception. Natural Cycles, Male Condoms, and Copper IUDs are all hormone free. Although Natural Cycles is not as effective as either of the IUD options, it is far less invasive. And at 93%, the app is still more effective than the male condom which comes in at 87%. For those women who suffer from all sorts of side effects when using hormonal birth control, Natural Cycles and cycle tracking is a highly effective and less painful alternative to other birth control options.
