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Are fertility apps a good idea?

It is estimated that around 200 million women worldwide used an app to track fertility in 2016. The market continues to grow, but are they any good?

Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) apps track daily physiological changes throughout the menstrual cycle.

Users log:

  • Basal body temperature: an oral or vaginal thermometer reading taken first thing in the morning. Temperatures are generally lower BEFORE ovulation, and higher AFTER ovulation
  • Cervical mucus observation: changes in the texture of cervical mucus/vaginal discharge throughout the month. Generally, the mucus becomes more slippery and stringy as ovulation approaches.

Keeping an eye on these biological changes helps identify the days when the user is potentially be most fertile. These are the days prior to ovulation when sex is more likely to lead to pregnancy.

Remarkably, despite the popularity of these apps, until now there has been very little research to demonstrate their effectiveness. A new study in Switzerland analysed data of more than 200,000 FAM app users. This revealed some very interesting data patterns. The researchers analysed data from 2.7 million cycles entered into two very popular FAM apps. They evaluated how good the apps were at helping users identify the fertile window.

Myth busting

Traditionally, women are told that ovulation occurs around Day 14 of the menstrual cycle. But the research revealed that only 24% of occurred at this point. In reality, the timing of ovulation varies from woman to woman and cycle to cycle. Many women do not ovulate precisely at the midpoint of their cycle.

Data showed that the apps allowed women to determine their own cycle. And that relying on the day 14 rule had a much lower degree of success.

Dr. Laura Symul, Lead Researcher, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland said, “FAM apps may be useful for women looking to increase awareness of her cycle. Digital self-tracking of body signs could provide a more accessible way to evaluate menstrual health. Women have traditionally been medically monitored with ultrasound, blood work and urine testing.”

FAM apps could provide useful research into menstrual health. The digitised data from thousands of users can be tracked in almost real time providing instant insights.

Dr. Tomer Singer, Vice Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York said, “FAM apps can provide patients with reassurance that they’re ovulating on a monthly basis. If not, it puts them ahead of the game if something is wrong. Charting throughout the menstrual cycle can provide valuable clues to women and their gynaecologists. Disorders such as endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome, which can impact fertility can be detected.”

Not all FAM apps are equal

While it is clear that some FAM apps can be very useful, not all fertility apps are as useful as the ones identified in the study. In particular, apps that claim to predict fertility based solely on the first day of a woman’s last period. These are likely to be based the day 14 rule, and are therefore not likely to be accurate for most women. It is recommended that women familiarise themselves thoroughly with how FAM apps work before downloading.

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