Women seeking abortions after using 'natural' contraception


New research has suggested a rise in the proportion of women seeking abortions despite using natural methods to prevent pregnancy, such as fertility tracking apps. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh compared data from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service to see if contraceptive use had changed. They found a shift in contraception use over the last five years, from more reliable hormonal contraceptives such as the pill, to fertility awareness-based methods. Hormonal methods decreased from 19% in 2018 to 11% in 2023 among tens of thousands of women. Natural methods, meanwhile, increased from 0.4% to 2.5%.

Fertility apps track fertile days so a woman can know when she is most likely to get pregnant each month or menstrual cycle. They rely on measurements like body temperature to predict ovulation when an egg is released from the ovary. Companies say they can be as much as 93% reliable. However, they require people to take readings and control when they have sex, avoiding intercourse on days when the app tells them that they may be fertile. The NHS says that if the user does not follow the instructions exactly, the method is only 76% effective. This means that 24 in 100 women will get pregnant when tracking their fertility for a year.

For the study, researchers compared data from January to June 2018 (33,495 women) and January to June 2023 (55,055 women) to see if contraceptive use changed. As well as the shift to natural methods, more women reported using no contraception at all in 2023, at 70%, compared to 56% in 2018. It is unclear what is driving these trends, but the study authors suggest that difficulty accessing sexual health services during the pandemic might be a factor.

Abortion provider MSI Reproductive Choices UK has also seen more women using fertility awareness methods. Long waits for appointments at GP surgeries and sexual health clinics could be a factor. Tanya Lane, the contraception lead, advised that women thinking of switching to fertility tracking should speak to a medical professional as they can discuss the risk of failure and dispel any myths and misconceptions. The sexual health charity Brook said many women use hormonal contraception not only to prevent pregnancy but to manage their menstrual health, to make periods lighter and more predictable

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