How is Natural Cycles different from other forms of Digital Birth Control?
Natural Cycles became the first FDA cleared form of digital birth control in 2018, leading the way for more non-hormonal and non-invasive birth control options. Three years later, in 2021, another app received FDA clearance - joining Natural Cycles as the second app able to market themselves as a contraceptive.
While both forms of digital birth control are delivered through an app, behind the scenes the apps work very differently. Learn more about how Natural Cycles is different below.
| How does it work? | |
|
The Natural Cycles app is powered by a smart algorithm that analyzes basal body temperature (BBT) and other key fertility indicators to detect ovulation and determine a user’s personalized fertility status each day. Users measure their BBT and input their temperature into the app. |
The app provides users with information about their daily probability of pregnancy based on the length of their menstrual cycles over time.  No biometric data is collected or used from the woman other than period dates. |
| Can I use it after being on hormonal birth control? | |
|
Yes |
No Before using, users must have had 3 eligible cycles (4 periods) since stopping hormonal birth control or removing a copper IUD.¹ |
| Does it confirm ovulation? | |
|
Yes |
No |
| Does it work with irregular cycles? | |
|
Yes |
No You must have predictable 20-40 day cycles that varied by 9 days or less over your last 12 cycles You may have to stop using Clue Birth Control if your cycle length becomes too long, too short, or too variable after starting to use the feature. |
| What is its effectiveness? | |
|
93% effective with typical use 98% effective with perfect use |
92% effective with typical use 97% effective with perfect use |
| Can I use this for birth control in Europe? | |
|
Yes, it is CE Marked and can be used as a contraceptive in Europe. Natural Cycles is also able to be used as birth control in Australia and Singapore. |
No |
| FDA Clearance Process | |
|
De Novo process. |
Abbreviated 510k. |
| Clinical Evidence² | |
|
Natural Cycles’ FDA clearance is based on the study of more than 15,000 women and 180,000 cycles. In addition, 4 clinical studies have been published on Natural Cycles effectiveness, the largest including over 22,000 women and 200,000 cycles. |
The app’s FDA clearance is based on the study of 700 women and 5,397 cycles. |
| Real life evidence³ | |
|
Natural Cycles monitors how the app works and follows up on unintended pregnancies on a monthly basis. Claimed effectiveness rates have been in line with real-life effectiveness rates for the past 4 years - and over 5 million cycles.³ |
This information is not yet available given how new the app is. |
We believe the more information available when choosing the right birth control method, the better. If you have any questions around Natural Cycles, our support team is here to help. You can reach them at support@naturalcycles.com.
1. https://helloclue.com/clue-birth-control-digital-contraceptive-app
2. According to C. Gerlinger, et al. 2003 paper, at least 23,000 cycles are needed for a Pearl Index of 3.0 and the higher the Pearl Index, the more cycles needed.
3. Real life evidence is often very different from a clinical study setting (where participants often tend to perform better than in real life).