Women seeking abortions after using 'natural' contraception

There has been a rise in the proportion of women seeking abortions despite using "natural" methods to prevent pregnancy, like fertility tracking apps, a study in England and Wales suggests.

The data, published in BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, shows a "shift" in contraception use in the last five years, from "more reliable" hormonal contraceptives such as the pill, to "fertility awareness-based methods", say researchers.

Hormonal methods, including the mini pill, fell from 19% in 2018 to 11% in 2023 among tens of thousands of women.

Use of natural methods, meanwhile, increased from 0.4% to 2.5% - still a minority but a significant rise that "needs investigating", say experts.

Fertility apps help track fertile days so a woman can know when she would be 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 when used correctly.

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 if you do not follow the instructions exactly, the method is only 76% effective. This means 24 in 100 women will get pregnant when tracking their fertility for a year.

In comparison, the pill and the mini pill are 91% effective with "typical use" and 99% effective with "perfect" use.

Hormonal coils or implants, which do not rely on the user remembering to take them, are 99% effective.