A study published in BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health indicates a notable shift in contraception use among women in England and Wales from hormonal methods to fertility awareness-based methods, with the latter's use rising significantly over five years.
The data reveals a decrease in hormonal contraceptive use from 19% to 11% between 2018 and 2023, while natural methods' usage increased from 0.4% to 2.5%. Although still a minority, this change is significant and warrants further investigation.
Fertility tracking apps, which claim up to 93% reliability when used correctly, require strict adherence to their guidelines. The NHS cautions that failure to follow the app instructions can lower effectiveness to just 76%, making them less reliable compared to hormonal methods.
Researchers highlighted that the number of women using no contraceptive method at all also increased, with 70% confirming they were not using any form of birth control in 2023, raising concerns over unplanned pregnancies.
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