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Higgs-Boson physicist creates fertility app that’s as effective as the pill

Using only body temperature, the app predicts ovulation with 99.5 percent accuracy

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The Natural Cycles birth control app uses only body temperature to predict fertility and ovulation.
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Over the last several decades women have been using numerous birth control methodologies and techniques. These have included invasive approaches that involve physical devices, to taking the pill, to tracking cycles and marking calendar days. While each has had varying degrees of involvement and efficacy, this new method may just simplify things--an app that monitors body temperature.

With hundreds of fertility-related apps available for smartphones, this isn’t a new concept. But this new app is based simply on a combination of an algorithm along with the subject logging body temperature over a given period. Interestingly, it is the brainchild of Swedish particle physicist Elina Berglund who is famously known for being part of the team that discovered the Higgs-Boson particle,

Berglund came upon the idea when she was herself looking for a more effective and convenient alternative to the pill. The breakthrough happened when she developed an algorithm that uses statistical theory to track a woman’s body temperature over a spell of time to predict ovulation and fertility. The app, known as Natural Cycles, is able to accurately track the subtle variations in the body temperature of the two phases that comprise the menstrual cycle--the follicular and the luteal phase--each of which is characterized by ‘cooler’ and ‘warmer’ body temperatures. Using the app simply consists of taking body temperature at the start of the day and entering it into the app. It is then able to indicate the user’s fertility level on that day, and also alert when peak fertility is reached.

The app is apparently able to learn an individual’s unique cycle pattern, enabling it to accurately predict an ovulation date within the fertility window. The service consists of an online component where users sign in to monitor their progress. The app also claims to be effective for women who have irregular periods or are afflicted with conditions like Endometriosis and PCOS.

Apart from indicating when a user is fertile and what day they will be ovulating, the app is also able to predict when the next period is due, even indicate when they become pregnant and deliver information on the progress of the pregnancy. And all of this is done solely by interpreting body temperature. Natural Cycles is available for both iOS and for Android devices.

 
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