Natural Family Planning in the 21st Century

In 1960, the hormonal birth control pill was approved for contraceptive use. The pill quickly became a controversial topic, raising moral controversy in addition to concerns about potential side effects. Fast forward to 2013, and you will see that the pill is still viewed negatively in some communities, even though it is used today by millions of women across the globe. However, some women choose not to use hormonal contraception, either due to moral objections or due to their intolerance of the side effects they experience when using this form of birth control. Now, new technologies are available to aid in family planning that instill no negative side effects and are much cheaper for the user. These new technologies include mobile family planning applications that are geared toward todays’ tech-savvy female generation. Many family planning apps are free and supported by ads or larger marketing campaigns, while others are low-cost, providing real value for the user. Some women will argue that a one-time fee to buy an application is much more cost-effective then paying for birth control pills monthly. In a modern and technology-driven world, cell phone and tablet applications are becoming tools for natural family planning. Many women turn to natural family planning apps in lieu of traditional hormonal birth control because of their convenience, accuracy, and lack of side effects.

Family planning applications allow users to track menstruation, ovulation, fertility, and sexual activities so couples can conceive naturally or avoid conception. After entering menstrual periods into the fertility apps, women may also enter information about basal body temperature, weight fluctuations, menstrual flow, moods, symptoms, and levels of pain. Using all information entered, mathematical algorithms can predict the different aspects of the menstrual cycle, such as the woman’s next menstruation and the upcoming windows of ovulation and fertility. During times of peak fertility, women who wish to become pregnant can track sexual activity so that if they are to get pregnant, they may have a chance of knowing when the child was conceived and can in turn predict a due date. These medical applications are also important to women who do not wish to get pregnant, as they can indicate times to avoid unprotected sexual activity. Some family planning medical mobile apps even offer push notifications that will alert the user when different aspects of the menstrual cycle are taking place.

Many women prefer natural family planning methods versus hormonal birth control. A lot of women have concerns about negative side effects of taking hormones every day for contraception, and want to protect their bodies by partaking in natural contraception. Mobile applications designed for natural family planning offer safe alternatives to hormonal contraception while helping women better understand their body’s menstrual cycle. In addition to better understanding the human body, these apps also offer convenience. Women who use iPhone® apps, iPad® apps, Android™ tablet apps, and Android™ smartphone apps for family planning don’t have to worry about taking a pill every day. Instead, they can be alerted as to when changes in their body relating to fertility are happening. Moreover, some fertility apps allow users to email printable reports to doctors for use in medical records. The bottom line is that mobile medical applications aimed at natural family planning have offered innovative contraception solutions and, when used as directed, can be more effective at both preventing pregnancy and helping women achieve pregnancy than the regulation of fertility through hormonal contraception.[1]

DDA Apps™ is a leader in creating medical mobile applications for smartphones and tablets. With a long history in creating apps for medical clients, DDA Apps is the perfect developer for creating a family planning app. A skilled team of programmers, videographers, photographers, graphic designers, copywriters, illustrators, and animators can create the most functional and convenient fertility application for women across the world. No matter what the device, DDA Apps will create the most state-of-the-art medical application. Contact DDA Apps today for more information on creating a family planning application.

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