Fertility app to replace birth control pill?

London: A fertility app that can pinpoint the days on which a woman could get pregnant may replace the contraceptive pill in the near future, says a study.

The "Natural Cycles" app creates an algorithm based on a woman's temperature when taken each morning to build a data plan of fertility -- showing the days on which a woman could get pregnant, sbs.com.au reported.

The app then notifies users to take precautions on fertile days to avoid the risk of pregnancy.

In a clinical trial carried out in Sweden that involved more than 4,000 women aged between 20 and 35, Natural Cycles scored similar results to the pill on the so called "Pearl Index".

The index measures the effectiveness of birth control methods by calculating how many subjects out of 100 will experience an accidental pregnancy within the first year of use.

While the pill scored 0.3 on the "Pearl Index" -- meaning about three women in 1,000 who use the pill "perfectly" experience an accidental pregnancy -- the Natural Cycles' system scored a rating of 0.5, said the study published in the European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care.

"Mobile technology is the most transformative trend for healthcare in recent years," Elina Berglund, one of the app's creators, was quoted as saying. 

"Natural Cycles" uses data instead of chemicals to prevent pregnancies thereby allowing women to educate and empower themselves and take control of their fertility.

"The future of birth control lies in knowing your body rather than altering it with hormonal contraceptives, and we are excited to be leading the way and creating a future where every pregnancy is wanted," the authors noted.