Contraceptive app blamed for unwanted pregnancies
Swedish app Natural Cycles caused some controversy when it became the first app to be approved as a medical device for contraception last year. The tech company - led by particle physicist Dr Elina Berglund and her husband Dr Raoul Scherwitzl - was eager to develop a non-hormonal contraception for women, and that's exactly what they did.
Natural Cycles costs £40 for an annual subscription, and works by measuring temperature fluctuations in the body to identify a woman's ovulation and fertile window. Users have to record the temperature under their tongue every day as soon as they wake up, and the app then decides whether or not it's safe to have intercourse without condoms if you're trying to avoid pregnancy. If it is safe, it'll be deemed a 'green day' and you can go right ahead; if it's not safe, it's a 'red day' and you'll need to use protection.
