A few weeks a go I wrote my first ‘Body Talk’ post about contraception (you can read it here) and the response was amazing. I was flooded with questions and comments not just on here but across all my social media platforms as well. I loved being able to start a conversation with you guys and be able to share opinions and experiences. Obviously the post was centred around contraception and in particular my personal experience using the Natural Cycles app as a form of contraception. I had so many questions about how it works, what effects it has and how I’ve found it so I thought I’d answer all your queries in one big post and hopefully explain more about what it actual does etc.
So here we go – a quick Q&A about Natural Cycles…
Q: How does it actually work?
A: Natural Cycles involves an app and a digital medical thermometer which
is used to measure your body temperature every morning before you get
out of bed. You place the thermometer under your tongue, as far back as possible. Your temperature varies depending on the hormone levels in your body,
and where you are in your cycle. You then enter the reading into the app
where you’ll then be given a notification of either a green day (safe
to have sex) or red day (possibility of getting pregnant and need to use
protection.)
Q: How long does it take the app to get to know my cycle?
A: The app works effectively from the beginning however In my experience it went quick, it took about 2/3 weeks for it to find my ovulation and get to know my cycle. It usually takes a few months, therefor at the beginning you should expect more red days but be patient, as the app continues to get to know your cycle these will reduce.
Q: How many ‘red’ days will I get?
A: This can differ person to person but on average you will get around 10 red days per cycle. During this time you and your partner must be comfortable with either abstaining from sex or using a condom in order to prevent pregnancy.
Q: I’m on another form of contraception, can I use both?
A: This would depend on the type of contraception you’re already on. If it’s a NON-hormonal contraceptive ie: condoms, copper IUD etc you can get started with Natural Cycle straight away however hormonal contraceptive such as the pill affects your cycle and temperature so you cannot start using Natural Cycles until you have come off it and have been off it for approximately one week. The exception for this is the hormonal IUD, which
as well as the copper IUD can be used in combination with Natural
Cycles. After coming off hormonal contraception cycle irregularities are
quite common so you may have more ‘red’ days at the beginning.
Q: Is it 100% effective?
A: No, like any other form of contraception Natural Cycles doesn’t claim to be 100% effective. It is 93% effective which is less effective than the IUD, comparable to the contraceptive pill and more effective than forms of barrier contraception ie: condoms.
Q: Does is protect against STI’s?
A: No, much like the pill and copper IUD you must use a condom to protect yourself from STI’s.
Q: Is it suitable for everyone?
A: Natural Cycles isn’t for everyone, I spoke about this quite a bit in my original post. It is for people who have a daily routine and a fairly structured lifestyle. I could never have used this as a student as my sleeping patterns were too sporadic however now that I have a much more settled routine it’s a great alternative contraception method for me. The app is for those 18+ however Natural Cycles encourages couples in a steady relationship again with a structured lifestyle and therefore the average age of users tends to be 30.
Q: How often do I need to measure my temperature?
A: You should be willing to
measure preferably five times a week and use protection (condoms) on red
days if you wish to prevent pregnancy, having this discussion with your partners makes this a shared responsibility too – which is great!
Q: Are there any side effects?
A: No (hurrah!) Natural contraception means non-hormonal and non-intrusive so zero side effects – in my opinion…finally!
Q: How much does it cost?
A:Well guys this is were I can help! I you do think Natural Cycles is something that would suit your lifestyle then I have a code for you to get a yearly subscription, free thermometer, Durex condoms and Yuppie tampons all for £39.99 (that’s less than half the usual price) just click HERE to claim.
I hope you found this useful, regardless if Natural Cycles is for you or not I think it’s always good to research into every option before picking a form of contraception. I plan on doing another post in the next month or so talking about my journey with the app from start to ‘finish’ and what I think of it after using it for 6 months. So if you have any other questions that I haven’t answered above or anything you’d like to add in general, please leave a comment below or reach out over on my Instagram – @littlemisswinney and I will do my best to answer all your queries as well as share the good AND the bad. In the meantime you can always head over to the Natural Cycles website to find out more and if you do think this would work for you make sure to make use of my discount code.
K x
*This post was sponsored by Natural Cycles*
