Could fertility apps replace the contraceptive pill?

A fertility app that tracks a woman's ovulation is as effective at preventing pregnancy as the contraceptive pill, according to a new study.

Natural Cycles calculates where a woman is in her cycle based on daily temperature readings, which users record on the app.

It then creates a calendar displaying "red days", when a woman is fertile and should abstain from sex or use a form of contraception, and "green days", when she is safe to have sex without risking pregnancy.

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Research carried out at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found the app was as effective as the pill without any of the side effects, such as weight gain, breast sensitivity and mood swings.

Natural Cycles, which costs £60 a year, was created by physicist Dr Elina Berglund, who was part of the team that discovered the Higgs boson particle, and her husband, Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, as an alternative natural family planning method. It is now used by more than 10,000 women around the world.

"Mobile technology is the most transformative trend for healthcare in recent years," says Dr Berglund. "Natural Cycles uses data instead of chemicals to prevent pregnancies, thereby allowing women to educate and empower themselves and take control of their fertility."

Claire Cohen, a journalist at the Daily Telegraph who has been using the app for a few months, says it is simple and effective.

"One of the best - and entirely unexpected - side-effects is that I feel better informed about my own body," she says.

But Broadly points out one flaw: "The number one reason that contraception methods don't work is because of user failure, not method failure.

"Remembering to take a pill every day is one thing, but remembering to take your temperature and hoping you've recorded everything properly? That's quite another."