With the number of unplanned or teenage pregnancies taking a toll each year, a novel means to avoid it has come into light. Experts from the Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health have now introduced a scientifically-based family planning tool as an easy-to-use iPhone, iPod touch or iPad application. The detailed information provided by this app known as iCycleBeads empowers women to accurately plan or avoid pregnancy.
In order to utilize iCycleBeads a woman has to enter the starting date of most recent period and any historical data on menstrual cycles that she may have. On simply touching a button, iCycleBeads will display the woman’s place in the cycle and whether the day is likely or not for achieving pregnancy. Crafted as a virtual representation of actual CycleBeads, the app engulfs a string of 32 color-coded beads. Along with a calendar view, iCycleBeads has a red bead or box which marks the first day of a woman’s cycle. While brown signifies days when pregnancy is unlikely, white points out days wherein chances of expecting are high.
Victoria Jennings, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Reproductive Health and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at GUMC, remarked, “Electronic devices like iPhones are increasingly popular and we see this technology as an important new way to reach women. We think that iCycleBeads will appeal to any woman who is interested in effectively and easily managing her fertility and uses a compatible mobile digital device.â€
Also users will be receiving alerts during fertile window, when pregnancy is unlikely and the likelihood of getting period. Even an alert for entering cycle data will be given by the iCycleBeads. Designed on sophisticated computer modeling of reproductive physiology data, the app is tested in large-clinical trials. CycleBeads offers detailed information about cycle length and 12 days of fertility. This fertility management tool helps address issues of women who believe they are infertile and find it difficult to get pregnant.
iCycleBeads is made available by Cycle Technologies at the iPhone Apple store.