Ali, R., Gürtin, Z. B., & Harper, J. C. (2021). Do fertility tracking applications offer women useful information about their fertile window? Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 42(1), 273-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.09.005
Ali R, Gürtin ZB, Harper JC. Do fertility tracking applications offer women useful information about their fertile window? Reprod Biomed Online. 2021;42(1):273-281. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.09.005
Ali, Roshonara, et al. "Do fertility tracking applications offer women useful information about their fertile window?" Reproductive Biomedicine Online, vol. 42, no. 1, 2021, pp. 273-281.
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Most fertility tracking apps in a 90-app audit track only cycle dates
In an exploratory cross-sectional audit of 90 fertility apps, 49 apps (54.4%) recorded only menstrual cycle dates. The other 41 (45.6%) also tracked a fertility-based awareness method. The authors describe calendar apps as the most common and as unreliable.
Key Findings
Twenty-five apps (27.8%) tracked dates, basal body temperature, luteinizing hormone and cervical mucus together.
Seventy-six percent of the apps were free to download. Compared with paid apps, the free apps offered more desirable features, more measures and a larger amount of better educational content.
Seventy percent of the apps were classified as feminine apps, and 41% of those were pink in color.
All apps except one monitored menstrual cycle dates. The 41 apps beyond date-only tracking recorded basal body temperature, cervical mucus or luteinizing hormone.
Interpretation
The summary rests on the published abstract of an exploratory cross-sectional audit. Reviewers examined each app's method of predicting the fertile window, its price, its disclaimers, its features and its marketing. The authors report wide variation in methods, price and design. They raise the lack of regulation as a concern for app regulating bodies and say any benefit for time to pregnancy still needs evaluation.
RRM Context
Fertility awareness-based methods find the fertile window from signs a woman can observe, such as cervical mucus and body temperature. Charting these signs gives her direct knowledge of her own cycle. That knowledge supports body literacy and a restorative look at irregular cycles.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Research Question
To characterize mobile fertility tracking applications (apps) to determine the use of such apps for women trying to conceive by identifying the fertile window.
Design
An exploratory cross-sectional audit study was conducted of fertility tracking applications. Ninety out of a possible total 200 apps were included for full review. The main outcome measures were the underlying app method for predicting ovulation, the fertile window, or both, price to download and use the app, disclaimers and cautions, information and features provided and tracked, and app marketing strategies.
Results
All the apps except one monitored the women's menstrual cycle dates. Most apps only tracked menstrual cycle dates (n = 49 [54.4%]). The remainder tracked at least one fertility-based awareness method (basal body temperature, cervical mucus, LH) (n = 41 [45.6%]). Twenty-five apps measured dates, basal body temperature, LH and cervical mucus (27.8%). Seventy-six per cent of apps were free to download with free apps having more desirable features, tracking more measures and having more and better quality educational insights than paid apps. Seventy per cent of apps were classified as feminine apps, 41% of which were pink in colour.
Conclusions
Mobile fertility tracking apps are heterogenous in their underlying methods of predicting fertile days, the price to obtain full app functionality, and in content and design. Unreliable calendar apps remain the most commonly available fertility apps on the market. The unregulated nature of fertility apps is a concern that could be addressed by app regulating bodies. The possible benefit of using fertility apps to reduce time to pregnancy needs to be evaluated.
