Can you rely on an app or gadget?
Apps can help you record when your period started and other cycle data, but don't rely on them to tell you when you're fertile unless you want to get pregnant.
Clue is easy to use but, like I said, be wary of the fertile days information - it's not a contraception app. It's also receiving funding from Bayer, which might or might not matter to you.
Kindara is trickier to use but free and a good choice if you want to use fertility awareness as contraception and paper charts aren't your thing. It only records your information. You need to interpret it.
Read Your Body is an easier to use option that charges a modest fee.
Natural Cycles is a well advertised contraception app which does the work for you, so long as you enter your temperature data, but I don't recommend it unless you're happy with a 93% effectiveness rate.
CycleBeads is a less well-known app that's based on the 95% effective (correct use) Standard Days method. Enter day one of your period and the app does the rest. It's only suitable if your cycles are 26 to 32 days long.
If you want to use fertility awareness as contraception, the most effective, and cheap, option is to learn a few things and rely on your own judgement. It might be intimidating at first but in the end it is liberating, a bit like learning to ride a bike.
Clue is easy to use but, like I said, be wary of the fertile days information - it's not a contraception app. It's also receiving funding from Bayer, which might or might not matter to you.
Kindara is trickier to use but free and a good choice if you want to use fertility awareness as contraception and paper charts aren't your thing. It only records your information. You need to interpret it.
Read Your Body is an easier to use option that charges a modest fee.
Natural Cycles is a well advertised contraception app which does the work for you, so long as you enter your temperature data, but I don't recommend it unless you're happy with a 93% effectiveness rate.
CycleBeads is a less well-known app that's based on the 95% effective (correct use) Standard Days method. Enter day one of your period and the app does the rest. It's only suitable if your cycles are 26 to 32 days long.
If you want to use fertility awareness as contraception, the most effective, and cheap, option is to learn a few things and rely on your own judgement. It might be intimidating at first but in the end it is liberating, a bit like learning to ride a bike.
What about gadgets?
There's all sorts of expensive fertility gadgets that claim to take the hassle out of fertility awareness.
This might sound harsh, but I think nearly all of them are a waste of money and not to be relied on unless effectiveness is not your number one priority (which is allowed by the way).
The only potential exception to this is Tempdrop - a wearable thermometer.
It's expensive but it might be worth it if you have trouble getting an accurate temperature because of interrupted sleep, or waking up at very different times each day.
Try a standard thermometer first though. A fever one is fine and you can often make allowances for waking up earlier or later than usual.
Find out if fertility awareness as contraception is right for you here.
This might sound harsh, but I think nearly all of them are a waste of money and not to be relied on unless effectiveness is not your number one priority (which is allowed by the way).
The only potential exception to this is Tempdrop - a wearable thermometer.
It's expensive but it might be worth it if you have trouble getting an accurate temperature because of interrupted sleep, or waking up at very different times each day.
Try a standard thermometer first though. A fever one is fine and you can often make allowances for waking up earlier or later than usual.
Find out if fertility awareness as contraception is right for you here.