Abortions by women using ‘fertility apps’ popularised on social media surge 10-fold in five years
The number of women seeking abortions after using fertility apps has surged ten-fold in five years.
Around 2.5 percent of terminations were among women who relied on ‘fertility awareness-based methods’ in the first six months of last year.
That compares to 0.4 percent in the same period of 2018, according to analysis of British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) figures.
The rise has come amid a surge in the use of apps which track menstrual cycles or symptoms of ovulation to estimate a woman’s fertile window, so they can avoid sex then to prevent pregnancy.
These apps, which experts warn are ‘less reliable’, have been popularised on social media amid a rise in hormone hesitancy – scepticism around contraceptives like the pill because of their potential side-effects.
Using no contraception remains the biggest cause of unwanted pregnancies, increasing from 55.8 percent to 69.6 percent between 2018 and 2023, according to the analysis.
But experts said the findings highlight a trend in women moving away from ‘more reliable’ hormonal contraceptives such as the pill to ‘fertility awareness-based methods’.
Difficulties getting GP appointments could also be to blame, researchers suggest. Official figures show record levels of abortions with 251,377 carried out in England and Wales in 2022, a 17 per cent increase on the previous year.
The use of apps has surged track menstrual cycles or symptoms of ovulation to estimate a woman’s fertile window, so they can avoid sex then to prevent pregnancy (file photo)
Those who reported using no form of contraception when they became pregnant increased from 56 in 2018 to 70 per cent in 2023 (file photo)
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh used BPAS data to compare January to June 2018, to the same period in 2023, involving 33,495 and 55,055 women respectively.
They found reported use of fertility awareness-based methods by women seeking abortions increased from 129 in the 2018 data to 1,364 in 2023.
The age of the women using these methods also fell from almost 30 to 27, the analysis showed. Women taking hormonal contraceptives such as the pill, the mini pill, patches and vaginal rings fell from almost 19 per cent in 2018 to 11 per cent in 2023.
Use of the contraceptive implant also dropped from 3 to 0.6 per cent over the same period.
Those who reported using no form of contraception when they became pregnant increased from 56 in 2018 to 70 per cent in 2023.
Researchers said the findings show a ‘shift in contraception use from more reliable hormonal methods of contraception to less reliable fertility awareness-based methods of contraception among abortion patients’.
Writing in BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, they said: ‘While the rise in abortion rates is multifactorial, one aspect that needs scrutiny is any change in contraceptive use, and particularly this surge in the use of ehealth, including fertility apps, period tracker apps, and natural family planning apps.
‘The possible relationship between these less effective methods of contraception and unplanned pregnancy requires further investigation.
‘However, informing the public about the efficacy of such methods in order to facilitate informed contraceptive choices is needed.’
They added: ‘There appears to have been a significant increase in the proportion of individuals attending BPAS for abortion who use fertility awareness-based methods as a form of contraception and are using no method of contraception.
‘This may be a result of preference or it may be related to difficulties with access to more effective methods of contraception in the preconception and post-abortion periods.’
They suggested hormone hesitancy attributed to the influence of social media, has been reported in other European countries and could be happening in the UK.
Researchers said that ehealth, including fertility apps, period tracker apps, and natural family planning apps, was an aspect that required more scrutiny
Dr Patricia Lohr, of BPAS, suggested difficulties getting GP appointments could also be to blame, with almost half of women reporting barriers to accessing contraceptive, such as long waits for appointments.
She said: ‘This study of abortion patients showed a rise in the use of fertility awareness-based methods and a decline in hormonal contraception. ‘This may indicate women are making different contraceptive choices or can’t get the methods they want.’
Bekki Burbidge, of the Family Planning Association, said: ‘There certainly seems to have been a greater interest in fertility awareness-based contraceptive methods over the last few years.
‘This is probably for a range of reasons including a lack of access to other methods, a shift towards wanting non-hormonal methods with fewer possible side effects, and the wider availability of fertility awareness apps. ‘
