GERMAN SCIENTISTS INVENT CONTRACEPTION APP THAT ACCURATELY PREDICTS A WOMAN'S CYCLE

An contraception app that uses body temperature to track a woman's menstrual cycle has been given the seal of approval.

Natural Cycles records daily temperature and uses an algorithm to plot fertility on a calendar.

In a clinical study of 4,000 women in 2016, it was claimed to be as effective as the contraceptive pill.

Now, German-based regulator Tuv Sud has approved it as a Class IIb medical device - the same level as acupuncture needles and blood

Natural Cycles records daily temperature and uses an algorithm to plot fertility on a calendar

The app is believed to be the first software of its kind to be certified as a contraception alongside condoms, the pill and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Dr Elina Berglund, who created the app with her husband Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, said: 'Women around the world are interested in exploring effective non-hormonal, non-invasive forms of contraception.

'And now they have a new, clinically verified and regulatory approved option to choose from.'

Natural Cycle uses a woman's temperature to predict the days of the month when she is at her most fertile.

On these, red days, the app advises a couple use a condom to reduce the risk of becoming pregnant.

HOW TO USE THE APP

In just three steps, a woman can discover if she is at risk of becoming pregnant.

• Measure your temperature with the NaturalCycles thermometer, as soon as you wake up
• Enter your reading into the NaturalCycles app
• Check your fertility: green day = 99.9 per cent safe and red day = use a condom.