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SAY NO TO DAYSY & NATURAL CYCLES



SAY NO TO DAISY & NATURAL CYCLES AKA FEM TECH.


I understand that we live in a world where we want quick solutions to our challenges.


I can empathize with women who’s path towards fertility awareness starts with purchasing an app or predictive thermometer.


You may have seen a sponsored post by the company or an influencer that you look up to. They are promoting it with their discount code and saying how it has changed their lives. That is how these companies spread the word, through social media ads and an influencer network. Although there is a lot at stake when the risk is unintended pregnancy.


I get it.


It’s easy.


It’s simple.


It’s telling you what to do.


You trust in technology.


We live in a society that teaches us to put our full trust in things outside of ourselves then rather teaching us to connect and trust our own self.


If you are wondering why there is nothing appearing for reasons why you should use fem tech to predict your ovulation, its because there aren’t any. But here are some reasons on why you should not use fem tech:


1. PREDICTIONS AND UNWANTED PREGNANCY: I do not recommend anyone using femtech as a form of birth control. Do not blindly trust a piece of device or an app ever to predict your fertile window. Apps and devices that claim to tell you when you are ovulating based on past data, algorithms, and basal body temperature alone should send up red flags to you. Data cannot be used to accurately predict ovulation. Apps like Daysy and Natural Cycles use your past cycle data to predict ovulation and may only rely on BBT (BBT can only close the fertile window, it does not open it, during the process of luteinization and/or after ovulation your BBT rises. You will know ovulation has occurred from a rise in temperature, that is sustained, for around 12 to 14 days). Cervical mucus is the only real time marker of ovulation. I DO NOT RECOMMEND apps or devices that claim to predict your ovulation if you are strictly TTA (trying to avoid).


Example of a fem tech that I do not recommend: continued in comments below


I do not recommend: Daysy or Natural Cycles

Daysy claims that the accuracy of the algorithm used by Daysy has been systematically tested and shows that Daysy has an overall accuracy of 99.4% in the calculation of infertile days. https://usa.daysy.me/accuracy/. The success rate is based on a study that was funded by Daysy manufacturers and there was a follow-up commentary published in Reproductive Health in June 2018 to have the paper retracted because of citing serious flaws in methodology. Chelsea Polis (an epidemiologist) commented on the original study concluding that the original study “produced unreliable estimates of contraceptive effectiveness for the Daysy device and DaysyView app.” https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-018-0560-1 Günter Freundl (obstetrician and gynecologist) who reviewed Lady Comp (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1006534632583), thinks the Koch et al. paper should be retracted. The study was retracted in May 2019. Daysy lacks sufficient evidence for it to be used as a contraceptive device and the effective rate. Some other articles about this retraction:

https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-019-0728-3

https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-018-0560-1

https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-018-0479-6

Natural cycles:

In 2018, Natural Cycles was investigated by Swedish authorities after a report that dozens of women using the app had unwanted pregnancies. https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/lakemedelsverket/pressreleases/the-assessment-of-natural-cycles-is-completed-2692491


2. MONEY: The money spent on an app or femtech can be put towards investing in yourself and learning your cycle and your body as your birth control. When you send money on femtech, it does not ensure that you won’t get pregnant. These femtech use predictions based on previous cycles (aka rhythm method). They do not teach you about your body literacy.

3. HEALTH: Your body is your own birth control. Do not depend on technology, your body is all you need. Biomarkers can predict and confirm ovulation along with giving an insight into overall wellness. Apps and devices do not inform you about your body or health. Learn a Fertility Awareness Based Method by a trained instructor in the method to interpret your charts!


If you want to use a natural method for family planning, track real-time evidence-based fertility signs:

Cervical Mucus

Basal Body Temperature

LH

Cervical position


I am here for women. I am here to inform and educate them about body literacy. I am here to advocate for women to:

- invest in themselves

- learn about themselves

- to connect with themselves

- to trust themselves

- NOT depend on and put their trust in a device to track ovulation


I hope this encourages you to invest in learning about your body and cycle and not in an app or device.

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