More than 600,000 women have ditched the birth-control pill, with many switching to a smartphone contraceptive app instead.
Official NHS figures reveal that between 2011 and 2015, the number of women in England taking the Pill fell by almost a quarter.
Some experts believe they are turning to more natural methods of contraception because of health fears. Recent studies have linked the Pill to higher risks of breast cancer, blood clots and depression.
Official NHS figures reveal that between 2011 and 2015, the number of women in England taking the Pill fell by almost a quarter
The app, called Natural Cycles, has been shown in a study to be 93 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy. Costing £40 for an annual subscription, it tracks changes in body temperature over the course of a woman’s menstrual cycle and tells users which days they can have sex without risk of pregnancy.
It is the first in a growing market of fertility apps to be classed by European regulators as a medical contraceptive.
Following approval, the number of British users of the app soared from 5,000 in 2016 to 125,000 this year.
At the same time, the latest NHS figures reveal that the number of women taking the Pill has fallen in England over the past five years.
In 2011, some 2.7 million were prescribed the contraceptive, but by 2015 that number had dropped to just over two million.
Dr Jane Dickson, a consultant of sexual and reproductive healthcare at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust in South-East London, said: ‘I’m aware of a feeling among women I see, that they might be worried about using hormones so they are seeking non-hormonal methods.’
A spokesman for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service added: ‘We have seen an increase in the number of women informing us that they are either currently using or plan to use apps to control their fertility. Women choose this option for a variety of reasons. Some will have struggled with the Pill’s side-effects, and others tell us that they want to use a more natural method.’
The app, called Natural Cycles, has been shown in a study to be 93 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy
In addition to the fertility app trend, there has been an increase in the use of other forms of contraception. Another NHS report showed that the number of women being prescribed long-term birth control, such as the coil, by sexual health clinics has jumped by 30 per cent in the past five years from 262,000 in 2011-12 to 342,000 in 2016-17. At the same time, there has been a slight increase in condom use, with leading market research firm Mintel reporting that sales in the UK have risen from £58 million in 2014 to £60 million last year.
A study of the use of the Natural Cycles app published in August found that it was 93 per cent effective in preventing pregnancy, compared to the Pill, which is 91 per cent reliable.
However, some health experts have warned that more research is needed before such contraceptive apps are considered as viable alternatives to the Pill.
Dr Cecilia Pyper, of Fertility UK, a national fertility education service, said: ‘Large, independently conducted prospective trials are needed before apps can be considered for contraceptive use.’
And despite health fears, the Pill has been shown to cut the chance of ovarian and womb cancer.