Contraceptive application of the Bioself fertility indicator.

The Bioself fertility indicator is a hand-held electronic device that combines the basal body temperature and calendar methods for planning or preventing pregnancy. A study was undertaken in three centers in the province of Québec, Canada, to evaluate the Bioself device as a contraceptive aid. Eighty-three women were recruited; they accumulated 745 cycles of use. Six unplanned pregnancies occurred from unprotected intercourse during the fertile phase of the cycle, as indicated by the Bioself device. The pregnancy rate was 9.02 per 100 women-years and the one-year discontinuation rate was 32.5%. The low pregnancy rate is attributed to the women's experience in natural family planning, reinforced, in 51% of the cycles, by protection from additional barrier methods. It was concluded that the Bioself device is an effective contraceptive aid for couples who are aware of the pros and cons of natural family planning and desire a noninvasive means of contraception.