There has been a rise in the proportion of women seeking abortions despite using "natural" methods to prevent pregnancy, such as fertility tracking apps, a study in England and Wales suggests.
The data, published in BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, shows a shift in contraception use over the last five years, from "more reliable" hormonal contraceptives, such as the pill, to fertility awareness-based methods, say the researchers.
Hormonal methods, including the mini-pill, fell from 19 per cent in 2018 to 11 per cent in 2023 among tens of thousands of women.
The experts report that the use of natural methods increased from 0.4 per cent to 2.5 per cent-still a minority, but a significant rise that warrants further investigation.
