Švedinja Elina Berglund je v Cernu sodelovala pri iskanju Higgsovega bozona. Po razburljivem odkritju delca si je zaželela novih izzivov. Posvetila se je razvoju algoritma, ki bi ji na osnovi spremljanja telesne temperature pomagal napovedovati, katere dni v mesecu lahko zanosi. Ustvarila je aplikacijo, ki ima sedaj že veliko zadovoljnih uporabnic: Prevent pregnancies naturally – safe and hormonefree.
Berglund’s algorithm – based on advanced statistical methods from her time at CERN – uses body temperature to determine fertility. After ovulation, increased levels of progesterone make women’s bodies up to 0.45°C warmer. Input your daily temperature into her app, and by comparing the readings with those in its data set, it lets you know when you can have unprotected sex (shown as a green day in its calendar) and when to use contraception (shown as red).
Natural Cycles has conducted two clinical trials, the second of which analysed the data of more than 4,000 women aged 20-35. Over the course of one year, there were 143 unplanned pregnancies, ten of which occurred on green days, giving the app a 99.5 per cent efficacy rating – the same as the pill. Natural Cycles is currently the only app of its kind to be regulated as an approved medical device, putting it in the same category as condoms and IUDs – albeit in a different class. …
Berglund recently hired another particle physicist from CERN, to analyse the data from the app. She hopes that, in this way, she can convince women in the security of her app. “It can be very scary, especially when it has to do with your body and your health,” she says. “We know we are dealing with women’s lives here and we take that very seriously.”
Vir: Can an algorithm replace the pill? Natural Cycles app wants to do just that
