Your Oura Ring is now compatible with Natural Cycles, the first FDA-cleared birth control app. The Natural Cycles (NC°) app works by analyzing body temperature and other key fertility indicators to determine your daily fertility status to plan or prevent pregnancy naturally.
Now, the NC° app can automatically sync your temperature trend data from your Oura Ring while you sleep — eliminating the need to wake up each morning to take your temperature with an oral thermometer.
Try Oura + Natural Cycles for 4 weeks free at this link.
Knowledge is Power
Reproductive health has historically been underserved by medicine, science, and tech, but thanks to the hard work of companies such as Oura and Natural Cycles, science has taken monumental steps forward in recent years.
In 2018, the FDA cleared Natural Cycles as the first contraceptive app, making birth control history. Now, Natural Cycles has gone one step further by utilizing temperature trend data from the Oura Ring, providing women with an innovative and effortless experience to plan or prevent pregnancy without hormones.
Both companies are excited to empower members with more detailed knowledge about their bodies. “We have been actively working on delivering a seamless measuring experience for our users and we were thrilled when we received FDA clearance to use the Oura Ring with our algorithm,” said Natural Cycles co-founder and CEO Dr. Elina Berglund Scherwitzl.
“We are proud to officially launch this partnership and work alongside a company that is similarly committed to delivering advanced health tools to women at a time when it has never been more important,” Scherwitzl continues. “With the help of Oura data, Natural Cycles is powering the future of birth control.”
“Partnering with Natural Cycles is a natural fit given our research has shown that skin temperature data from the Oura Ring can detect important temperature changes throughout the menstrual cycle, including increases around the LH (luteinizing hormone) surge, which occurs just before ovulation, and decreases nearing menstruation,” adds Holly Shelton, Senior Vice President of Consumer Product at Oura. “The partnership between Natural Cycles and Oura shows the power of technology to enable women to better understand and take control of their fertility.”
RELATED: How the Co-Founder of Natural Cycles Balances Being a Busy Mom & CEO With Oura
Using Oura to Power Your Natural Cycles App
During the menstrual cycle, hormonal changes cause body temperature to rise after ovulation and drop when menstruation begins. Oura is able to detect these temperature patterns because it measures your body temperature every minute, directly from the skin of your finger while you sleep. Natural Cycles algorithm uses the temperature trend data from Oura to determine your fertility status each day.
The temperature sensors in the Oura Ring generate 1,440 data points each day, and are validated to measure temperature changes as precisely as 0.13°C (0.23°F). In addition to temperature trend data, the Natural Cycles algorithm uses heart rate data from the Oura Ring to take into account nights with elevated heart rates, and hence also temperatures, that may be due to lifestyle changes, such as high alcohol consumption or stress, rather than due to menstrual cycle changes.
Previously, Natural Cycles could only obtain temperature data by users manually taking their temperature each morning. Oura makes it easier to track your temperature fluctuations by syncing temperature trend data while you sleep — rather than waking up and manually taking your temperature with an oral thermometer.
LEARN MORE: Why Oura Measures Temperature from Your Finger
Using Your Oura App to Better Understand Your Cycle
Whether or not you’re syncing your data with Natural Cycles, taking note of your body temperature trends on your Oura App can help you stay informed about your menstrual cycle. (Note that using hormonal birth control may suppress monthly temperature variation and/or increase your average temperature.)
In addition to providing temperature trend data, the Oura Ring and app can help individuals better understand their menstrual cycles by spotting how each cycle phase impacts their heart, lungs, and more. These changes typically show up as patterns in resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory rate.
While the Oura Ring alone is not meant for fertility tracking, understanding where you are in your cycle can have major lifestyle benefits, as each phase is associated with different hormonal changes. Knowing how one’s body may feel or respond at certain times of the month is an empowerment tool for all individuals who currently undergo menstruation, so they can act accordingly based on their personal needs.
Try Oura + Natural Cycles for 4 weeks free at this link.
