There's an App for That: Exploring the Market for Contraceptive Fertility Tracking Apps in the Philippines

Abstract

For generations, women have relied on fertility awareness methods to plan and prevent pregnancy, for over a decade, many have been aided by digital tools to do so. New contraceptive fertility tracking apps (CFTAs)—that are backed by clinical efficacy trials to support their effectiveness as contraception—have the potential to enhance method choice and offer users a unique contraceptive option, but there is little evidence to inform the decisions around expanding access, particularly in low‐and middle‐income countries. We conducted a mixed methods study with quantitative online surveys (n = 1600) and qualitative interviews (n = 36) to explore the potential appeal of and demand for a hypothetical CFTA in one such market, the Philippines. Interest in using a CFTA was high among our Internet‐engaged, urban study population, with 83.9% “definitely” or “probably” interested in using it. Across demographic profiles, respondents perceived the appeal of the method as “natural” and “convenient.” A majority were willing to pay for the method, though notably at a price (5.20 USD) below that of currently available CFTAs. We discuss various important factors to be considered before bringing a method like this to new markets, including the potential implications of equity constraints in reaching a wider market and the unexpected prevalence of other period‐tracking apps not intended as contraception being used in this market that could complicate any future roll‐out. These issues could be explored further with additional research.