News/Blog

CycleBeads is a fertility awareness tool that can be used either to PLAN or PREVENT pregnancy. We were interested to find out how women were actually using CycleBeads, so we recently surveyed CycleBeads users. We found that most users, approximately three-quarters, were using CycleBeads (or an iCycleBeads app) to prevent pregnancy. In other words, most had chosen CycleBeads as their birth control method. Approximately one-quarter were using CycleBeads to plan a pregnancy, and a very small percentage were using CycleBeads simply to track their cycles. Interestingly, these results remain consistent with results from surveys in previous years.

Posted in: Birth Control Options, Contraceptive Options, CycleBeads, Fertility Awareness, Natural Birth Control, Womens Health

We want to hear from CycleBeads users!  Are you using CycleBeads (or iCycleBeads) to PLAN or PREVENT pregnancy? Please take our one-question survey.

Click here to take survey.

Thank you for your feedback!

Posted in: CycleBeads, Pregnancy, Birth Control Options, Fertility

As CycleBeads' 10 year anniversary is fast approaching next month, we wanted to take a second and reflect on what we've accomplished...

One major accomplishment, more than 2.5 million women have used CycleBeads since our launch in late 2002! Why is this important? Read this recent article on the challenges of making natural birth control options widely available and how CycleBeads has been able to overcome many of these obstacles.

Posted in: CycleBeads, Womens Health

Attention! Health Care Providers and Health Educators:

A toolkit for integrating the Standard Days Method® and CycleBeads® into U.S. health clinics and programs has been created by our research partner, the Institute for Reproductive Health.  It is a free online resource that includes an Integration Guide, a training course, training materials, instructional videos and more. 

While CycleBeads and iCycleBeads™ are an easy and effective way to use natural family planning, and can be purchased without a prescription, it is important and helpful for health care professionals to have a plan and guidance when introducing it to a clinic or program.  The toolkit gives tips on how to create a positive atmosphere for offering the method, how to train staff to screen and counsel clients, how to procure materials, and suggests other creative ways to use CycleBeads in a practice and in outreach.

The toolkit is available at: www.cyclebeadstoolkit.com

Feel free to download materials to use in your practice and for training your staff. Contact us with any questions at providers@cyclebeads.com.

Posted in: CycleBeads, Education

CycleBeads®, a natural birth control tool, is now available through Maternova, a one-stop shop for products that help save the lives of mothers and newborns. CycleBeads enables a woman to plan or prevent pregnancy by tracking her cycles and identifying her potentially fertile days. It is based on the Standard Days Method®, a highly effective natural family planning method.

Says Maternova Vice President, Allyson Cote, “As the first global Maternal Health marketplace and cutting-edge online community, Maternova is delighted to include CycleBeads in our robust portfolio of leading innovations. Maternova is dedicated to improving the lives of mothers and newborns, along with improving patient outcomes in low-resource settings. CycleBeads is a true innovation that provides a highly effective method of natural family planning.”

Posted in: International Family Planning, CycleBeads, Birth Control Cost, Birth Control Effectiveness, Birth Control Options, Womens Health

1. It is based on sound understanding of reproductive biology,
2. It follows a precise protocol for correct use, and
3. It has been tested in an appropriately designed study to assess efficacy under various conditions.

Posted in: CycleBeads, International Family Planning

It seems there are a million fertility apps out there. Want to get a daily reminder to take your birth control pill? Want to get pregnant? Want to have a girl? Want to know what your baby will look like at week 8?  Want to know if your period is likely to come this weekend?

There's an app for that.

So how are iCycleBeads™ family planning apps different from other so-called "fertility apps"?

Posted in: Birth Control Options, mHealth, Technology, CycleBeads, Natural Birth Control

CycleBeads are available from Benin to Belgium, from East Timor to Ecuador, and from Uganda to the United States. Women in over 50 countries use this natural family planning option to plan or prevent pregnancy. 

How do they get them? CycleBeads are available throughout much of the world through healthcare providers, educators, retailers, NGO’s, Ministries of Health and of course... online! 

Posted in: Natural Birth Control, CycleBeads, International Family Planning

Thanks to all who participated in our survey! We got great feedback and found a few new words used to describe CycleBeads. Interestingly, the words most commonly used to describe this family planning method are "non-hormonal", "prevent pregnancy" and "natural". Of course there are a lot of other terms too -  "cool", "fun", and "girl power" being among our favorites! We've tried to capture most of the feedback in this picture and for the next week, we'll use it as our Facebook banner too!  

Posted in: CycleBeads

We've been thinking a lot about the words we use most often when talking about this family planning option - effective natural family planning, birth control, plan pregnancy, prevent pregnancy naturally, etc. etc. etc. Sometimes we realize we're talking to ourselves. We'd like to hear from you! Tell us what words you use most often when describing CycleBeads in the short survey below. We'll turn your words into works of art!

Posted in: CycleBeads