What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) begins to grow outside of the uterus, for example on the ovaries, fallopian tubes or even the abdominal cavity. Endometriosis affects people in different ways – it can cause pain and may affect the menstrual cycle, for instance, by causing heavier periods.
For more information on what endometriosis is, the symptoms, and advice on when to see a healthcare professional, head over to our blog post on the subject.
Can I use Natural Cycles if I have endometriosis?
Yes, you can use Natural Cycles if you have endometriosis and you're not using any kind of hormonal treatment.
There are also no changes to Natural Cycles’ effectiveness if you have endometriosis: Natural Cycles is 93% effective with typical use and 98% effective with perfect use. If your cycles are irregular as a result of endometriosis, you may, however, experience an increased number of red days, which can reduce your satisfaction with Natural Cycles. You can still trust the green days that you get (in the Today view).
Here is a quick checklist on what to consider if you have endometriosis and want to use Natural Cycles:
- If you have bleedings in between your periods, enter these as Spotting and not Period, as period bleeding starts a new cycle.
- If you use pain medication to manage your symptoms, log your temperature as usual as long as you have had a full night's sleep since you took the last dose of pain medication.
- If you use pain medication in the middle of the night at any time, exclude your temperature the following morning, as the pain medication might affect your body temperature.
- If you are unsure whether your medication may affect your temperatures, we encourage you to reach out to your healthcare professional.
As Natural Cycles cannot be used alongside any kind of synthetic hormones, if you are on any hormonal treatment for endometriosis, this means that you would unfortunately not be able to use Natural Cycles, as the hormones from the medication may affect your cycle.