HN Reader

The headline is somewhat misleading.

The device tracks progesterone levels via saliva. It's currently possible to track those levels via urine or blood, but saliva is probably the most convenient.

But here's the catch. If you desire to avoid pregnancy, you avoid sexual activity during the fertile window that the device indicates. This is known as a fertility awareness method, and in Catholic circles it's also known as natural family planning.

It is not a contraceptive in the sense that it allows you to have sex during the fertile part of your cycle but not get pregnant.

There already exists a saliva-based method that's all but guaranteed to avoid pregnancy.

A long, long time ago I worked for a pharma company that had a very large diagnostics division. hCG tests were their bread and butter.

It was proposed more than once that the pregnancy testing systems could easily be converted to a conception advisor. The lawyers immediately swooped in and feared that people would use it as a birth control system (e.g. go for it on the days it says you're NOT fertile). The liability was too much for them to take.

> up to 100% effective

That doesn't mean anything, 0% is included in “up to 100%”.

In case anyone else is wondering, that's their page: https://inne.io/pages/contraception

This is actually a crazy important development if the results can be reproduced in larger studies.

Hormonal contraceptives are absolutely terrible. None of my long term partners were happy with them—whether it was a hormonal implant, hormonal IUD or pill, the side effects have always been ridiculous.

In addition, WHO classified oral contraceptives as G1 carcinogens. So having a potential alternative is incredibly important.

It is insane to me that as a society, we’re fine asking women to “just take drugs” that mess with their reproductive system, affecting their mood, sleep, weight, libido, and blood pressure (and most likely a lot more I’m not aware of).

Hm, not having read the article yet I had a quick vision of a product which gives a person such bad halitosis that the chance of successful procreation is reduced to an absolute minimum. No pill required, indeed.

tldr: it's not contraception at all, just a cycle tracking app with salivary progesterone tests

‘Up to’ 100% effective is the most pointless description I’ve ever heard.

Now that women delay their first pregnancy till their early thirthies, they often experience problems with getting pregnant when they are ready for it, especially when they are having a busy life with a job. Knowing when you are fertile, which is in the days before the egg is releases, is important knowledge if you want to become pregnant. The stress related to not getting pregnant makes things worse. Many IVF treatments could be avoided if women had a simple and reliable method for knowing when they are fertile.

€21/month [1], and that's only if you pony up €500 upfront for a 2-year subscription... otherwise the shortest commitment is for €33/month...

I wouldn't dare question the usefulness of this without much more reading, but the first impression I had when seeing the product page reminded me of the overpriced ink subscription for printers.

[1]: https://inne.io/products/minilab-subscription