Something big is happening in the world of contraception. It’s going backwards | Barbara Speed

A study based on figures from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas) has this week gestured to a rise in the use of “fertility awareness-based methods” as opposed to hormone-based contraceptives.

The study’s authors point to rising interest in fertility and period-tracking apps.

In a survey last year , 4% of respondents told Bpas they were using an app as their main method of contraception.

Latest figures show a slight uptick in abortion rates in the UK .

Others may be having children at a time not of their choosing, at a cost to their career or family life.

Meanwhile, abortion services across the UK are still patchy and can be difficult to access.

For most (but not all) contraceptives are taken by choice, not to tackle disease.