Themes and quotes
| Themes | Quotes |
| Accessing reliable information | Q1 When you’re younger you get drilled into you “…wear condoms, don’t get pregnant, don’t get pregnant”…. It’s like to scare you about pregnancy and then they scare you with like STDs and stuff like that but don’t really educate you on the actual pregnancy thing. [Derek] Q2… cervical fluid for example… like when you have really stretchy cervical mucus, obviously throughout my life I have had that, and had no idea what it was… But now for the first time in my life at the age of 30 I know what it is, which is, it’s a bit sad really, I should have known before. [Hannah] |
| Consulting health services | Q3 I’ve been to a gynaecologist and they’ve said that basal temperature is not the best way to record fertility and they’ve moved away from that a long time ago, which was slightly disconcerting… I said I was a bit surprised because I’d bought this app and it’s medically certified and they use basal temperature, that’s what I’ve been doing. [Helen] Q4. She [the doctor] was just like, “Yeah, you just start trying and…. if you have any problems,” I think like 6 months or something, “come back,” … no-one tells you like… should I try the day I come on my period? Should I try the day before I’m due on? Like they don’t tell you anything about when you ovulate and stuff. [Amy] Q5. I figured this[Natural Cycles] was a tool I could use to help me feel more in control and sort of get my own data because I wasn’t really buying what I was hearing from the doctors… I trust my body at this point more than I trust the advice or input that I’m getting from my doctors… this is something that I’m doing for myself because I’m not being listened to. [Kara] Q6. The female said on the phone “Do you know how pregnant you are?” and I said “Ooh yes, I’m four plus one”. She was like “Oh good grief, do you mind if I ask how do you know that?” I said “I’ve got an app”. [Laughs]… she was really surprised that I could be that sure from an app. [Laura] |
| Challenges for new technologies in the delivery of fertility care | Q7 We’re so desperate to start a family. When I was pregnant last October one of the things that popped up [n the app] and it scared the living daylights out of me was that if we see your temperature decreasing that could be the signs of an early miscarriage. [Emily] Q8 There’s a huge amount of limitation for what this [the app] can do …. and you're not using some other kind of human basis support to complement and supplement that data, are you possibly creating a difficult situation for yourself where you think something should be happening and you're not understanding why? [Samira] |
| Role of fertility awareness technologies in the health service | Q9 I think it’s something every woman should have like as standard and it should be just provided for free… supplied by things like the NHS services because it’s what, an app and a thermometer? [Jessica] |