Makers of the controversial contraceptive Persona have launched a high-profile campaign in a bid to allay fears about the "natural" method of birth control.

Unipath has taken out a half-page advert in eight British newspapers, outlining what they say are the benefits of the computerised birth control kit that monitors a woman's menstrual cycle.

The move follows Government warnings to women not to use the product if an unplanned pregnancy was "completely unacceptable".

The official advice came after a six-month review by medical safety watchdog the Medical Devices Agency, prompted by complaints about the contraceptive from women, GPs and trading standards officers.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said over a 13-week period it had seen almost 200 women seeking advice after using Persona. The kit was launched in October 1996.

The Government review found that one woman in 17 would become pregnant each year because the Persona device wrongly identifies a fertile period.

One-off ads to appear this week

This compares with one woman in 100 on the pill and one in 50 couples using condoms.

Unipath claim their product has a 94% reliability rate, which means in every year an average of six women in 100 who use the method will get pregnant.

The Vatican-approved computerised birth control kit, which monitors the woman's menstrual cycle, has been hailed as the biggest contraceptive breakthrough since the 1960s.

The kit contains a hand-held monitor and 16 hormone testing sticks, used to check urine samples during the first month of a woman's cycle.

A new kit of eight sticks is needed for each subsequent month.

The device displays a green light when the woman is not fertile and it is safe to have sex, and a red light when it is better to abstain.

An estimated 100,000 women have bought the device across the country.

The advertisement launched today outlines the benefits of Persona: that it is a completely natural, non-invasive method of family planning.

However, it warns that if "maximum reliability" is a concern, a different method of contraception should be used.

Last year, eight women who became pregnant after using Persona were granted legal aid to sue Unipath and Boots, the retailer which sold them the system.
 

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