CycleTel Business Analysis

CycleTel is based on the Standard Days Method (SDM), a fertility awareness-based method of family planning, which was also developed by IRH. The SDM is a modern, effective fertility awareness-based method of family planning that has been introduced in over 30 countries, including India, and is recognized as an evidence-based practice by the World Health Organization (WHO). India has a significant need for family planning options, with nearly 1.2 billion people and 39 million women of reproductive age wanting to avoid a pregnancy but not using family planning due to lack of access to a method they want to use. Indian family planning programs have been dominated by permanent methods, such as female and male sterilization, with little emphasis on birth spacing methods. The SDM, however, is a knowledge-based method that does not necessitate a visit to a health provider or purchase of a commodity, making it an attractive option for couples who are not using any method or use condoms inconsistently. CycleTel is a direct-to-consumer family planning approach that offers SDM on a mobile phone. The service is simple: a woman learns about CycleTel and opts to join the service by sending an SMS to a designated number. She is then screened for method use, and if she is eligible, she sends the date of her last period. The service then alerts her of her fertile days during her cycle, and additional messages support correct use of the method, help her monitor her cycle length, and offer information on other reproductive health issues. The CycleTel premise is based on the fact that mobile penetration is high in India, with more than 60% of the market and 766 million mobile subscribers. As early adopters of mobile technology tend to be of reproductive age, mobile phones are positioned to directly reach the population that needs family planning information most. IRH conducted CycleTel proof-of-concept testing through focus group discussions, cognitive interviews, and manual testing of the service with approximately 100 men and women in Lucknow, India. The lessons learned from the proof-of-concept testing were extremely valuable in designing the CycleTel service. Of women who manually tested CycleTel on their mobiles, all wanted to continue using the service, reported improved communication with their partners in regards to family planning, and would recommend the service to friends. IRH partnered with ThoughtWorks, Inc., a global software development company with offices in India, to develop an automated CycleTel platform. As of April 2011, IRH and ThoughtWorks launched and have been improving upon automated software for CycleTel. IRH piloted the automated technology with 715 users of the target audience to ensure that the technology operated as designed. The automated technology allows women to interact with the service correctly and receive alerts and messages about their fertile days and other reproductive health issues. The success of CycleTel has the potential to expand the benefits of SDM to women across India, bypassing the inefficiencies of traditional family planning programs and providing a cost-effective approach to family planning.