In the UK, nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned, which can be a source of significant stress and uncertainty for individuals and couples; navigating unplanned pregnancies can be a complex and emotionally demanding experience. Our research and work to date indicates a clear and unaddressed need amongst individuals of reproductive age for support in developing and achieving their reproductive goals, whilst also adapting to how these needs evolve over time. We have developed a new digital tool (a mobile phone app and website) called Orchid, that aims to help people understand and act on their reproductive health goals. Orchid uniquely combines both pregnancy prevention and preparation needs, in one place.

We are conducting a pilot study, to understand if people are interested in Orchid and how they use it.  Our aim is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Orchid amongst individuals of reproductive age within multiple healthcare settings; including GP practices, sexual health clinics, women’s health centres and in secondary schools.

As part of the study, we will be asking individuals to either download the Orchid app on their phone or use the web version. Users will be asked a few questions about their personal reproductive goals and preferences, and will be supported to create and implement a plan tailored to their needs. By engaging with Orchid regularly, our hope is that users will feel motivated to implement healthier habits in their daily life, which will subsequently support them on their reproductive health journey.

To assess how people perceive and use Orchid, we will measure interactions, including download rates, response rates to questions and click-through rates to external links. We will also evaluate user experience within Orchid to evaluate overall app experience. We will also measure acceptability and feasibility through interviews and focus groups with both Orchid users and health care professionals about their opinions and experiences.