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PayPal Owner Promises Couples an Easier Way of Getting Pregnant

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Aug 09, 2013 02:45 PM EDT

The market for fertility apps has been expanding as more and more people are starting to venture into this topic. Around a month ago, Ida Tin, the creator of the app Clue, stated that her app, which tracks women's menstrual cycles, could eventually replace birth control pills. Tin explained then that once the correct computational models are created, the app would track one's ovulation and fertilization periods to the tee, allowing women to know when they should try to conceive or when they should avoid sexual intercourse if they do not want to conceive. Unsurprisingly, Tin's app, which is far from perfection, is not the only one of its kind. PayPal co-founder, Max Levchin has just announced an app, which was produced under one of his projects that will help couples increase their chances of conception.

The latest venture that Levchin has become a part of is the company, Glow. Glow is the first project to be started from Levchin's company, HVF with Mike Huang as the CEO of Glow. Glow will be releasing a free iPhone app under the same name that will help couples collect vital information about factors that contribute to conception. These factors include menstrual cycles, cervical mucus, physical state and emotional health. Although the app already has "his" and "her" modes, it plans on adding more information that men could enter to increase the likelihood of conception. On top of monitoring these factors, the app also provides advice on how to increase one's chances of getting pregnant. This advice goes beyond biology and recommends numerous romantic gestures.

"The whole topic, getting pregnant, is somewhat taboo. Growing up, I learned more about not getting pregnant," Huang stated to TIME.

The information provided by Glow is based on advice that has been provided by real medical consultants as well as data acquired from Glow users. By increasing the number of users on the app, the creators can collect more data and increase the efficiency of the app for couples. Although this app appears to be very similar to other apps, there is one feature that was created to make Glow distinctive.

For 10 months, Glow users have the option of donating $50 each month. If the couple ends up getting pregnant, they will not get their donations back. If they do not get pregnant within that time, they will receive a portion of the pooled money to use strictly for fertility treatments. This feature of the app is entitled, "Christmas Club for babies."

Since this app is still in its early stages, the creators believe that it can grow immensely and eventually become extremely useful for couples looking to start a family or to add a new member to the bunch. 

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