A survey of women’s experiences of using period tracker applications: Attitudes, ovulation prediction and how the accuracy of the app in predicting period start dates affects their feelings and behaviours

Broad, Anna; Biswakarma, Rina; Harper, Joyce

doi:10.1177/17455057221095246

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…There may be disadvantages to this method, including reporting errors, the need to recall dates concerning menstruation, and cycle irregularity, which may affect the accuracy of predicting the next cycle dates [3,4]. One study of 330 female individuals found that periodic tracking apps had made errors in predicting periods, with 57% (n=189) of female individuals having experienced an earlier period than estimated, while 72% (n=238) had a delayed period relative to what was anticipated [5]. Some reviews have also critiqued menstrual cycle-tracking apps for lacking evidence of their efficacy at times [1].…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Approaches to Menstruation and Fertility Tracking Using Wearable Reproductive Health Technology: Systematic Review

Lyzwinski,

Elgendi,

Menon

2024

J Med Internet Res

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Background Emerging digital health technology has moved into the reproductive health market for female individuals. In the past, mobile health apps have been used to monitor the menstrual cycle using manual entry. New technological trends involve the use of wearable devices to track fertility by assessing physiological changes such as temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Objective The primary aims of this study are to review the types of wearables that have been developed and evaluated for menstrual cycle tracking and to examine whether they may detect changes in the menstrual cycle in female individuals. Another aim is to review whether these devices are effective for tracking various stages in the menstrual cycle including ovulation and menstruation. Finally, the secondary aim is to assess whether the studies have validated their findings by reporting accuracy and sensitivity. Methods A review of PubMed or MEDLINE was undertaken to evaluate wearable devices for their effectiveness in predicting fertility and differentiating between the different stages of the menstrual cycle. Results Fertility cycle–tracking wearables include devices that can be worn on the wrists, on the fingers, intravaginally, and inside the ear. Wearable devices hold promise for predicting different stages of the menstrual cycle including the fertile window and may be used by female individuals as part of their reproductive health. Most devices had high accuracy for detecting fertility and were able to differentiate between the luteal phase (early and late), fertile window, and menstruation by assessing changes in heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature, and respiratory rate. Conclusions More research is needed to evaluate consumer perspectives on reproductive technology for monitoring fertility, and ethical issues around the privacy of digital data need to be addressed. Additionally, there is also a need for more studies to validate and confirm this research, given its scarcity, especially in relation to changes in respiratory rate as a proxy for reproductive cycle staging.

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Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Approaches to Menstruation and Fertility Tracking Using Wearable Reproductive Health Technology: Systematic Review

Lyzwinski,

Elgendi,

Menon

2024

J Med Internet Res

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“…Calendars are widely used to support tracking the menstrual cycle in menstrual health interventions, with apps gaining popularity where people can access the internet (Broad et al 2022;Karasneh et al 2020;Schantz et al 2021;Montgomery et al 2012;Oster and Thonton 2011). Such methods support people to know when they will menstruate and better understand the premenstrual syndrome and any changes in the menstrual cycle (Worsfold 2021).…”

Section: Evaluation Of the Veivanua Campaignmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting Menstrual Health Interventions for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Emergencies

Wilbur,

Morrison

2023

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The Bishesta campaign – a menstrual health intervention for people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers in Nepal, was developed to help improve menstrual health for this population in non-humanitarian settings (Wilbur et al. 2021a). The campaign was developed by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and WaterAid and delivered in collaboration with the disability service provider, the Down Syndrome Society Nepal, and the Centre for Integrated Urban Development, a local WASH non-government organisation. Following a positive feasibility study (Wilbur et al. 2019a), the Bishesta campaign was ready for efficacy testing or adapting for another context. Due to the lack of attention to people with disabilities’ menstrual health during emergencies, World Vision and the LSHTM adapted the Bishesta campaign for humanitarian responses in Vanuatu and called it the Veivanua campaign. This Frontiers of Sanitation issue presents: the research that preceded the development of these campaigns, the two campaigns, explains the adaptation process, and documents critical considerations for others wishing to revise the campaigns for different settings. This issue will interest practitioners working in menstrual health for people with and without disabilities in the development or humanitarian context.

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“…With the emergence of digital health technologies, accurate at-home hormone tracking has become more accessible and convenient [ 22 , 23 ]. Oova is a testing system that allows users to track their luteinizing hormone and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) fluctuations throughout their cycles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Hormone Data and Age to Pinpoint Cycle Day within the Menstrual Cycle

Hills¹,

Woodland

Divaraniya³

2023

Medicina

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Background and Objectives: Menstrual cycle tracking is essential for reproductive health and overall well-being. However, there is still an over-reliance on estimations that standard cycles are 28 days long, divided evenly between the follicular and luteal phases. Due to the variability of cycle length and cycle phase lengths, common methods of identifying where an individual is in their cycle are often inaccurate. This study used daily hormone monitoring obtained through a remote hormone-monitoring platform to evaluate hormone levels across a menstrual cycle to identify nuances in the follicular and luteal phases in individuals of different age groups. Materials and Methods: This study used a remote fertility testing system that quantitatively tracks luteinizing hormone (LH) and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) through urine tests read by an AI-powered smartphone app. The study analyzed cycle data from 1233 users with a total of 4123 evaluated cycles. Daily levels for LH and PdG were monitored across multiple cycles. Results: This study determined that calculated cycle lengths tended to be shorter than user-reported cycle lengths. Significant differences were observed in cycle phase lengths between age groups, indicating that follicular phase length declines with age while luteal phase length increases. Finally, the study found that if an individual’s age, first cycle day, and current hormone levels are known, population-level hormone data can be used to pinpoint which cycle phase and cycle day they are in with 95% confidence. Conclusions: At-home hormone monitoring technologies can allow patients and clinicians to track their cycles with greater precision than when relying on textbook estimations. The study’s findings have implications for fertility planning, clinical management, and general health monitoring. Prior to this study, no standard existed for pinpointing where a person was in their cycle through only one measure of LH and PdG. These findings have the potential to fill significant gaps within reproductive healthcare and beyond.

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A survey of women’s experiences of using period tracker applications: Attitudes, ovulation prediction and how the accuracy of the app in predicting period start dates affects their feelings and behaviours

Cited by 21 publications

References 31 publications

Innovative Approaches to Menstruation and Fertility Tracking Using Wearable Reproductive Health Technology: Systematic Review

Innovative Approaches to Menstruation and Fertility Tracking Using Wearable Reproductive Health Technology: Systematic Review

Adapting Menstrual Health Interventions for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Emergencies

Using Hormone Data and Age to Pinpoint Cycle Day within the Menstrual Cycle

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