Elsie Grathwohl

Tracking your period has always been an important, yet very private affair.  In the past, most women had personal calendars, which, by rough estimation, were secret booklets guarded by lock and key, or perhaps kept in safes with hired bouncers.  Maybe women recorded the length of their cycles in secret rooms hidden under the cloak of darkness without a man in a 50-mile radius.  But ladies, all that is changing.

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Download Clue Period Tracker here!

Now, using certain apps, you can email your cycle to anyone you like, invite your friends or partner to view your cycle any time they like, or even AirDrop your cycle to unsuspecting strangers at your local coffee shop.  Sure, it’s  all well and good to keep your BFF updated on your fertile window, but presumably these methods of sharing your cycle are capable of increasing doctor-patient communication, too.  The question is, how are they useful to your gynecologist?

Manhattan based gynecologist Alyssa Dweck MD FACOG encourages her patients to use menstrual tracking applications in her practice.  She says, ‘I appreciate women having cycle information available at their fingertips so as to not waste precious time in the doctor’s office looking through a paper calendar.’  However, many doctors haven’t integrated any period apps into their practice.  Many Ob/Gyns expect you to know a lot of information off the top of your head, even though many of your reproductive system’s quirks are easy and, at times, better to forget.

Yes, you can record the general gist of things on the notes section of your phone, but the setup of these apps allows more detailed data and analysis.  The application MyFlo encourages you to record everything from blemishes and cravings to backaches and high/low energy.  And Clue even lets you enter data on your temperature, stool, skin, and hair.

Dr. Dweck says all this info – even though it seems excessive – is ‘important depending on the nature of the doctor visit and the treatment sought.’  For instance, if you start experiencing pain at the end of your cycle, you might consider recording that information so that you can tell your doctor exactly when in the month you experience this and how long it’s been going on.  Then your doctor can come up with a good solution.

Furthermore, getting into the habit of noticing little details doesn’t hurt.  Dr. Dweck says, ‘women benefit greatly by educating themselves about their cycles, be it for general empowerment, fertility, family planning, PMS prevention/treatment or to keep track of their birth control.’  When you get specific about your cycle, you’re more likely to notice the big changes.  And if anything is noticeably different, don’t stress about it, but bring it up to your doctor next time you visit.  The more specific you are, the better.

It’s also important not to overanalyze your body.  Dr. Dweck says, ‘Simplicity is key to accuracy. Women would only really be harming themselves if they provide misinformation.’  Basically, your uterus might not be causing that horrifying headache.  Maybe you’re just hungover.  Get comfortable with your Series of Cyclical Events (I’m working on the trademark) and use your own judgement on what is important to record.  Dr. Dweck says, ‘Who better to keep track but women themselves!’ (So, I shouldn’t let my dog keep track of my period.  Noted.)

These applications were not designed to be the new Ob/Gyn staple, but when it comes to women’s health, they are not useless.  Why shouldn’t your doctor use everything in their arsenal?  Clue’s PR department says, ‘While the Cycle Report wasn’t originally intended as a doctor-patient function, we are increasingly hearing about women using it to share the information about their cycle with their doctor. This is especially the case for women who suffer from endometriosis, as the report makes it easier to see patterns, such as pain levels during different points in the cycle.’

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When you get specific about your cycle, you’re more likely to notice the big changes.

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My last question to Dr. Dweck was: At the end of the day,is there any difference in recording this information digitally than writing it on a calendar?  She responded, ‘It depends on the comfort level of the patient and [their healthcare provider] with current technology and the truthfulness of the patient in logging her information.  I find one advantage of data collected via app or electronically is the ability to potentially download directly or scan into the system as well as hoping for some standardization in charting in the future.’

Recording data and familiarizing yourself with your body is important–however you want to do that.  And if you think the data you’ve recorded will help in your next doctor’s visit, make sure to bring it up (and maybe recommend that your doctor does the same).

 

Elsie is a bSmart intern and student at NYU, studying journalism and religious studies.

Comments (2)

  1. Evyn DeSantis

Great article Elsie! Definitely will try these apps out!

 
  1. Meagan Hooper

I will definitely be trying all of these once I get my period again in 2-5 months.... :0

 
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