Our research will be using a highly secure App for tracking menstrual cycles called “Read Your Body.” This App was developed by a very innovative not-for-profit organization in the UK called the Body Literacy Collective.
There are now over one thousand smart-phone Apps to evaluate the menstrual cycle, but multiple studies in Canada and elsewhere have demonstrated that most of these Apps are inaccurate. Knowledge of the menstrual cycle is often limited, which fuels the high demand for these smartphone Apps, yet most of the Apps available are unlikely to significantly improve users’ menstrual health knowledge. A second challenge with menstrual cycle Apps is a lack of security and privacy, with some major Apps having had data breaches for sharing users’ data, demonstrating the importance of ensuring these technological tools align with users’ best interests.
The RYB App is entirely in the user’s control, with data only stored on the user’s phone unless she exports it herself. This level of security and avoiding use of the cloud for sensitive information is very important for menstrual cycle monitoring.
I encourage you to check it out: www.readyourbody.com
