There are plenty of reasons why you may have a period-tracking app on your phone. First and foremost, having something else keep track of your cycle takes the burden off your memory. It saves you from having to sneak some code word into your calendar. And the notifications give you plenty of time to prepare!
But that’s not all these apps are good for. Your period is one of the most important vital signs for female health, says Apurva Shah, MD, an ob-gyn at Women’s Wellness Associates at Saint Vincent Hospital and the medical advisor at Mira. By keeping tabs on it, tracker apps can flag any potential underlying health problems.
The clue is usually any changes or abnormalities in your cycle—like irregular or heavy bleeding and severe pain, says Rashmi Kudesia, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Houston Methodist. “If something suddenly changes with your cycle or your period is late, you may not realize it right away if you’re not keeping track,” she says.
And period apps make keeping tabs super easy. “Most people track their periods in a general sense, meaning for people who are either, what we call, regular or irregularly regular,” which means you menstruate every two to three months consistently, , says Jessica Shepherd, MD, a gynecologist and the chief medical officer for Verywell Health. Those individuals experience a period 28 to 32 days from the beginning of their last cycle.
However, these apps may not be suited for people who have “irregularly irregular cycles,” meaning they get their periods sporadically.
Now, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many lingering questions are looming in the back of women’s minds, specifically about the security of these period-tracking apps. Spoiler alert: if the one you’re using doesn’t sell your data (and tells you so), you’re probably in the clear.
All of the period-tracking apps below do not sell your data, and they’re safe to use.
Meet the experts: Jessica Shepherd, MD, is a gynecologist and the director of minimally invasive gynecology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women’s health platform that addresses sensitive topics. She also serves as the chief medical officer for Verywell Health.
Apurva Shah, MD, is an ob-gyn at Women’s Wellness Associates at Saint Vincent Hospital and the medical advisor at Mira.
Rashmi Kudesia, MD, is a reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM Houston who specializes in infertility care. and clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Houston Methodist. She was named a 2019 Best Fertility Specialist in Fort Bend County by Living Magazine, 2019 Top Doctor by Houstonia, and 2021 Castle Connolly Top Doctor.
