4 Women’s Health Apps at a Glance
As the number of mobile apps continues to rise, so too does the available number of women’s health apps. It can be difficult to know which apps are most suitable for you in your particular situation, whether you are trying to conceive, keeping track of your health during pregnancy or wanting to keep an eye on your health generally. The following list breaks down the essential elements of some of the most popular women’s health apps currently available.
Period Tracker
Period Tracker is an easy way to keep track of your cycle, whether you’re starting your-trying-to-conceive journey or just wanting to stay on top of what your body is doing. All it requires of you is to remember to log your period start and end date, and in return the app offers you a visual representation of when to expect your next period, and when your fertile period is likely to begin and end. This app takes the guess work out of timing your cycle, without inundating you with scientific terms and information.
Ovia Fertility
For those of you who are comforted and reassured by the presence of scientific jargon, Ovia Fertility may be for you. This app is specifically designed for those trying to conceive, and offers customized predictions of your fertile period based on your personal data input. Unlike Period Tracker, this app requires a little more attention from you in order to make best use of its service. The app allows users to log detail every day, such as blood pressure, diet and body temperature. In return for your commitment, the app boasts helping users conceive up to three times faster than average, “exceeding traditional methods such as fertility charting and ovulation calendars”.
With apps such as Ovia Fertility that offer comprehensive sounding scientific and medical advice, it is important to remember that such advice should not replace a visit to your medical practitioner. Patient Claim Line, a specialized legal team dealing with medical negligence, recommend that “since these apps don’t provide any doctor-patient relationship for the user, women using a health app should always consult with their doctor to check the accuracy of the information it provides.”
Glow Nurture
If your trying-to-conceive journey has ended successfully and you have found yourself pregnant, Glow Nurture could be a good option for you to keep track of your health and your baby’s development.
Similarly to Ovia Fertility, Glow Nurture offers a completely customizable experience based on daily logs and your own personal input. In return, the app offers a plethora of information, advice and support, including feedback on your health data, a Daily Health Awareness meter and post-partum tracking. With the additional availability of a mirror app for your partner and the ability to create due-date buddies and private groups with other women, it is unsurprising Glow Nurture sells itself as the “most advanced and comprehensive pregnancy tracker”.
iBreastCheck
This app offers a slightly different service to the three mentioned above. Designed for women more generally than those trying to conceive, EscortJourney is set up to assist women in self-monitoring for the symptoms of breast cancer. The app includes a video “how-to” on self-examination, and offers the ability to set calendar reminders for when such examinations should be carried out. The app focuses on what to look out for when self-examining, including information on what is normal and what might be considered early signs that something is wrong.
The above breakdown offers a mere glimpse in to the rapidly expanding world of women’s health apps. Such apps can constitute extremely valuable sources of information and advice for women, and can assist consultations with your medical practitioner by helping you become better informed.
However, it is crucial to remember that the value of these apps comes from an ability to enhance your clinical experience, rather than replace it. It is important to give your medical practitioner the opportunity to ensure the information and advice you receive from the app is accurate.
