The Flo App, what on earth is this!?

I use one called 'my calendar'. It's very simple and has no unsolicited advice or articles AND no ads (whilst being free).

@forwarder I started tracking mine because I was having a lot of casual sex and ideally preferred not to be menstruating on my hook-up dates (plus in the unlikely event of getting pregnant I wanted to be on it asap). My cycle is irregular enough that I thought an app might learn to predict it better than I could. It's not bad in fact, though getting less good as I I'm perimenopausal.

But yes, I don't pay for the premium service because of this stuff. I guess they still have my data.

The one I use is called Period Tracker. Haven't noticed any of this nonsense on there.

Worse not worth

I deleted Flo for this reason. Also it’s amazing that they’ll advertise a “woman’s day sale” yet don’t mention the word at all in any of their articles etc. I don’t get it. Although what’s worth is medical sites doing it especially US ones.

I just put a P on the calendar for first day of my period. Well not any more as HRT so regular as clockwork. But that let me know roughly when to expect period, also why I might be getting tearful. Also interesting how my cycles got longer and shorter before, between, after pregnancies.

What extra does an app offer? And I wonder what all that data will be used for.

Peri symptoms form a pattern once you understand your cycle better. Good too know your it's not totally random and you're not losing your mind.
And who remembers their period dates? Not many women who also work, raise families, take on the mental load for elderly relatives, volunteer, try to make time for friends, etc. it's way easier to write it down on paper or digitally.

My periods have been getting more irregular and various new symptoms coming and going (probably peri) so its useful to help keep an eye on when to expect one and what symptoms are hormonal or what might be something unrelated.

For example I developed heartburn for the first time in my life recently and after a few months realised it was always around ovulation time, so hormonal but wouldn't have been obvious to me as it wasn't during my period and I'm not ttc.

Not TTC or using rhythm method (DH has had the snip) but I struggle to remember exactly when I’m due on. Even more so now I have 2 small DC and a FT job. Pre-smartphones lots of women tracked their cycles in written diaries/calendars, this is just a progression of that.

It keeps me on top of my cycle. I suffer from PPMD so when I start to get really irrational, it’s nice to know it’s because I’m due on and not because I’m in a cross mood. It just gives me that peace of mind knowing.

Can I ask why people (women!) are tracking their cycles on an app? TTC? Interest in the Rhythm method?

There's WomanLog, for now. fingers crossed they don't change their name!

Thing is it would be easy in an app like this to have a button when you set it up for the first time, where you could choose between options like "I'm a woman" and "I don't believe I'm a woman but I want to track my periods" or whatever. And you could then see text that talks about women or about people with vaginas as you prefer. (Maybe you could even have an option whether you want blowjob advice or not).

But it has to be forced on everyone for some reason.

This!

This!

I just draw frowny faces in my planner. When dating my last woman partner, I would draw faces and use initials so I could differentiate between our cycles. I don’t trust the web with that sort of info. People who menstruate are women, not people with vaginas.

I know! The poor kid was horrified the idea of tampons. She really didn't need the association of start periods = have to think about sex

I deleted Clue for stuff like this. Really don’t want to have to change it again

I got rid of a tracking app (maybe Flo but can't be sure) when the helpful hint of the day was about how to give your boyfriend a good blow job.

It is an app that I downloaded for my 12 year old daughter who had just started her periods. The app age guideline was 12+.

I never got a response to my complaint.

Can we just let girls and women get on with looking after our bodies without centring men in the conversation and sexualising everything?

I just use the Apple health app now which is fuss free and doesn't try to sell me anything.

Why can't they say 'women and people with vaginas?'

The whole thing hacks me off. If you have a vagina, you are a woman. If you think otherwise you are deluded.

"Doesn't shy away from mentioning women."

What a time to be alive.