Clue, the period app...

[GappyValley]

There are weird goings on at Clue...

A few days ago, I got a notification on the app to say they would no longer show the fertile window on the cycle diagram, and if I wanted to opt in to an estimated ovulation day, I had to accept a disclaimer that I couldn’t use the app as contraception

Today, I’ve had an email titled ‘ Providing visibility to the trans community’ and saying ‘ We do this at Clue by saying “people who menstruate” or “people with periods” instead of making it into a gender thing.’

This is a company that a few months ago was appealing for women to pay for the premium version of the app that was created ‘by women for women’ and extolling the virtues of being a female backed organisation of scientists.

What has happened..?! I can’t see any details of a sale...

They have form for this fine they?

Yes. I've cancelled my subscription today.

It sounds like someone got pregnant and sued Clue for not correctly predicting their fertile window. But that is entirely speculation.

It takes some mindset to get past the biological facts of one sex when periods are your raison d'etre, though.

Shouldn't the app cater to trans men? I would have thought that would be important and unobjectionable?

Surprisingly many women don't want to be called People who Menstruate. Shocking I know! They could have just said Women, Transmen and Non-Binary so as not to alienate anyone.

Just uninstall it

@BaronessWrongCrowd

Surprisingly many women don't want to be called People who Menstruate. Shocking I know! They could have just said Women, Transmen and Non-Binary so as not to alienate anyone.

I think that's a great idea.

Suggestions for other apps, please

Women is becoming a word that people dare not say in case someone feels excludd. If we can't name ourselves, we can't talk about things that that affect us. I don't want that for my daughters generation to grow up with. I won't buy from any company that makes woman a dirty word.

I've nothing against inclusive language but describe women and women. Surely there's a way round this. Women and people? I don't want to be a uterus haver, period haver, bleeder ect

A simple and inclusive solution. @yeahbutnaw

@SausagePourHomme

Women is becoming a word that people dare not say in case someone feels excludd. If we can't name ourselves, we can't talk about things that that affect us. I don't want that for my daughters generation to grow up with. I won't buy from any company that makes woman a dirty word.

I don't think anyone's saying you can't.

But some trans men also require period services. Including them doesn't somehow erase you.

Also, fuck off with this is ‘instead of making periods a gender thing’
They are a sex thing, so say ‘female’ if woman offends you so much

An app that should be centred on women. They could say 'women' and then add 'and people who menstruate', there that covers everyone!

@EBearhug

It sounds like someone got pregnant and sued Clue for not correctly predicting their fertile window. But that is entirely speculation.

It takes some mindset to get past the biological facts of one sex when periods are your raison d'etre, though.

That was my first thought too, that someone was trying to blame Clue for an unplanned pregnancy.

I’d also prefer wording along the lines of “women, trans men and non binary” rather than “people who menstruate”.

"But some trans men also require period services. Including them doesn't somehow erase you"

The word women IS being erased.

FitrWoman has recipes for each phase of the menstrual cycle.

I have used "Period Tracker" for years. It does mark on the calendar when your fertile window is and marks the day it believes you would be most successful.

There is also a TTC setting which I have deactivated so I have no idea what that adds. But the app is simple, you can put notifications on to remind you when your period is about to start.

I use the menstrual cycle function which is part of my Garmin app. Simple and factual but obviously you’d need a Garmin watch. It refers to me in the second person so perfect for everyone.

There has been some significant criticism of apps like this in general so far as people using them as contraception. It's a potential liability so maybe they want to discourage people doing it without really understanding what they are doing.

I charted for years for contraception, and while it's not difficult really you do need to understand what you are doing to be able to use the information properly.

I've been tracking with Clue since 2016 and the latest update has pushed me to stop using it. I understand if something like @EBearhug's comment has happened and they're trying to cover themselves, but then they should just come out and say that, rather than making it about women, people who menstruate or otherwise.

Does the "ovulation day" actually show up for anyone who has turned the setting on though? I just have a blank circle.

Would also like suggestions for other apps!

The dehumanising language has been there a little while and is the one reason I use the free version of Clue rather than paying. Ethical consumption is important to me and is about the most effective political power I currently have. Whilst I'd love to support female scientists, normalising breaking the sex class of female human into categories such as "cervix havers", "menstruators" etc does far too much damage to the health of all women. Especially those with SEN or ESL who don't understand the terms and then don't access the health care. It also facilitates the rise in commercial surrogacy by dehumanising the process of pregnancy and birth, which obviously risks the health of economically disadvantaged women and any resulting children.

I was also pretty upset with the removal of the fertile window and ovulation day. I found it vaguely patronising that they assumed I didn't understand contraception. I also don't use the tracker simply to work out when my period will be. Living in a female body means riding waves of hormonal changes which have a profound impact on my day to day life. Such as feeling more adventurous and social around ovulation or being far more prone to exercise related injury prior to my period.

I've been following their Twitter where lots of women are pushing back against this. I was annoyed when they removed the fertile window (I'm 43, I don't need warnings about contraception thanks); but I'm so annoyed about this that I'm about to cancel the app as soon as I can copy my cycle data.

WTF is wrong with the woke cookie crowd? Haven't they worked out that woke teenagers don't have any money and won't be buying their app subscriptions?

I had the same this week with Yoni pads who I'd bought from in the past -- no longer because of their daft "we hate terfs" social media "inclusive" shit. Good luck getting teenage transboys to buy organic bamboo pads at £3 a box. Sheesh.

I was tipped off about not using Clue by a GC friend recently, so even before this update.
She advised me to use Flo instead.

I stopped using them after they went after JK Rowling on Twitter. I emailed them and told them why I would no longer use their app. I asked them to send me my data, which they did in an excel spreadsheet after some back and forth about whether they should or could. I mentioned the GDPR and that seemed to do the trick.