Are Period Tracking Apps Safe -What Every Woman Should Know

Period tracking apps promise convenience, insight, and control over your menstrual cycle. With just a few taps, you can log symptoms, predict fertility windows, and stay on top of your reproductive health. It’s no surprise that millions of women rely on them daily. But what if these tools aren’t as safe as they seem?

Beneath the surface, there’s a hidden truth that most users don’t know: Many of these apps lack accuracy, aren’t regulated, and may be selling your health data. From unreliable cycle predictions to privacy breaches that expose your personal details, the risks are concerning.

Before you enter another symptom or trust an app to track your fertility, it’s important to understand what’s really happening. Let’s take a closer look at the dangers of period-tracking apps, how they use your data, and ways to protect your privacy.

Why We Use Period Tracking Apps?

Let’s be real – these period-tracking apps solve actual problems that women face every month. Most of us have been there:

• Trying to remember when your last period started
• Wondering if that cramp means Aunt Flo is coming to visit
• Needing to track symptoms to discuss with your doctor
• Trying to either get pregnant or avoid pregnancy

The most popular menstruapps? They’ve been downloaded over a million times each. That’s how mainstream and widely used these have become. It makes sense – who wants to carry around a paper calendar or diary when you’ve got your phone with you 24/7?

The Big Problem Nobody’s Talking About

Here’s what’s really scary, though: There’s absolutely no government agency or regulatory body checking these apps before they hit the market. Think about that for a second.

With medications, there’s the FDA making sure drugs are safe and effective before you can buy them. Medical devices go through rigorous testing. But these apps? Any developer can throw together a period tracker and put it out there without having to prove:

• If their predictions are actually accurate
• If their “medical advice” is legit
• What they’re really doing with all your personal data

And get this: Studies have shown that most period-tracking apps contain flat-out wrong information. They use fancy medical terminology to sound official and scientific, but there’s often no actual research or evidence backing up what they’re telling you.

Why You Can’t Rely on Them for Birth Control

Here’s something crucial to understand. These apps are not accurate most of the time. Your menstrual cycle is incredibly complex. It’s not just some simple 28-day clockwork system. There are so many factors that can affect it:

• Stress (good or bad)
• Travel and time zone changes
• Illness or infections
• Medications you’re taking
• Changes in diet or exercise
• Even just random biological variations

Yet, these apps claim they can accurately predict your fertile window. Many women use them as their primary method of birth control, thinking they’re safe if the app says they’re not fertile. That’s like playing Russian roulette with your uterus.

The Real Shock: Your Privacy Is an Illusion

Now, let’s talk about what might be the most disturbing part of all this. Are period-tracking apps safe?

Back in December 2018, Privacy International conducted an investigation that revealed something terrifying: 61% of period-tracking apps immediately and automatically transfer all your data straight to Facebook.

We’re not just talking about your name or email address here. We’re talking about:

• The exact dates of your period
• How heavy your flow is
• When you had sex (and whether you used protection)
• Your moods and emotions
• Any symptoms like cramps, bloating, or breast tenderness

In some cases, even diary-style entries about your most intimate experiences. Do period tracker apps sell your data? The scary truth is that many of them do.

How These Apps Are Making Money Off You

Let’s break down the business model here because it’s important to understand that every single detail you enter into these apps becomes a potential goldmine for advertisers:

• Log that you’re having bad cramps – Here come the Advil and Midol ads.
• Record that you’re feeling super emotional and PMSy – Get ready for chocolate and ice cream coupons.
• Mark that you’re trying to conceive – Your feed will suddenly be full of prenatal vitamin promotions and fertility clinic ads.

The Maya App Example

One of the worst offenders is an app called Maya, which has over 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Privacy International’s investigation found some horrifying things:

• The app starts sending data to Facebook the instant you open it
• This happens before you even get a chance to accept the privacy policy
• The information includes extremely sensitive details like your sexual activity and menstrual symptoms

This isn’t just questionable data practices – it’s a complete violation of user trust on a fundamental level.

Some Mensrtuapps Are Changing (But Not Enough)

After getting called out by Privacy International, some apps like Clue actually changed their practices. They stopped sharing data with Facebook and implemented better encryption. That’s progress, but here’s the thing:

• These changes only happened after public exposure and backlash
• Many apps still have vague, confusing privacy policies full of loopholes
• There’s no guarantee that other apps aren’t selling your data in different ways

Better Alternatives Worth Considering

For iPhone users, Apple’s built-in Cycle Tracking feature (part of the Health app) is actually a much more secure option because:

• Apple doesn’t rely on selling user data for profit
• Health data is encrypted and stays on your device by default
• It can integrate with other health metrics you track for more accurate predictions

For maximum privacy, some women are going back to old-school methods:

• Using a paper journal or calendar
• Basic note-taking apps with encryption
• Simple reminder systems that don’t collect or store your data

Aslo Read: How to Track Your Period on Paper

How to Protect Yourself

If you do choose to keep using these apps, here are some precautions to take:

• Never ever rely on them as your sole method of birth control
• Operate under the assumption that anything you input could eventually become public
• Carefully review privacy settings (though they’re often designed to be confusing)
• Consider using a pseudonym and avoiding unnecessary personal details
• Regularly check which apps have access to your health data and revoke permissions you’re not comfortable with

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, period-tracking apps can be useful tools – there’s no denying that. But they come with hidden costs that most users don’t even realize they’re paying. Your most private health information shouldn’t be treated like a commodity to be bought and sold to the highest bidder.

Until there are proper safeguards and regulations in place, we all need to be extremely cautious about what we share with these apps. Your data, your privacy, and your health are worth protecting.

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