Tech brands are embracing the need to create tools to help women to understand their reproductive health better. Apple released findings from research in collaboration with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) that sampled Apple Watch Cycle Tracking data from more than 50,000 iPhone users to menstrual cycle's effects on various health issues such as cancer and infertility.
The study has uncovered some valuable findings. For example, the study has found a correlation between irregular periods and an increased risk of uterine cancer. Understanding their cycles is a critical first step toward preventative health care for women.
Apple recently enhanced the Apple Watch's Cycle Tracking capabilities with two sensors that log basal body temperature and is revolutionising health tech. The Apple Watch Series 8 has made significant strides in providing valuable data that better tracks cycles and offers women more insight and data into how they can monitor their health.
While period tracking apps and measuring your temperature with a thermometer have always been an option, wearables that lend themselves to automatically logging the data allow for more consistent and accurate records.
Alongside tracking periods and temperature, we took the Apple Watch for a spin to see how consistent the data collected is and how we can translate that information into valuable insight for managing and improving women's health.
The device
While Cycle Tracking has been a part of Apple'sApple's Health app for quite some time, the new iteration of the Apple Watch Series 8 incorporates sensors that track temperature every five seconds during sleep. Instead of logging temperature checks each morning, the watch records and logs the information automatically within 0.1°C accuracy
The basal body temperature is established after continuous wear for five nights, and ovulation estimates are available after two months. During that time, the start and end of periods need to be logged manually, along with information such as flow and physical discomfort.
You can retrieve information about your temperature on both the watch and the Health app. The Cycle Tracking app also allows women to log different ''factors'' such as pregnancy, lactating or contraceptive use, that would influence their cycle,
Based on the information logged manually during the first two months, the watch will notify you when you might expect your period or fertility window.
The Cycle Tracking app also allows women to log different ''factors'' such as pregnancy, lactating or contraceptive use, that would influence their cycle,
What does this all mean
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to using a smart health device (for me, at least) is making sense of the data and using it. It'sIt's a safe guess to make that most of us don'tdon't need a sleep tracker telling us we only had a few minutes of deep snooze to know that we had had a bad night. Having the data and statistics on hand is only half the battle- using it thoughtfully to improve our health, mood, and overall lifestyle is what's important.
Women trying to get pregnant or those who suffer from Polycystic ovary syndrome (POCS) will no double benefit hugely from having accurate data on hand that can allow them to pinpoint fertile periods and when to expect their next period. Users can make informed health decisions based on this data.
And for women who do not fall under those two categories, simply knowing exactly when you can expect your period can bring ease of mind. Between work, family, and life in general, it's easy to ignore signs from our bodies– I don't know a single woman who hasn't been a victim of surprise periods. Receiving that notification on the Apple Watch is a powerful way to prepare for and gain control of our bodies.
It'sIt's also beneficial to cross-reference cycle data to other variables the Apple Watch tracks. Knowing how I tend to sleep worse during my cycle was insightful. With that, I experimented with various approaches to dealing with it, such as heading to sleep earlier on those nights or adding a quick five-minute meditation session just before heading to sleep. The best part about having this data on hand is that I could compare how effective these different lifestyle strategies are against control nights.
Hormones can also have major effects on mood and mental health. Logging how I felt physically and mentally during those days on the Cycle Tracking app is great, but what I found even more helpful was cross-pollinating the data with third-party apps like the mood journaling app How We Feel. It helped me understand why I experience mood swings and gave me visual confirmation via the app'sapp's graphics that whatever negativity I'mI'm feeling at that moment is only temporary.
The Verdict
As with any data set, too much information can be daunting if you don't know how to process it. The great thing about Apple Watch'sWatch's new temperature sensor and women-first apps is that it allows users to do as much or as little as they want with the data they receive.
Data basal body temperature, once established, will almost immediately improve how accurately women can track their cycles, if nothing else but eliminate human error and missed entries.
While owning a smart device like the Apple Watch Series 8 is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to gaining control of your health, it's a significant first step towards further understanding our bodies and how best to nurture our physical and mental well-being.
