Lifestyle | Clue: The Period Tracking App

Code red; monthly visitor; the blob; lady time; having the painters in; shark week; bloody mary; auntie flo. There's a hundred and one titles for the monthly visitor that greets all of us with a vagina and that is of course the topic in question for todays ramble.

 

There's such a stigma within society surrounding discussing all things menstruation, which completely baffles me when you consider the fact that not only is it one of the most natural processes in the world but also a good fifty percent of the worlds population greet it (reluctantly none the less) each and every month. The blogging community is a wonderful platform to explore such tabooed topics as periods yet unfortunately you don't see as much discussion surrounding them as one would like. This needs to change and I want to do my bit by increasing the amount I explore them on this little space. And today kicks it all off.

I have a little present for all of you who menstruate - a new best friend. Enter Clue, a period tracking app and a rather amazing tool for tackling your cycle head on. If you're like me, you've tried many an app of this variety over the years but I'm happy to announce that this is the one. It's ever so rare that I reference anything from the app world on Yours, Chloe so you know that when I do I've found a good one, and this is no exception.

It covers every single aspect of the cycle you can think of - bleeding, fluids, collection method, pain, emotions, cravings, sex drive, sleep, sexual activity and a whole range of other bits and pieces. Most importantly it gets you to pop in the dates of each period which lets the app work its magic and calculate key things like when your next one will be heading your way and when you're most fertile. Such an app makes you an expert on your own body which is super duper important as, when it all comes down to it, your health should be your number one priority.

 

 

Clue makes sure there are no more unexpected intruders, you always know when to expect your little red friend. This gives you chance to stock up in time and to *fingers crossed* prevent the awful moments we've all faced where you find yourself suddenly 'on' when you're out and about living your busy little lives.

 

You can even set it up to send you a little reminder for all sorts of bits and pieces connected to your time of the month: when your period is about to begin, if it's late, when your fertile window is coming up etc. It can also remind you about other key things such as taking your contraceptive pill (or putting on a new patch, getting your injection, popping in a new ring and so on) and doing a breast check. What more can we ask for?

 

It's power of tracking your fertility is also hugely valuable. It particularly makes it a good tool for all of you who are trying to start a family, as it alerts you of the best time to try some serious baby-making activities. Not only that but if you're having sex minus a method of contraception (or equally practicing the rhythm method) it lets you know when's safest to have your sexy time. Although I would note that of course it is better to always practice safe sex as these dates are never one hundred percent accurate so you always run the risk of pregnancy and you'll also be at risk of the world of STDs if no barrier-method is involved. Lecture over.

Clue also strikes me as a wonderful tool for educating young women on what's going on 'down there' as education on the topic of puberty, periods and sexual health is so vital yet not emphasized half as much as it should be. I'd definitely recommend mums with daughters who are nearing the start of their periods to use the app to explain the ins and outs of the world of menstruation, although of course the tracking element of it may not be as useful for girls that early on in their womenhood as early periods can be turbulent and unpredictable, to put it lightly.

I would also note that the app takes a wonderfully gender-neutral approach to period tracking (more so than any other period-tracking app I've come across). It's amazing to see such an app being so inclusive of all those who menstruate, regardless of gender identity. It's also super discreet - nowhere does it state its status as a period tracking app - which can be a great factor for those who are shy around the topic.

 

 

(note: Clue does display your height, weight and chosen birth control method on this page in a similar way to how it displays your date of birth but of course I did hide those away for privacy reasons).

The true beauty of Clue hit me about a month ago when I found myself being shipped off to good ol' A&E by my doctors. Every single medical professional I saw asked a million questions about my cycle and what not, and I don't know about you but I'm not the best at remembering all of the little details of each period. And lets be honest, even if I was a walking encyclopedia on the topic you rarely find yourself in much of a fit state to pass it all on in depth when you're in such a place as A&E. Having Clue meant that I could just whip out my phone and there lay all of my data from over a year. From the heaviness of the bleeding to the collection method used, from the pain to the mood swings, and even down to sex and sleep; everything was there, which contributed greatly to speeding up the diagnosis process. I actually think one of the male gynecologists may have fallen in love with the app there and then as it made his job so much easier. So the moral of the story is, it's always handy to have such data at the push of a button; you're never know when you're going to need it.

 

Clue is completely free and available to download both on Apple and Android.

 

Happy period tracking!