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One popular way is to use a period tracking app, but these apps are not always easy to use.
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First, you have to answer a long list of questions to set up your profile, and there is a potential risk of your personal information being compromised.
Period tracking is too complicated these days.
What people are really worried about is the actual tracking data. According to TechCrunch, in the wake of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, consumers are ditching their current period tracking apps in favor of what they perceive as safer options.
The Guardian picked up on a similar phenomenon, reporting that many American women have deleted period tracking apps from their smartphones, fearing that the data collected by the apps could be used against them in the future.
Source:
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/28/why-us-woman-are-deleting-their-period-tracking-apps
Secondly, some apps charge a subscription fee that is not made clear in the app store.
I have downloaded several apps, completed their questionnaires, then found out that I have to pay a monthly fee to actually use them.
Source: Clover App
Finally, most period tracking apps are calendar-based, which makes it seem like your period comes on a random day each month.
But the length of your cycle is static (at least it should be). It just seems hard to track because it is mapped to the calendar, and the length of a month is most of the time not exactly how long your period lasts, which varies from 21 to 35 days.
Mapped to calendar month
Mapped to true cycle length
Meet "Cycle of Red",
the simplest physical period tracker.
“Cycle of red” allows you to see how long your cycle is, notice the changes and better monitor your health.
To track, simply turn one card over each day and flip it to red on period days. Place the extra cards that don’t fit in your cycle in the back slot and adjust when cycle length changes.
With a simple, neutral appearance that can be displayed on your desk, it secures not only a spacial spot in the room but also in your mind.
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The set of 40 cards covers all possible cycle lengths.
The beginning of a cycle.
The end of the period.
The beginning of the next cycle.
It went through several generation of calendar and card design to prove its usability and visual effectiveness.
