Innovative Approaches to Menstruation and Fertility Tracking Using Wearable Reproductive Health Technology: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Emerging digital health technology has moved into the reproductive health market for female individuals. In the past, mobile health apps have been used to monitor the menstrual cycle using manual entry. New technological trends involve the use of wearable devices to track fertility by assessing physiological changes such as temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Objective The primary aims of this study are to review the types of wearables that have been developed and evaluated for menstrual cycle tracking and to examine whether they may detect changes in the menstrual cycle in female individuals. Another aim is to review whether these devices are effective for tracking various stages in the menstrual cycle including ovulation and menstruation. Finally, the secondary aim is to assess whether the studies have validated their findings by reporting accuracy and sensitivity. Methods A review of PubMed or MEDLINE was undertaken to evaluate wearable devices for their effectiveness in predicting fertility and differentiating between the different stages of the menstrual cycle. Results Fertility cycle–tracking wearables include devices that can be worn on the wrists, on the fingers, intravaginally, and inside the ear. Wearable devices hold promise for predicting different stages of the menstrual cycle including the fertile window and may be used by female individuals as part of their reproductive health. Most devices had high accuracy for detecting fertility and were able to differentiate between the luteal phase (early and late), fertile window, and menstruation by assessing changes in heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature, and respiratory rate. Conclusions More research is needed to evaluate consumer perspectives on reproductive technology for monitoring fertility, and ethical issues around the privacy of digital data need to be addressed. Additionally, there is also a need for more studies to validate and confirm this research, given its scarcity, especially in relation to changes in respiratory rate as a proxy for reproductive cycle staging.

Changes in Exhaled Carbon Dioxide during the Menstrual Cycle and Menopause

“…There are various methods for tracking the MC [7,8], among which are basal body temperature tracking, which involves measuring a woman's body temperature at rest each morning [9][10][11]; vaginal discharge tracking, which requires daily follow-ups of the consistency and amount of cervical mucus throughout the cycle [7,12]; and urinary hormone kits, that measure the LH surge that occurs just before ovulation [13,14]. Methods such as these can be demanding since they might require precise protocol adherence and inability to comply with these can result in inaccuracies [15,16].…”