Market-testing a smartphone application for family planning: assessing potential of the CycleBeads app in seven countries through digital monitoring

Haile, Liya; Fultz, Hanley M; Simmons, Rebecca G.; Shelus, Victoria

doi:10.21037/mhealth.2018.06.07

Cited by 24 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The paper by Haile et al 24 focuses on the CycleBeads app, which incorporates a digital algorithm based on the Standard Days Method (SDM), using first date of menstruation only. The app enables women to track their cycle, prevent or plan pregnancy.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Use of menstruation and fertility app trackers: a scoping review of the evidence

Earle

Marston

Hadley

et al. 2020

BMJ Sex Reprod Health

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IntroductionThere has been a phenomenal worldwide increase in the development and use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) that monitor menstruation and fertility. Critics argue that many of the apps are inaccurate and lack evidence from either clinical trials or user experience. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the research literature on mHealth apps that track menstruation and fertility.MethodsThis project followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The ACM, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for material published between 1 January 2010 and 30 April 2019. Data summary and synthesis were used to chart and analyse the data.ResultsIn total 654 records were reviewed. Subsequently, 135 duplicate records and 501 records that did not meet the inclusion criteria were removed. Eighteen records from 13 countries form the basis of this review. The papers reviewed cover a variety of disciplinary and methodological frameworks. Three main themes were identified: fertility and reproductive health tracking, pregnancy planning, and pregnancy prevention.ConclusionsMotivations for fertility app use are varied, overlap and change over time, although women want apps that are accurate and evidence-based regardless of whether they are tracking their fertility, planning a pregnancy or using the app as a form of contraception. There is a lack of critical debate and engagement in the development, evaluation, usage and regulation of fertility and menstruation apps. The paucity of evidence-based research and absence of fertility, health professionals and users in studies is raised.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two studies focus on the potential of apps to improve women’s reproductive health and well-being 23 24. The paper by Blödt et al 25 evaluated the effectiveness of an app-based self-acupressure intervention – AKUD – to alleviate menstrual pain.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of menstruation and fertility app trackers: a scoping review of the evidence

Earle

Marston

Hadley

et al. 2020

BMJ Sex Reprod Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Fashioned in the style of a rosary with a color-coded string of beads, this device is meant to help one identify "fertile windows," or days when the chances of conception are higher or lower [95]. Remediated from the analog device into the form of web and smartphone apps, CycleBeads (Figure 1) now has added functions of data storage and long-term profiles of use [37].…”

Section: Instrumenting the Bodymentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiples Over Models

Fox

Menking

Eschler

et al. 2020

ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum. Interact.

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In this article, we describe our efforts to retrace and reimagine period tracking technology-or, mobile applications designed to support the documentation and quantification of menstrual cycle data. In their current form, these systems often encourage those who menstruate to extract intimate information about the body (e.g., consistency or color of menstrual flow, physical and emotional symptoms), while promising to predict fertility and offer insight into managing one's period. In doing so, these technologies subtly dictate the forms of knowledge and types of relationships menstruators are expected to establish with their bodies (i.e., transactional or instrumentalized). Through historical analysis and a series of participatory experiments, we offer a vision for menstrual sensemaking that expands on these forms of interaction and ways of knowing to emphasize multiplicity and dimensionality rather than models, predictability, or a user's relation to averages or norms. CCS Concepts: • Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in interaction design;

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“…We know that highly motivated women have used the symptothermal method to track symptoms over long periods of time without electronic apps. Only a single study in this category evaluated a specific app, CycleBeads, aimed at people in developing countries to track menses and plan or avoid pregnancy 5 . This app is based on the simple Standard Days Method based on lengths of the prior menstrual cycles and only requires recording first day of menses.…”

Section: What Should Clinicians Tell Their Patients About the Use Of mentioning

confidence: 99%

Current Resources for Evidence‐Based Practice, July/August 2020

Barger

2020

J Midwife Womens Health

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Market-testing a smartphone application for family planning: assessing potential of the CycleBeads app in seven countries through digital monitoring

Cited by 24 publications

References 8 publications

Use of menstruation and fertility app trackers: a scoping review of the evidence

Use of menstruation and fertility app trackers: a scoping review of the evidence

Multiples Over Models

Current Resources for Evidence‐Based Practice, July/August 2020

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