Seven apps that will help you test your “cliteracy,” track your fertility, and answer all your private questions.
by Kristy Crabtree
Earlier this month, Apple announced new additions to its HealthKit app, which can now track how often you are sitting, how often you’re exposed to UV rays, and how often you get your period. This new feature, which will become available with Apple’s iOS 9 update (exact release date TBA, but plan for sometime in September), had Twitter up in arms for good reason. Web developers and organizations tweeted the obvious, “…it’s almost as if Apple just realized that women exist;” and the deadpan, “Apple updates their HealthKit app and this time includes a period tracker acknowledging women’s health.”
There are, indeed, already quite a few apps out there that not only acknowledge women’s health, but also help us navigate the tough stuff: How can I prevent a pregnancy? Could this be chlamydia? And what exactly is female “viagra?” Before apps and smartphones, we used to rely on an older sibling, dare raising a hand in the middle of an eighth grade health class, or look through old copies of Seventeen or Cosmopolitan to answer these questions. Anonymity wasn’t an option when seeking answers about sexual health. Now, there’s an app for it. Or, more accurately, there are multiple apps for it. Here’s a sample of apps tried and tested to show what’s available to answer your questions, keep you up-to-date on the latest news, and track your health.
1. My Sex Doctor
“All the things you want to know about sex, in the palm of your hand!”
Available in the App Store and Google Play, Free
MySD is looking to start a welcome and long-due revolution, one where you no longer have to risk embarrassment. The app is organized with topics ranging from menstruation to having sex for the first time, plus it includes a dictionary of terms from “acquaintance rape” to “Romeo and Juliet laws,” and 100 things you must know. Ease of navigation, search functionality, and the simple way questions are asked and answered app (e.g. Am I in an unhealthy relationship?) make this a go-to not just for their young adult target market, but also for any adult with lingering questions.
2. Sexual Health Guide
“Full of up-to-date and reliable information on how to be and stay sexually happy.”
Available in the App Store and Google Play, Free
This app meets the mark for information, but misses the target when it comes to aesthetics. It looks like an app your parents tried to design. But what the app lacks in visual cues, easy-to-read information, and simple presentation, it makes up for with continual updates on sexual health news. They also have information on various sexual health topics, STIs and contraception, videos, as well as myths, FAQs and a glossary of sexual health terms aimed at users young and old. There are also sites like https://bigger-loads.com that can help men improve their sexual health and performance.
3. Sex Positive
“A shame-free sex education.”
Available in the App Store and Google Play, Free
The University of Oregon Health Center built this app to be as simple as possible. They deliver by structuring the app like a roulette wheel to tell you “what happens when a body part touches another body part or object.” Through this structure they break down information into two categories: safer sex practices and STI risks. Sex Positive also delivers what many other apps leave out – communication tips. They walk users through ways to more effectively communicate on tough topics like consent, a needed gap to fill, especially on college campuses, where their app is targeted for use.
4. Explore Women’s Sex
“Get to know a woman’s sexual anatomy. Find out how women get sexually turned on. An educational program that’s factual and fun.”
Available in the App Store, $2.99
The name of the app might not sell it well, but it is an accurate description. And it’s about time there are more apps out there concerned with increasing women’s sexual pleasure. Explore Women’s Sex covers a range of topics from women’s sexual anatomy (including definitions, diagrams and visuals) to ways you can improve your performance. At the very least, test your hand with the “Cliteracy Quiz” to see what you know and what else you have left to learn.
5. Clue
“The science of your cycle.”
Available in the App Store and Google Play, Free
The Clue app creators went after simple aesthetics and clear functionality without submitting to the urge to dump pink all over, a much appreciated intentional design. The app works like this – you enter some basic information then continue to enter bit by bit each month. Clue then teaches you about… you. It learns your menstruation pattern and makes forecasts. It can track your mood and other reactions to your period as well as fertility. What really sells this app is its sublime design and ease of use. It takes a simple concept (tracking your monthly cycle) and does it really, really well. It will work wonders for anyone trying to clue into their cycle, reduce surprises and feel more informed.
6. Screet
“Your sex is your business. Your safety is ours. Discreet & on-demand delivery of sexual health products & information.” @screetapp
App currently under development
Screet promises what its name implies – discreet ordering of sexual health products. This includes condoms and lubes with a goal to ultimately supply Plan B, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxes, dental dams, sex toys and sex-related educational materials. The app is currently under development, but promises to balance out existing apps (that exclusively offer condoms) with one that is focused on the sexual health needs of women.
7. Planned Parenthood Direct
“Easy, discreet STD testing. At home.”
Available in the App Store and Google Play, Free (Services only available in California)
Live in California? Need to get tested for chlamydia or gonorrhea, but don’t want anyone to know about it? Have $149? Then the Planned Parenthood Direct is an app for you. This app allows you to get a test kit sent to your house with a prepaid return envelope for lab testing. But that’s not all. If results come back positive, the app helps you connect with support and treatment options.
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Kristy Crabtree is a Seattle-based writer who focuses on issues of gender-based violence, forced displacement, and ethics in GBV data management. She has written for Forced Migration Review, Ode Magazine, Glimpse Magazine, The Irawaddy, The Huffington Post, Perspectives on Global Issues, Queens Courier, Yahoo News, Monthly Developments Magazine, and the Journal of Muslim Mental Health. She currently works in the International Rescue Committee’s Women’s Protection and Empowerment technical unit as the GBV Information Management Specialist. Follow her on Twitter @kristycrabtree.
