Life
Apps Making Reproductive Healthcare More Accessible
I subscribe to the 1600 Daily White House emails simply to be educated on the ridiculous information the current administration is putting out. A few weeks ago there was an announcement that said, "President Trump made a statement on Men's Health Week, supporting expanded education and awareness in men's health." I actually laughed out loud — seriously.
While Trump and his advisors have done everything they can to make it harder for women to have access to and be educated about healthcare, of course he's worried men don't have enough. To me this symbolizes every priority of our current president. It also reminded me of the now infamous picture of Trump and a great many other white older men making decisions about women's health.
Thankfully, we women have technology on our side. In a world that seems to be constantly fighting against our basic reproductive rights, technology gives us an edge to push back. Recently a great deal of apps focused on women's reproductive health care have emerged. Through these the ways women can take control of their reproductive health is growing immensely.
Check out the apps making reproductive healthcare more accessible for women.
1Maven
If you want to go to a health clinic but don't have the time, Maven is the answer for you. The app provides forums as well as medical professionals to answer your questions. You can receive birth control as well as mental health, pregnancy and postpartum help, among others. This is a one-stop for all your basic health needs.
Maven, Free
2Nurx
If you're on birth control, odds are you've been faced with a time where you couldn't make it to the pharmacy but your cycle was almost up. Birth control delivery is a convenient way to stay on top of your prescription even with a busy life. One example is Nurx, an app that handles your pill delivery. You register your health insurance, pick the type of birth control you want, a doctor approves it and then it gets sent right to your door anytime you need it.
Nurx, Free
3Biem
Sexual health anxiety is universal, yet never talked about, especially when it comes to STDs," Biem founder, Bryan Stacy, previously told Bustle. Biem is an app that lets you talk to health care providers, get tested for STIs at home and then view your results. Stacy created the app after shame led him to put off going to the doctor when his testicle was in serious pain, something that turned out to be testicular cancer. In 2016 a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health reported that only 11.5 percent of those aged 15 to 25 had been tested in the past year.
Biem, $45 for consultation
4Lemonaid Health
Lemonaid is trying to create birth control access for all. Its mission is to simplify and lower the costs associated with birth control. Aimed at low-income women, the app is working to ensure each woman has the ability to seek a wide range of family planning options. In 2015 the Brookings Institute reported that financial obstacles constantly leave low-income women unable to regulate their fertility and allow for very limited family planning options.
Lemonaid, $25 for doctor evaluation
5Citizen Endo
This app is designed to study the effects of endometriosis on different women. Citizen Endo asks users to track how they feel and when in order to learn more about the disease. Looking to help works towards better treatment or even a cure to endometriosis? Using this app can do that.
Citizen Endo, Free
6WomanLog Calendar
WomanLog Calendar is much more than just a period tracker — but it does that too. Through the app users can also track their sexual activity, birth control, mood and body temperature. Helpful for when you need to recall symptoms to a doctor, this app allows you to organize every aspect of your reproductive health as neatly as it could be.
WomanLog Calendar, Free
7It Matters
Targeted to teens and young adults, It Matters is working to reduce the stigma associated with sexual and reproductive focused health visits. Youth can include their information with assured confidentiality and discover health centers to go to as well as receive sex ed.
It Matters, Free
In todays America we must do everything we can to be in control of our own bodies. These apps represent some of the ways that's possible. Keep up with your health while fighting the good fight.
