iPeriod won me over.

Although menstruation tracking apps aren’t exactly new to the App Store, I’ve avoided reviewing any of them. It’s not that I’m squeamish about the subject matter. It’s just that I’ve never been the type to track this information, so why start now?

But, over the last few months, we’ve received multiple requests for information about period calendars for the iPhone and other menstrual-cycle tracking apps — requests from both men and women. So, when WinkPass Creations offered AppCraver the opportunity to review iPeriod I decided it was time to give the people what they want.

iPeriod tracks a pretty extensive list of symptoms related to one’s menstrual cycle: flow, cramps, spotting, moods, as well as 4 user-configurable options that can be modified to track your specific PMS symptoms such as headaches, bloating, energy levels, weight, etc. There is also a notes section where women can add a daily addendum to the calendar. The notes section won’t be “tracked” but can still be a useful record of information.

So just what does iPeriod mean by “track.” Well, the interface has several options for viewing information. The iPeriod Summary lists start date, duration and cycle length by month with an average calculation at the top and a predicted date for your next period. Calendar View is more intense with color-coded icons for menstruation, ovulation, potentially fertile days, and all the details for mood, etc that you may choose to track.

It’s a heady list of options and information. But, what I like is the simplicity of the interface. Call me lazy, but I can’t bothered to spend time typing in a bunch of emoticons and PMS symptoms every day. With iPeriod, it can all be done with a couple of taps. It usually took me longer to decide my mood than to enter in the information. (Tap the notes section of the calendar page to enter all your daily data.)

As a woman with pretty unpredictable cycles, I found that with enough information iPeriod can still do a reasonably good job estimating dates. I filled in guesstimates from the last 3 months and iPeriod returned a date that was within a few days of reality this month. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next six months or a year. Maybe iPeriod will find the underlying pattern that has always eluded me. The app uses it’s period prediction algorithm to provide menstruation dates a year in advance — pretty nice if you’re planning a vacation.

If the need ever arises, the information in iPeriod can be shared by email. You might use this to back up your information (which can also be reimported in case of data loss) or to send the info to your doctor.

Initially, I assumed that iPeriod was an app just for the ladies, but I’ve since been schooled by another AppCraver staffer who says that “smart guys” keep track of what’s going on with their girlfriend. I never knew. I guess that’s why some guys always seem to know when to say the right thing.

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category: Healthcare & Fitness