Period Tracking: How the new Apple Watch aims to improve women’s health

0
24
period tracking how the new apple watch aims to improve.png
period tracking how the new apple watch aims to improve.png

One of the main features of the Apple Watch Series 8 is a new body temperature sensor that can estimate the cycle – retrospectively.

 

At first glance, the Apple Watch Series 8 doesn’t look particularly exciting: the case of the latest Apple computer watch hasn’t changed and the hardware has only undergone minimal upgrades. Nevertheless, Apple has added to the built-in health sensors. The smartwatch can now record body temperature for the first time. However, this is not a simple clinical thermometer. Instead, Apple is about improving women’s health, as the company emphasized this week.

 

“The menstrual cycle is an important health marker and is considered a vital function by many medical professionals,” the company wrote when introducing the Series 8. The device therefore has “innovative new temperature detection functions that women can use to learn more about their health”. A temperature sensor is installed on the back of the watch “close to the skin” and under the display. The double measurement should make the system more accurate, according to Apple, changes of at least 0.1 degrees Celsius can be detected.

The system is designed in such a way that it can also record the temperature during sleep. The measured value is recorded every five seconds. The information then ends up in the health app and shows users the changes over the day. The cycle tracking of the watch should then be improved with the information – instead of having to manually record the temperature and enter it manually. The clock then does not allow a prediction, but a “subsequent estimation” of ovulation. “It can be helpful for family planning to know the time of ovulation,” says Apple succinctly.

SEE ALSO  This is the most interesting WhatsApp function that the OCU wants you to activate to protect your data

The company does not say why the estimate is not possible before ovulation – it is conceivable that this is intended to prevent unwanted pregnancies due to incorrect estimates. Alternatively, Apple could try to collect more data first to improve the system. “The temperature detection also enables improved predictions of the period,” the company continues.

With the temperature sensor in the Series 8, Apple is expanding the options for manually tracking the cycle that are already available on the watch and the iPhone. The so-called cycle tracking app now also issues notifications when the cycle history shows a possible deviation, such as irregular, absent or longer periods as well as persistent bleeding, which can indicate health problems. The data should only be stored on the respective device. If the iCloud storage function is also used as an alternative, Apple uses end-to-end encryption. According to its own statements, the group – as with other health data – has no access to the information.