As a runner, I’m keen to get my hands on the Apple Watch Ultra, with its huge screen, extended battery life, and advanced sporting features. However, I wasn’t expecting to also be as excited as the new temperature sensor in the Apple Watch 8 — and for one major reason.
A temperature sensor is nothing new to a smartwatch — most of the best Garmin and the best Fitbits have been able to measure skin temperature for years, but Apple took their time adding this technology to their smartwatches, and they’re looking forward to the wait. At an Apple event, the addition of a skin temperature sensor focused on women’s health, particularly menstrual cycle tracking.
Using two built-in sensors, the Apple Watch Series 8 will read the skin temperature every five seconds throughout the night. Apple says this allows the built-in menstrual tracking app to give users a better idea of when they ovulate, as their body temperature rises in response to ovulation. This can be beneficial for women, whether they are trying to conceive or avoiding pregnancy.
Additionally, with iOS 16 and watchOS 9, cycle tracking users can receive notifications if their recorded cycle history shows irregular or prolonged periods, as well as ongoing detection, as these could be signs of health conditions such as fibroids or Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
As someone who’s been through most of the popular menstrual-tracking apps on the market, the idea that my watch will take my temperature for me reduces the human error that comes with daily temperature readings – after a short while using Natural Cycles, I realized to remember to take my temperature before getting out of bed will not happen.
It’s also helpful, as a runner, to be able to check my cycle from my wrist, as this can affect my ability to perform on certain days of the month (here’s How your period can affect your exercise performanceAccording to the doctor). Plus, coming from Apple, I know it will be packaged in a simple, easy-to-read style, which will make it clear to see what’s happening at a glance.
However, as with all family planning methods, women should tread carefully. Relying on temperature readings alone is not always accurate, especially for women who do not have regular cycles. Dr. Michael Belmonte, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Colorado and a fellow reproductive health clinician, told Tom’s Guide, “Monitoring your basal body temperature by itself is not a good way to track your fertile days or prevent pregnancy. This is because your most fertile days will occur before 2- 3 days of high body temperature, which occurs around the time of ovulation.It can also be shed by other things that can mimic high body temperature, such as various medical conditions or acute illnesses, such as a cold, flu, or even COVID, warns Belmonte.
To be fair, Apple has focused on temperature data, heart rate readings, and user recording period to improve the accuracy of the readings.
Apple has also marketed the basal temperature reading as a way to predict when you are most likely to get pregnant. At the time of writing, this feature cannot be sold as a method of contraception, as it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a contraceptive. However, with applications like Natural Cycles approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018 as a form of birth control, this may change in the future.
What did Apple say about privacy?
In light of Roe v Wade, Apple has, understandably, highlighted the advanced encryption methods surrounding cycle tracking features. Earlier this year, a number of Popular period apps forced to respond to Roe v Wade’s rulingMany users fear that the apps could be used against them.
Speaking, Sumbul Desai, Apple’s Vice President of Health, said, “We believe privacy is a fundamental human right and that your health data belongs to you alone. Your cycle tracking data is encrypted on your device, and can only be accessed through a passcode or Touch ID or Face ID. When you use iOS and WatchOS with the default two-factor authentication and passcode, healthcare data synced to iCloud is encrypted end-to-end, meaning Apple doesn’t have the means to decrypt the data, and therefore cannot read it.”
If you’re worried, here’s what the cybersecurity expert said about protecting your data in period tracking apps, and how to track your period without using an app.
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