Understanding Women's use of period-tracking applications: The role of personal, cognitive, and environmental factors in sexual and reproductive health tracking.

Though period-tracking apps are valuable tools to monitor and record sexual and reproductive health information, the factors underlying different purposes of period app use are largely unexamined. Based on social cognitive theory, this study explored women's purposes for using period-tracking apps and the personal and environmental factors that influence frequency of use related to (a) menstruation, (b) pregnancy, (c) sexual activity, and (d) information management. Our cross-sectional survey of 249 women living in the United States of America who reported using a period-tracking app in the last 12 months showed that that older age, likelihood/risk of unintended pregnancy, pregnancy anxiety, and living in a state with an abortion ban predicted greater frequency of app use for pregnancy-related tracking purposes, while education level, likelihood of unintended pregnancy, and sexual/reproductive health history predicted tracking purposes related to sexual activity. Our findings highlight women's motives underlying their period app use and the implications of app use for women's health self-monitoring.