Between running to work, the gym, happy hour, and more, your period is probably the last thing on your mind. Luckily, a new app will help you remember when it’s time to change your tampon. (Forgetting won’t just set you up for a mess—it can cause an overgrowth of bacteria that may lead to the potentially lethal infection toxic shock syndrome.) Just plug in your period start date and the number of days it typically lasts, and Tampon Minder sends out regular alerts reminding you when it’s time to remove or replace it ($ 1.99 on Android and iOS).
Tampon Minder isn’t the only app that makes it easier to deal with lady-part issues. Here are some others worth downloading:
Fertility Friend Mobile
Hoping to sport a bump soon? This app can help make it happen. It charts your monthly cycle via color-coded, easy-to-read graphs that project the days of your fertility window based on details you punch in about your period, body temperature, and cervical condition. It’s also packed with lots of useful info about conception and pregnancy that you’ll want to check out.
Free on Android and iOS
Period Tracker
Lots of apps predict your period’s monthly due date. But Period Tracker doesn’t base its projections on the standard, 28-day calendar—since so few women’s bodies actually adhere to it. Instead, it calculates the average length of your last three cycles, so it can more accurately predict the date your flow is going to show up. That way you’ll know when to stash tampons in your purse so you won’t be caught off guard.
Free on Android and iOS
MyPill
Skipping even one pill can put you in line for a birth control fail. Prevent that by downloading this easy app. Just select the type of oral contraceptive you’re on, and an alert goes out letting you know it’s time to pop one. Once you do, another pill “disappears” from a graphic of a pill pack. If you’re on a weekly birth control method such as the patch or ring, you can use this app to track that as well.
Free on iOS
Virtual Nurse – Birth Control
Ever wished you could have a birth control expert on call to get her take on a puzzling contraception-related situation? This app, developed by Harvard Medical School, is like having your own RN in your pocket. Ask a question, and voice-activated Nurse Alice will respond with follow-up inquiries to help solve your BC issue.
Free on Android
More from Women’s Health:
Got PMS? Eat More Iron
What to Expect at the Gyno
Is PMS a Myth?
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