iphone sexist

The New iPhone: Grossed Out by Our Periods?

One of the most anticipated features of Apple’s new iOS 8 was the Apple Health Kit — the most comprehensive, extensive fitness tracker out there. Apple promises to give you the most clear and current picture of your health. Users can track their Biotin levels, blood alcohol content, blood pressure, body fat percentage, body temperature, chromium level, cycling distance, calories, electrodermal activity, inhaler usage, number of times fallen, and, well, you get the point. A lot of stuff. But, as the Verge points out, there’s one trackable item missing between Peripheral Perfusion Index and Phosphorus levels — that’s right, Periods. It seems the Über-comprehensive Quantified Self is only the right of male iPhone users.

What’s up, Apple? Is charting my moon cycle less important than knowing how many times I’ve fallen in a day? It’s not as if the demand isn’t there — 53 percent of iPhone users are female, according to Pew, and many of them probably menstruate. Not to mention the abundance of easily integratable period and fertility tracking apps already in the App Store. There are already four different tracking items that involve blood, what’s one more?

The New iPhone: Grossed Out by Our Periods?