The overturn of Roe V. Wade impacted more than just the right to a safe abortion — it also impacted the right to reproductive privacy. In the post-Roe generation, it’s important to be mindful of the current climate when it comes to reproductive rights, including the menstrual tracking apps that you use. And, for me, the period-tracking app Aavia has been an essential tool for learning more about my cycle, my reproductive health, and my right to privacy.
In post-Roe America, our period data isn’t safe — it’s getting sold like it’s the latest stock tip. In some states, like Oklahoma and Texas, menstrual data can be used to penalize anyone seeking or considering an abortion. But this isn’t anything new: In 2021, the period-tracking app Flo settled a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission which alleged that the company was selling users’ health data to Meta, Google, and other marketing and analytics firms, allegedly in violation of their privacy policy.
No one should have to choose between tracking and safety, so let’s steer toward a more intelligent, secure future. How about throwing our support behind women-owned brands that prioritize safety and education? Enter Aavia: a buzz-worthy, women-owned period tracking app making waves on TikTok.
I stumbled upon Aavia while browsing my TikTok FYP about two months ago when I saw a video sharing informational facts about hormonal health, like how hormones affect your mood, and resonated with a lot of the symptoms of hormone irregularities. I saw that the studies and stats were sources from a period-tracking app, Aavia, and believe it or not, I had never tracked my period before. I had heard news and discourse around women’s period data being sold and honestly wanted no part of it — I didn’t want to track my period due to no resources seeming safe enough.
Once opening the comments of said TikTok video, I found there was an abundant amount of safety information widely available for Aavia users to read before they even download the app. Once I researched the website and confirmed it was safe, I downloaded the app. I still use Aavia to this day, every day.
Aavia isn’t just changing the game, they’re flipping the script entirely. Founded in 2017 by three women from MIT, Aagya Mathur, Aya Sazuki, and Alexis Wong, Aavia hit the ground running with the idea of revolutionizing cycle tracking, steering it away from a simple app that simply tells you when you are going to bleed. Since then, Aavia has been growing more in popularity, making waves on TikTok with videos with hundreds of thousands of views, and making Forbes 30 Under 30. Additionally, Aavia co-founder Aagya Mathur announced the app’s new feature of reviewing nearby doctors to share anonymously with other Aavia users, as well as formattable Aavia information to show to your doctor.
Here’s the rundown on how Aavia works: Through manually inputting your data, Aavia logs your moods, your sleep, your appetite, your breakouts, your symptoms — you name it. Synced with information about your cycle, the more it learns, the more the app can help you manage hormonal symptoms, and more importantly, feel in control. Feeling like crying for no reason and the thought of food makes you nauseous? Previously, I would have thought it was just a bad day too — but you might just be in your luteal phase.
Aavia not only educates you on how your follicular and luteal phases may affect you, but it also shows you how to tackle them: It shows you workouts, what foods you should be eating, and even gives you a “hormonoscope,” a daily advice column of how your hormones will make you feel today and specific encouragement for it.
Aavia prides itself on giving yourself grace, and not thinking something is wrong with you due to a lack of education on hormonal health. Aavia promotes a way of seeing periods that is intensely powerful. There is a focus in Aavia that treats women with respect. I deserve to know my hormonal cycle, grab it by its horns, and conquer it — and with the help of Aavia, that’s exactly what I’m doing.