Women's health app Flo launches feature for partners

Period and cycle tracking app Flo is unveiling a much-anticipated feature: Flo for Partners.

The new tool will allow partners insight into their significant other's cycle and menstrual and reproductive health. The update will include push notifications, educational tips about periods and pregnancy, explanations of symptoms, advice on how to support partners, and quizzes.

Notably, the push notifications will allow partners to be aware of when a cycle is coming and how to best support the person experiencing a period. Flo for Partners will then provide information about the science of a cycle and decode the various symptoms associated with menstruation.

Credit: Flo.

In its research, the app found that 60 percent of women feel their partners have limited understanding about menstrual and reproductive health. Flo's survey of 1,800 men between ages of 18 and 50 in the UK attested to this. Over half of respondents were not aware of the average length of a cycle (58.1 percent). Again, over half were not aware of how a period can affect mental health (52.8 percent).

Credit: Flo.

A partner-focused feature was the most-requested update from users of the app, says Cath Everett, Flo's VP of Product and Content.

"Women are tired of carrying the mental load, and men are tired of being left in the dark when it comes to their partner’s health journey," says Everett, adding that the feature aims to help partners in whatever way they can: "whether a couple aims to spice up their love life, nail down the perfect time to conceive, or conquer pregnancy and parenthood together."

To use the feature, those with periods who use the app can share a unique code with their partner, who then install Flo and can input the code to gain access. Should someone want to remove a partner from accessing this information, for any reason, they will be able to do so. The main user can go to the Partner tab on the app and tap "Stop sharing".

The feature is now available on both iOS and Android platforms, through the Flo app. Flo for Partners will be available as part of the Premium subscription of the app, priced at £29.99 per year.

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