Cycle Tracking has become a trend on social media among the wellness community. Online influencers create content centered on syncing one’s nutrition and workout routines with different phases of the menstrual cycle.
These influencers often spread debunked claims that women should practice lighter exercises, such as pilates, during the luteal phase and heavier exercises, such as strength training, during ovulation. As a result, women seeking guidance from other women begin to view their periods as something that controls them, thus altering their lifestyle around it.
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One particularly concerning app is “28,” which is funded by Peter Thiel. This app claims to offer cycle-based nutrition and workout plans for women who are weaning off birth control, with the core premise that women’s cycles can function as a natural contraceptive if tracked correctly.
Given Thiel’s history of data collection, it is concerning that he is funding an app that tracks women’s menstrual cycles. This concern is heightened in states with strict abortion laws.
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This menstrual data could potentially be weaponized against women who were persuaded to stop using birth control if they later choose to seek an abortion.
