Vol. 2 | What is Clue? The Origin of Period Tracking Apps and Femtech [Amina's Lens]
Clue
Transforming "Just a Feeling" into Future Choices
Your period, flow, pain, mood, and overall condition.
Recording these small daily changes isn't about managing your body; it's about self-care that leaves future options open for yourself.
You can view the official Clue website, which we are introducing today, from here.
Visit the official Clue website1｜To us, who have left "just a feeling" behind
When did we start dismissing our periods and health as "just a feeling"?
I feel a little heavy.
I'm not in a good mood today.
I'm probably just tired.
In our busy lives, we've unconsciously learned to put off noticing small changes.
2｜Clue, a quiet tool
Clue is a menstrual and health tracking app born in Berlin, Germany.
It allows you to record daily changes such as period dates, flow, pain, mood, and overall condition with very simple operations.
Just pay a little attention to your body. It's a quiet tool for looking back at your own rhythm later.
3｜Before there was a word for it
This app was created by Ida Tin.
She is known for popularizing the term "Femtech" worldwide.
When Clue was born, women's health was not yet considered a subject for investment or technology.
As she traveled the world by bicycle, she felt that "if I knew my period and health, I could plan my trips and work schedules much better."
However, what investors told her was,
"Is there really that much demand?"
This is what she was told.
Female × Technology — Femtech.
This word became the "translation" that conveyed her ideas to the world.
4｜From feeling to record
What Clue changed was not functionality.
It was the distance to one's body.
- It feels different somehow.
- It feels a little different than usual.
- But I can't quite explain it.
It added the option of "recording" to such vague sensations.
Clue does not make medical judgments. However, daily records can serve as material for explaining your condition when needed.
5｜The future doesn't arrive suddenly
Here's a story.
Clue collects data primarily related to periods and health from users worldwide. Of course, with the user's consent.
Through research using this big data, the possibility of finding signs of health changes or reasons to seek medical attention within daily records has become apparent.
It's about being able to pick up on changes that are an extension of everyday life, without missing them.
6｜Prevention was never taught
For women's health, there is often much that can be "prevented" or "noticed earlier."
Yet, many people don't go to a gynecologist until symptoms are clear or until their daily lives are affected.
This is not because we are indifferent.
I believe it's simply because the experiences of noticing, the opportunities to learn, and the supportive environments were mostly never provided.
7｜The day data took me to the hospital
I myself have an unforgettable experience from using Clue.
Some time after childbirth, I experienced continuous irregular bleeding. At first, I thought it would settle down eventually.
But looking back at my records, both the amount and duration of bleeding were clearly different from usual.
Because the data was there, I could determine that "this is unusual."
When I showed the app to the doctor at the hospital and explained, they immediately understood the situation.
8｜Leaving choices for your future self
There are also period tracking apps in Japan.
However, the discussion on how to use "what comes after recording" may not yet be sufficient.
Clue stands between daily life and medical care, quietly offering information that can help you decide if "maybe I should go [to the doctor]."
Nor is it about restricting yourself.
It's about leaving choices for your future self.
There isn't just one right answer.
But just having choices can bring us a little peace of mind.
Next time, another global option
There are many options around the world that haven't fully reached Japan yet.
Fermata will continue to introduce products and services, one by one, that support understanding your body, making your own choices, and connecting with medical care when needed.
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