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Whether you use a watch to monitor your heart rate or a period tracker app to follow your cycle, digital technology can be a great way to stay on top of your health. Planned Parenthood's Spot On period and birth control tracking app and other health tracking products can help you identify patterns and notice when something isn’t quite right. And these tracking devices mean you’ll have concrete data to give your nurse or doctor — for example, when you use Spot On, you'll never again be stumped when your nurse or doctor asks you for the first date of your last period. 

But how can you make sure your health data isn’t being shared elsewhere? If you live in a state where abortion is banned, you might be worried that anti-choice groups will be able to use your period tracking data to determine whether you’ve been pregnant and report you. 

At Planned Parenthood, patient privacy and security is our top priority. Planned Parenthood doesn’t sell user data of any type for any of our digital tools, including for Spot On. You — and only you — should be in control of when and how your health information is shared. 

But what about the other digital tools you’re using? How do you protect yourself? Here are four questions  to think about:

1: How does the health tracking device make money? 

If the product you’re using is "free," where does revenue come from? Think about it: Businesses need to make money. When companies manage your data, that means they can probably sell it. So when you’re considering downloading something that’s free, type the company name and the phrase “revenue sources” into Google and you’ll get your answer.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a nonprofit organization, which means Spot On is free, doesn’t have annoying ads, and your data will never be for sale.

2: What kinds of data does the product collect?

Maybe you want a period tracker so you can gauge your fertility or get a heads up on PMS symptoms. But what kind of data is the device storing for you? The Apps on Apple and Google are obligated to tell you what data they collect and how they’re using it. You can find this information in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store — it’s featured  in the app store listing page. 

If you’re like most of us, you probably ignore that notification telling you that an app has updated its privacy policy. But  take a few minutes to actually read those updates, or to go into the app and find the policy. Look for information on what personal data they collect, and whether or how they share it.

3: Should I connect my app to other apps? 

When you download or open a new app for the first time, sometimes you’ll get asked if you want to create a unique login or if you want to log in through a different app you already have, like Facebook. Sometimes it will want to access your calendar or, if you’re buying the app, your credit card information. This is often optional. Before connecting the new app to an app you already have on your device or to pay with your stored credit card, ask yourself if you’re OK with your new app:

  • Accessing your social media accounts
  • Linking to your Google account
  • Accessing your calendar
  • Tracking your location
  • Seeing your credit card or bank account information
  • Knowing your name and birthday

4: What are the pros and cons of making an account?

A lot of apps will let you stay anonymous without adding an email address (ahem, like the Planned Parenthood Spot On period and birth control tracking app). This can be an easy way to make sure that your data is only saved on your device — not on a server somewhere — and will be deleted if you delete the app. 

If you’re worried about your data privacy with any apps you currently have, the good news is that most apps will allow you to delete your account in a few quick steps, and your data goes away with it. 

Know that sharing your data doesn’t have to be all bad. The upside is, personal info can make your app more usable, functionable, and personalized for you — which can lead to a healthier life. Remember, you own your data, and it’s yours to control. And only you can know whether you're comfortable sharing your personal data with others.

Tags: Health Care, privacy, data

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