Apple To Revamp Health App, Will Women Be Included This Time?
As Apple rolls out its new software update for iOS 8.2, their Health app is getting a bit of a revamp as well, but some critics are wondering if this new update will continue to exclude women’s health?
One of the key updates for the app will be a fix for the problems they had with the tracking of blood sugar levels. This past October, Apple executives chose to disable a function on its Apple Health app that allowed users to enter and track their blood glucose levels. The problem was that the app was not configured to handle multiple units of measurement so that users in other countries, like Australia where they use a different measurement system for blood sugar levels, would not have accurate data. Worried that this could lead to some health concerns, Apple disabled the feature.
The Apple update will address this issue so that users of Apple Health will once again be able to enter their blood glucose information, using the correct units of measurement. In addition to this fix, the revamped Health app with the iOS 8.2 update will also feature some detailed information about various health terms and definitions.
What is not clear; however, about the iOS 8.2 update for Apple Health is whether or not Apple will address some of the criticism they have received for excluding critical tools for women’s health from the app. Critics have been quick to point out that although Apple promised a Health app that was “comprehensive” it has completely left out any way for women to monitor their own menstrual cycles which can be a key component for women’s health. While many women may track their cycles for issues related to fertility or birth control, this is also an important piece of the puzzle for overall health as well because cycles can be affected by, or be an indication of, a number of things including hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, stress, etc. This lead many women, like Arielle Duhaime-Ross at The Verge to comment on the glaring oversight.
“The company has boasted of its partnership with the Mayo Clinic, for instance — and it still failed to include what is arguably one of the most basic metrics of human existence… So, is it really too much to ask to that Apple treat women, and their health, with as much care as they’ve treated humanity’s sodium intake?”
The Atlantic also noted that the exclusion of women in the tech industry has a lot to do with the male centered apps that developers are creating, including those like Apple Health. And even those apps that are marketed towards women often come from male developers and male perspectives and do not adequately reflect the needs of the women using them. To spite all of this criticism and feedback, there has been no official word on whether or not the iOS 8.2’s revamped Apple Health app will address the concerns of female users or if women’s health will simply be left out again.
[Image: Huffington Post]
