It’s no secret that the tech industry remains a man’s world. Male-narrated pitches perform better in front of investors than do female-narrated pitches (even if the content is identical), and women in tech are seen as “abrasive, strident, or irrational,” 83 percent more often than are their male counterparts.
While one app can’t solve all these problems all at once, it’s certainly nice to see an app that empowers women, even in a small way. Meet Ruby, the app that TechCrunch explains “is tailored toward women’s general sexual health as opposed to just reproduction — because, well, there’s a lot more to us than our baby ovens.”
Ruby, launched as part of the Glow family on Thursday, is unique in its personalized and distinctly sex-positive approach to women’s health. Sure, it tracks your period and lets you know when you’re ovulating, but it does much more than that, too. By serving as a “holistic, trustworthy source for all things sex and body,” Ruby actually takes all the information you provide it regarding your cycle and other natural habits, and aggregates it to provide you with applicable, practical advice. For example, when should you start anticipating your headaches and cramps? And on the other hand, when is your pain tolerance highest?
More important still, Ruby acts as both a public forum, where real women can trade secrets and share answers, as well as an educational platform that seeks to keep ladies informed about exactly what’s going on in their bodies, allowing them to exercise greater agency. Thanks to a community site, app users can explore topics from “Period Talk” to “Love & Sex,” and can also find “fact-backed literature on a range of topics, and a definitive guide to what you need to know about every form of birth control.”
Like many of its sister applications, the more you use Ruby, the more information it’ll be able to provide you in return, with the result that you are actively rewarded for keeping track of your sexual health. And in a society where such talk is still somewhat taboo, it’s great to have an app for that.
