This genius app lets you know when you should change your tampon *praise hands*
No matter how many terrifying Toxic Shock Syndrome stories we read, every once in a while we all screw up and accidentally leave a tampon in too long — we’re human after all. But according to Gizmodo, one tech start up is trying to change that by introducing a sort of “smart tampon” that connects to your phone and tells you when it’s time to evict that sucker.
The app, called My Flow, utilizes Bluetooth technology to communicate your tampon’s fullness level with your phone.
So, how does it work? According to My Flow’s recently released informational video, you insert a tampon as normal, and then attach the string to a monitor, which clips onto your waistband.
We’ll hold up here for a second: What’s a bit unclear is if you need to use a special tampon — after all, it would appear you’d need a MEGA-long tampon string to go all the way outside your underwear and onto your waist. But, this detail aside, what comes next seems pretty revolutionary: The monitor hooks up with an app on your phone to show you just how saturated your tampon is.
You can also customize alerts so the app dings you at specific saturation points to check your tampon.
So, how much will this cost? From Gizmodo:
While experienced menstruators might find this technology more annoying than useful, for the millions and millions of young girls who start their periods for the first time every year, My Flow could be incredibly handy (and also panty-saving).
My Flow is currently still seeking funding, but once this technology is a reality, we’d definitely consider checking it out.