THE ROLE OF WEARABLE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MONITORING: A REVIEW OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5460Keywords:
Wearable Digital Technologies, Reproductive Health, Fertility Tracking, Menstrual Cycle, Ovulation Prediction, Digital HealthAbstract
Wearable digital technologies are increasingly being used for reproductive health monitoring and may offer an alternative to traditional fertility awareness methods. This review aimed to evaluate the clinical utility, accuracy, and limitations of wearable devices for menstrual cycle tracking and fertile window detection.
A structured review of recent literature was conducted, focusing on studies assessing wearable digital technologies that measure physiological parameters such as body temperature, heart rate, and other related signals across the menstrual cycle. Particular attention was given to their ability to detect ovulation and predict the fertile window compared with established methods.
The findings indicate that wearable digital technologies can reliably capture cyclical physiological changes associated with menstrual phases. Continuous monitoring, particularly of temperature and cardiovascular parameters, appears to improve sensitivity compared with single-point measurements. Multimodal approaches that combine several physiological signals further enhance predictive performance. Wearable digital technologies generally outperform calendar-based methods and show comparable accuracy to some hormone-based approaches. However, most devices identify a narrower fertile window than the biologically defined period, which may limit their effectiveness for both conception planning and contraception.
Despite their promise, significant limitations remain, including variability in study design, lack of standardized validation methods, and reduced accuracy in individuals with irregular cycles. User adherence and external factors may also affect data quality and interpretation.
In conclusion, wearable digital technologies represent a promising tool for personalized reproductive health monitoring, but further high-quality studies and technological refinement are required before they can be fully integrated into clinical practice.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Laura Szalewska, Amin Abdulgater, Magdalena Kossman, Jędrzej Łysiak, Paulina Osuch-Tomaszewska, Wiktoria Urowska, Izabela Kazubek-Fuksiewicz, Julia Burtowicz
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