Photography by Sarah Wisniewska
How tracking with Clue helped Brianna advocate for a PCOS/PMOS diagnosis
She had no Clue. Until she did.
For years, Brianna experienced irregular periods. Sometimes six months would pass between them. Other times, she would only have one period in an entire year. Initially, she wasn't tracking her cycle and wasn’t sure whether doing so would even be helpful.
But when she wanted to look for answers about what might be causing her irregular periods, tracking became a way to document her experiences and communicate them to her healthcare provider.
Eventually, Brianna was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition now being referred to as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), to better reflect its hormonal and metabolic features and its effects beyond the ovaries.
We spoke to Brianna about her experience seeking a diagnosis and how tracking with Clue helped her better understand her body and communicate more confidently with healthcare providers.
Living with an irregular cycle
Initially, Brianna didn't see much value in tracking her periods, stating, "I would maybe get a period every six months or even longer. Sometimes, it would just be one period a year," she says.
Because her periods were so infrequent, she began to wonder if something was wrong. "At first, I thought, 'Is my body defective? Why am I not getting a period?' And I think a big part of my concern is that we tie periods and menstruation with adulthood—like a coming of age."
Without a regular cycle, she felt slightly disconnected from her body.
"I didn't have that sense of rhythm, so it was actually really nice to start tracking and get in touch with how my body feels."
Treating Clue as a daily journal
Brianna downloaded and started using Clue about five years ago. As a self-described "data nerd," she initially found it "kind of fun to track [my cycle]...it was interesting to see trends and how it develops over months."
But because her periods were so infrequent, she quickly realized that tracking bleeding alone wasn't enough. She began opening Clue "not just on period days but almost every day," treating it like a personal health journal to record her mood, pain, and energy levels, and other day-to-day changes.
Tracking these experiences helped her notice subtle patterns and build a more complete picture of how her body functioned over time.
How data helped Brianna advocate for herself
When Brianna decided to seek answers about her irregular cycles, the information she had recorded in the Clue app became an important tool, especially when she encountered skepticism from healthcare providers.
She sometimes found herself having to defend her own experiences and memories, "I found that when I went to doctors, they would just say, 'Are you sure that was the last time you had your period? I think you probably had bleeding. Maybe you forgot.' I was thinking, there's no way you forget a period."
When healthcare providers questioned her recollection, Brianna was able to refer to the information she had tracked in Clue as concrete proof. It allowed her to show, rather than just tell.
“I decided to start tracking it so I could have data to show," she says. “I was able to show them, 'I have this data, and this is what's going on in my body, and this is how I feel.' "
Getting a PMOS diagnosis
Even with data in hand, getting a PMOS diagnosis wasn't straightforward. "It was maybe two years of bouncing between doctors," Brianna recalls.
Eventually, she found a healthcare provider who listened to her concerns and ordered further testing, including blood work. The results showed elevated testosterone levels, one of the signs that can be associated with PMOS.
Looking back, Brianna believes tracking played an important role in helping her communicate what she was experiencing.
"Tracking absolutely helped me in getting this diagnosis. It was so important to just have the data to show doctors this is what's happening to my body."
To help manage her PMOS symptoms, Brianna was prescribed the birth control pill. Even though she no longer experiences menstrual periods and instead experiences regular withdrawal bleeds while on the pill, she continues to use Clue daily. This allows her to track her body’s response to the medication and monitor her overall health.
"I'm definitely more in tune with my body than I used to be."
Today, Brianna’s relationship with her body is different from what it was before she started tracking. "Tracking my cycle and being more in tune with my cycle has been really important, both professionally and personally.”
She also really values the confidence it helped her gain in speaking up in healthcare settings.
"I definitely feel more empowered to advocate for myself with healthcare providers. I’m learning to approach my doctor and say, 'I understand that this might be what you learned in school, but that's not how my body is reacting.'"
Her advice for anyone in a similar situation who is considering tracking their cycle is,
"I think the most important thing about this whole journey with tracking is not to be afraid of your period. Don’t be afraid of interacting with it, observing it."
How can you track an irregular cycle?
If you're experiencing irregular periods, cycle tracking can help you build a record of your experiences over time. Recording bleeding, symptoms, and day-to-day changes may help you spot patterns and feel more prepared for conversations with healthcare providers.
In the Clue app, you can track:
Bleeding
Skin changes (e.g., acne, dryness, oiliness)
Digestion
Stool
Pain (e.g., cramps, headaches)
Energy
If you receive a formal diagnosis, you can also enter this under the "My Health Record" feature directly within the Clue app. This can help researchers better understand conditions and improve healthcare.
FAQS
1. Can irregular period tracking help with a diagnosis?
While tracking alone cannot diagnose a condition, keeping a record of bleeding patterns, symptoms, mood changes, and pain can provide valuable information for healthcare providers.. This information may help you communicate your experiences more clearly and support discussions about possible causes, next steps, or further evaluation.
2. What should you track if your periods are irregular?
If your bleeding is irregular, it can be helpful to track your bleeding patterns, including when bleeding starts and stops, how heavy it is, and any spotting between periods. You may also want to track symptoms such as pain, mood changes, energy levels, skin changes, sleep, and digestion. Over time, this information may help you identify patterns and provide context when discussing your experiences with a healthcare provider.
