The Tidepool Period Project "Why"

In response to our recent announcement of financial support for the Tidepool Period Project from AWS, we want to expand a bit on the Tidepool Period Project. We hope you’ll join us in imagining the possibility of what we can accomplish through it.

Much of the work we are looking to do is foundational. Being able to support the collection of menstrual cycle data along with your diabetes device data seems like something that should have been done a long time ago. In reality, access to datasets of this nature is both novel, and unfortunately a glaring blank spot that exists in a data-saturated space. With this data in hand, the impact—for us, for you, for diabetes software, for providers, and for the medtech industry at large—is a massive opportunity. Imagine for just a moment the ripple effect this can have.

The Tidepool Period Project can serve as a catalyst for a positive ripple effect on the diabetes industry at large, from patients to clinicians to the broader health technology landscape.

“Puberty is what led me down the rabbit hole of over a decade with diabulimia, so knowing that we are doing work to help ease the burden of a huge aspect of living with diabetes for millions of people, including my two young daughters with type 1 diabetes, is invaluable.” - Saira Khan-Gallo, Development Associate

For many of you, it can offer an opportunity to gain insights into the challenges you face managing your blood glucose as hormone levels change throughout your menstrual cycle. There was a time when seeing CGM data aligned with insulin data was revolutionary and revelatory. We’ve already begun to see countless “ah ha!” moments in our pilot project driven by the addition of another layer of information to the equation.

“Prior to coming to Tidepool, I’ve worked as a diabetes educator for most of my nursing career and taken care of people as fresh as under two-years-old to as experienced as 94-years-old. Menstruation has not often been the topic of our visits, unless it is. And when it is, it’s a complicated conversation fueled by the lack of research, my professional experience, and most importantly the data given to me by the patient. That patient data is the most valuable tool I have as an educator in helping people figure out their needs while navigating diabetes and menstruation” -Abby Bayer-Pratt, Technical Support Agent

For your providers, it can offer an opportunity to address conversations about diabetes management as it relates to your menstrual cycle with greater regularity and confidence. Rather than relying on intuition, anecdotes, or general approaches, hard data will inform discussions, as it should be. Treatment decisions can be made with confidence because our providers will have the ability to rely on retrospective data from patients.

“This work could mean baseline expectations in diabetes management will no longer be rooted in the experiences of a typical cisgender male person with diabetes, as it has been for far too long. This is an incredible opportunity for us to make an impact far beyond anything we could have predicted when Tidepool first formed as a nonprofit organization over 8 years ago.” -Christopher Snider, Community and Clinic Success Manager

For the industry at large, we imagine Tidepool serving as a starting point for anyone looking to analyze hundreds or thousands of donated datasets featuring diabetes and menstrual cycle data together. A new understanding can be uncovered around the relationship between hormone fluctuation and glycemic variability. This data—your data—could help fuel new automated insulin dosing algorithms, new product features, and new standards of care for people with diabetes who menstruate.

“The Tidepool Period Project will advance the conversation about access to the diabetes community. Bringing a new layer of information, insights, and opportunity for improved treatment can reframe what we can do to support the well-being of people with diabetes who menstruate.” -Melissa Maniscalco, VP of Marketing

We sincerely believe the Tidepool Period Project will have a tremendous impact. For people with diabetes, for health research, for femtech, for all of it—right here, right now, we’re experiencing a pivotal moment in health technology. People with diabetes who menstruate have waited far too long to be seen, heard, and considered in the diabetes research and technology space. We hope you’ll join us for the journey as we strive to Redefine Diabetes for people with diabetes who menstruate.

For us, this work is just getting started, and with your continued support with a recurring donation, you can help Tidepool continue to address unmet needs in the diabetes community through efforts like the Tidepool Period Project.

Please visit tidepool.org/donate to make your donation today.