By Salvador Rodriguez
Los Angeles Times
When it comes to getting pregnant, the size of your data does matter.
That’s the premise behind Glow, an app for the iPhone and iPad that couples can use to figure out the best time to try to get pregnant.
The app predicts a woman’s chances of conception on a particular day based on personal survey the user takes each day. Among those behind the free app is PayPal cofounder Max Levchin, who announced the app earlier this year saying he wanted to make a difference in the health industry with the use of data analytics.
According to the company, some of Glow’s cofounders have had fertility challenges of their own or have seen friends struggle with conception. The company wanted to apply big data toward fertility as well as make it easier for couples to have access to fertility treatments.
“Our emerging ability to crunch and analyze vast quantities of data will be specifically used to help get you pregnant,” the app’s website said.
The app will also send women daily recommendations for increasing their chances. And men who download the app can also receive recommendations and alerts on how best to help in the effort.
“Tired? Stressed? Agitated? Tell our app and we’ll make sure that your partner is aware of your needs,” the developer says in the description for the app.
Additionally, users of the app can apply to join Glow First, which is a community fund for infertility treatment that Glow starts every month.
When a couple joins the program, they pay $50 a month for 10 months or until they get pregnant. The money is pooled together into a nonprofit fund that includes money from other couples that joined Glow First in the same month. At the end of the 10-month period, the fund is divided equally among the women who could not get pregnant. The money is sent directly to the fertility clinics of the women’s choice and can be used for fertility treatments.
A new fund is created each month, and to kick-start the program, Levchin donated $1 million of his own money.
“Our hope is if we’re successful, these groups will become bigger over time,” a company spokeswoman told The Times in an email. “Every dollar contributed will be redistributed back to participants toward fertility treatments.”
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