privacy-in-practice
PMDD Data Privacy Checklist
A PMDD tracker privacy checklist for mood logs, safety notes, medication notes, app exports, and clinician summaries.
PMDD tracking can be useful and very private at the same time.
One month of notes may show mood, anxiety, anger, sex, sleep, medicine use, conflict, self harm risk, and period timing. Before you put all of that in one app, decide what belongs where.
This checklist is not legal advice. It is a privacy planning tool.
1. Split your notes by sensitivity
Start with a simple sort.
Data type Low, medium, or high sensitivity? Where I will keep it Period start dates Daily mood scores Anxiety or anger scores Function notes Sleep notes Medicine notes Therapy notes Alcohol or substance notes Sex or partner notes Conflict notes Self harm or unsafe thoughts Crisis contacts Clinician summary
You can track timing in one place and keep the most private details somewhere else.
2. Decide what each storage place is for
Storage place Good use Be careful with Paper Full private notes, safety plan, raw feelings It can be found, lost, or photographed Local file Private summaries, printable logs It may sync if cloud settings are on Period app Dates, scores, short symptom notes Full crisis notes, conflict, sex, private names Clinician portal Visit summaries, care questions Long raw diaries unless asked Shared document Support plan with trusted people Access can linger after relationships change
If you use Floriva, consider tracking dates and scores there. Keep the full safety plan in a place you trust.
3. Keep the app version short
A short note can still be useful.
Instead of storing Store this if it is enough A long fight recap "Conflict at home. Mood 4/4." A self harm detail "Safety concern. Used plan." A full therapy note "Therapy today. Topic: PMDD plan." A medication story Medicine name, dose change, date, side effect A sex or partner note "Relationship stress" if detail is not needed
Do not hide urgent safety concerns from care. The point is to choose safer storage, not to keep yourself alone with risk.
4. Make a clinician summary
A clinician may not need your full app export. Start with a summary.
text PMDD tracking summary
Time range:
Period start dates:
Symptom window:
Worst symptom days:
Function impact:
Safety concerns:
Medications or treatment changes:
What I want help with:
Use the PMDD two cycle symptom tracker or PMDD DRSP daily log to build the summary.
5. Check before you export
Before you export, screenshot, or email PMDD data, ask:
Who will receive it? Why do they need it? Is a one page summary enough? Does it include sex, partner, or conflict notes? Does it include self harm details? Does it include medicine or substance notes? Will it become part of a medical record? Can I remove private notes first? Will a copy stay in email, cloud storage, or a portal?
If the answer is unclear, pause and ask.
6. Know when privacy is not the first task
If there is immediate danger to you or someone else, use emergency services now.
If you are in suicidal, mental health, or substance use crisis and not in immediate physical danger, contact 988 or a local crisis line.
If danger is immediate, get help first. You can handle privacy later.
Use the PMDD safety plan template before your high risk days if you can.
7. Review app risk
The FTC says health apps and similar tools can fall under its health breach rule when HIPAA does not cover them. That does not make every app private. It means consumer health app data can still carry real privacy stakes.
Check:
Does the app require an account? Does it store data on company servers? Does it sync to cloud backups? Does it allow export? Does it share data with analytics or ads? Does it collect location, contacts, or device IDs? Can you delete your account and data? Does deletion cover backups?
For a fuller app check, use how to audit your phone period data.
8. Use a two layer system
This is a simple default.
Layer What goes there App or calendar Period dates, daily scores, short symptom labels Private file or paper Safety plan, crisis details, names, conflict, full notes Clinician summary Pattern, dates, scores, function impact, questions
This keeps the pattern visible without putting every private detail in one place.
For broader choices, read the period tracker data minimization guide.