Guest post by Jennifer Aldoretta, CEO of Groove – a period and fertility tracker. Learn all about her latest effort, the #KnowYou campaign!
I remember like it was yesterday the day I finally got to know myself…I mean REALLY know myself. It was almost three years ago, now. I was sitting alone at home, got my computer out, opened my internet browser, and did a google search for a topic I never thought I would: periods.
Even though my teenage self wouldn’t have been caught dead researching such things, that’s the time in my life when I really could have used it. My very first period started a series of events that would eventually change the course of my life. The vomit-inducing pain I experienced with every single period led me to the pill, which I took for nearly a decade.
In my 20s, the sudden onset of shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and intense anxiety ended in the difficult realization that the pill just wasn’t the magic cure-all I once thought. I knew I needed a change.
Thanks to the internet, I was led down the rabbit hole of vulvas, vaginas, menstruation, and sex hormones. I came across all sorts of ah-mazing info about my body that I should have been taught in grade school—many are things Nicole regularly discusses here.
I learned that my reproductive system gives me incredible, valuable data every single day that I can use to my advantage—not only to figure out the root cause of my menstrual issues, but also to help me avoid pregnancy with the same effectiveness as the pill, predict exactly when my next period will start (yes, you read that right!), keep my reproductive system in good health, and have an easier time getting pregnant when and if I decide I want to.
This internet rabbit hole completely changed my life, and I knew from that moment I was meant to spread this information in hopes of empowering other women. My engineering job became a thing of the past, and my women’s reproductive health company, Groove, was born.
In my quest to help destigmatize periods, I’ve been known to strike up conversations with strangers about typically taboo topics. I’m passionate about helping women just like you learn about your unique body—not the “average” body, which is so often the case—so you can be the very best you possible. Groove has been a super fulfilling outlet for my passion to educate women and has allowed me to explore new and exciting ways to spread this vital info.
In our latest effort—what we’re calling our #KnowYou campaign—we somehow managed to find a bunch of women who agreed to come talk to us about their periods…while we filmed them. Totally not awkward at all! It was a totally amazing and eye-opening experience.
Even though our (filmed) conversations were brief, they demonstrated just how little most of us gals know about how our bodies work. And by the end, many of the women told us they already felt more empowered. Watch the video here.
Learning about my body completely changed my life. I’m more confident and more comfortable in my own skin than I’ve ever been, and I want to help other women experience that same feeling.
Let me know in the comments, how has learning about your body empowered you? How well do you #KnowYou?
Jennifer Aldoretta How well do you #KnowYou?is the “Co-Groover” and CEO of Groove. Makers of the Groove – Period & Fertility Tracker, Groove helps women learn about and manage reproductive health and fertility. Jennifer is an engineer-turned-entrepreneur who is passionate about the intersection of technology and women’s health, and is devoted to empowering women through education.
