September, 12 2017, 04:00pm EDT
Planned Parenthood's Spot On App Wins 2017 Fast Company Innovation by Design Award
Fast Company announced yesterday that Planned Parenthood Federation of America's free period and birth control tracker Spot On is a winner in the Apps category in Fast Company's 2017
NEW YORK
Fast Company announced yesterday that Planned Parenthood Federation of America's free period and birth control tracker Spot On is a winner in the Apps category in Fast Company's 2017 Innovation by Design Awards. The app empowers users to track and predict their periods, understand their menstrual cycle, and manage their birth control while providing expert guidance, tips, and fun facts. Since its launch last year, Spot On has been downloaded over 1.1 million times, with users in 160 countries and in every state in the U.S.
The Innovation by Design Awards program, now in its sixth year, honors the most innovative and disruptive design solutions created to resolve today's most challenging business issues. Finalists were selected from a record number of more than 2,500 international submissions across 13 categories,ultimately recognizing 299 entrants -- the most winners, finalists, and honorable mentions in the history of the awards. Honorees include household names like Coca-Cola and Sony, design firms R/GA and IDEO, and emerging companies like Willow and Away. This year's judging panel, comprised of the world's best design minds, included actor and furniture designer Terry Crews, Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler, and Roman Mars, founder of 99% Invisible.
"We're so honored that Spot On was recognized with this prestigious Fast Company Innovation by Design Award, and we're so thankful to the countless users who have helped us by offering their feedback at every step, from concept to design to launch," said Jenny Friedler, senior director, Digital Product Lab at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Spot On allows people all over the world to have personalized information and access to the experts at Planned Parenthood at their fingertips, wherever they are. Planned Parenthood is continually looking for innovative approaches to get people the information and care they need to stay healthy and reach their life goals, whether that's on their phones or in a health center. We're here when you need us -- no matter what."
Spot On users can track any form of birth control that affects their cycles, including the pill, patch, ring, shot, implant, and IUD. The app is free, easy to use, and helpful for anyone who wants to understand their menstrual cycle, whether they're on birth control or not. At Planned Parenthood, we know that not everyone who uses birth control does so to prevent pregnancy, so Spot On lets users tailor the experience to their personal, unique needs. And unlike other period trackers, Spot On is for any person who gets a period, and doesn't make assumptions about gender or sexual orientation. You won't find every shade of pink or lots of flowers and butterflies in Spot On -- although you may find a dinosaur.
Spot On was featured as one of Apple's "New Apps We Love" in the App Store and was recently selected as a Gold Honoree for Best Mobile App in the ninth annual Shorty Awards. You can download it for iPhone or Android here.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is many things to many people. We are a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital health care services, sex education, and sexual health information to millions of women, men, and young people.
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Despite 100% Pentagon Audit Failure Rate, House Passes $883.7 Billion NDAA
"Instead of fighting the rising cost of healthcare, gas, or groceries, this Congress prioritized rewarding the wealthy and well-connected military-industrial complex," said Defense Spending Reduction Caucus co-chairs.
Dec 11, 2024
Despite the Pentagon's repeated failures to pass audits and various alarming policies, 81 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with 200 Republicans on Wednesday to advance a $883.7 billion annual defense package.
The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, unveiled by congressional negotiators this past Saturday, still needs approval from the Senate, which is expected to vote next week. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday that he plans to vote no and spoke out against the military-industrial complex.
The push to pass the NDAA comes as this congressional session winds down and after the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced last month that it had failed yet another audit—which several lawmakers highlighted after the Wednesday vote.
Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairs and co-founders of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, said in a joint statement, "Time and time again, Congress seems to be able to find the funds necessary to line the pockets of defense contractors while neglecting the problems everyday Americans face here at home."
"Instead of fighting the rising cost of healthcare, gas, or groceries, this Congress prioritized rewarding the wealthy and well-connected military-industrial complex with even more unaccountable funds," they continued. "After a seventh failed audit in a row, it's disappointing that our amendment to hold the Pentagon accountable by penalizing the DOD's budget by 0.5% for each failed audit was stripped out of the final bill. It's time Congress demanded accountability from the Pentagon."
"While we're glad many of the poison pill riders that were included in the House-passed version were ultimately removed from the final bill, the bill does include a ban on access to medically necessary healthcare for transgender children of service members, which will force service members to choose between serving their country and getting their children the care they need," the pair noted. "The final bill also failed to expand coverage for fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), for service members regardless of whether their infertility is service-connected."
Several of the 124 House Democrats who voted against the NDAA cited those "culture war" policies, in addition to concerns about how the Pentagon spends massive amounts of money that could go toward improving lives across the country.
"Once again, Congress has passed a massive military authorization bill that prioritizes endless military spending over the critical needs of American families. This year's NDAA designates $900 billion for military spending," said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), noting the audit failures. "While I recognize the long-overdue 14.5% raise for our lowest-ranking enlisted personnel is important, this bill remains flawed. The bloated military budget continues to take away crucial funding from programs that could help millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet."
Taking aim at the GOP's push to deny gender-affirming care through TRICARE, the congresswoman said that "I cannot support a bill that continues unnecessary military spending while also attacking the rights and healthcare of transgender youth, and for that reason, I voted NO."
As Omar, a leading critic of the U.S.-backed Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, also pointed out: "The NDAA includes a provision that blocks the Pentagon from using data on casualties and deaths from the Gaza Ministry of Health or any sources relying on those statistics. This is an alarming erasure of the suffering of the Palestinian people, ignoring the human toll of ongoing violence."
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Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), who voted against the NDAA, directed attention to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), set to be run by billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
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Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who also opposed the NDAA, wrote in a Tuesday opinion piece for MSNBC that he looks forward to working with DOGE "to reduce waste and fraud at the Pentagon, while strongly opposing any cuts to programs likeSocial Security, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau."
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