Frequency and experience in the use of menstrual cycle monitoring applications by Brazilian women.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate frequency and experience in the use of menstrual cycle monitoring applications (apps) by Brazilian women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed through an online survey, announced in social media women's groups, among menstruating Brazilian women aged ≥18 years. The instrument collected sociodemographic, sexual, menstrual and technology usage data of all the women who agreed to participate. RESULTS: Of the 1160 participants, 71.2% used a menstrual cycle monitoring app. The principal motivation for using menstrual cycle apps was to track the menstrual cycle (94.3%), followed by pregnancy avoidance (49.5%). Users rated the apps with a mean 4.4 (standard deviation 0.65) stars out of five. There was a greater likelihood of using an app among women who used behavioural contraceptive methods (odds ratio [OR] 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2, 2.7; p = 0.01), barrier methods (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1, 2.5; p = 0.02) and copper- or silver/copper-bearing intrauterine devices (IUDs) (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1, 3.5; p = 0.04) and a lower likelihood among women who used hormonal contraception (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.3, 0.8; p = 0.00) and permanent contraception (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.0, 0.4; p = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The use of menstrual cycle monitoring apps was quite widespread in the studied group. Satisfaction with app use was considered adequate. The use of menstrual cycle apps was associated with the use of behavioural contraceptive and barrier methods as well as IUDs.

The tadpole of Scinax melanodactylus (Lourenço, Luna & Pombal Jr, 2014) (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae).

Scinax melanodactylus is a small treefrog distributed within the Tropical Atlantic morphoclimatic domain (see Ab'Sáber 1977 for South American morphoclimatic domains), from northern Espírito Santo state to Sergipe state in Brazil (Lourenço et al. 2014). The species is usually found inhabiting herbaceous and shrubby xerophytic vegetation (e.g. terrestrial tank-bromeliads) from sandy plains of beach ridges known in Brazil as Restingas (see Rocha et al. 2007 for a Restinga definition), and also the edge of forest areas with temporary ponds and/or permanent lakes and streams near these environments (Bastazini et al. 2007, as Scinax agilis; Lourenço et al. 2014). Scinax melanodactylus is currently placed in the S. catharinae species group (Lourenço et al. 2014), which in turn is included in the S. catharinae clade (sensu Faivovich et al. 2005). The S. catharinae clade is currently comprised of 46 species, 33 placed in the catharinae group and 13 in the perpusillus group (Faivovich et al. 2010, Silva & Alves-da-Silva 2011, Lourenço et al. 2014, Frost 2015). From these, 32 species have tadpoles with external morphology and oral disc formerly described. Here, we describe the external morphology, oral disc and color patterns of the previously unknown tadpole of S. melanodactylus.