.MATE: A Menstruation Guide
Health education should be accessible and comfortable for everyone. That’s why I created dotMate - a conversational program that provides reliable information about menstrual health while maintaining a friendly, judgment-free environment.
What Makes dotMate Special?
Unlike typical menu-driven applications, dotMate creates natural conversations. Simply ask questions as you would to a friend - “What is a period?” or “Can a woman’s period change?” Don’t worry about perfect typing; the program uses advanced fuzzy string matching (Levenshtein Distance algorithm) to understand your questions even with typos or mistakes.
Source code: dotMate
Key Features
1. Personalized Experience
The program remembers returning users, greeting them by name to create a more personal connection:
2. Smart Question-Answering
dotMate provides clear, accurate information about menstruation:
- Direct matches appear in green for easy reading
- Similar questions are suggested when an exact match isn’t found
- Intelligent typo correction ensures you get the information you need
3. Period Calendar Tool
After extensive research and consultation with women from all walks of life - including mothers, friends, teachers, and healthcare professionals - I developed a comprehensive period tracking tool that:
- Predicts your next period date
- Flags unusual cycle lengths
- Creates a printable calendar for planning
- Includes inspiring quotes (courtesy of my mom’s wisdom!)
How to Use
- Ask questions naturally about menstruation and women’s health
- For period tracking, try phrases like:
- “Hey! I want to calculate my next period?”
- “I am planning a vacation with my wife so…?”
- To exit, simply type “Exit the program! Bye!”
Looking Forward
This project aims to make menstrual health information more accessible and less intimidating. While it currently includes the 50 most common questions about menstruation, there’s always room for growth. I welcome contributions and suggestions for enhancement!
NOTE: Found a bug or have feedback? I’d love to hear from you - please reach out via email!