Mapping ethical concerns in algorithm-driven period and fertility tracking technologies.

Abstract

Objective: The proliferation of algorithms in period and fertility tracking technologies has increased reliance on data and analytics to interpret menstrual cycle symptoms and guide health and fertility-related action. We set out to map the ethical concerns of the (often invisible) algorithmic influence on users' experience of, and behavior related to their menstrual cycle and fertility.

Study design: Reviewing literature and media, we map six ethical concerns of algorithms in period and fertility tracking technologies - inconclusive evidence, inscrutable evidence, misguided evidence, unfair outcomes, transformative effects, traceability - and highlight their potential implications, particularly for vulnerable groups.

Results: Based on this mapping, we identify three overarching themes for further analysis: self-knowledge, power and control, representation and inclusion. We find that organizational activity, individual user activity and societal dynamics interact with each other and influence how we can prevent and address the mapped ethical concerns of algorithms.

Conclusion: Algorithm-driven period and fertility tracking technologies carry more (and more nuanced) ethical concerns than those currently discussed in the literature and in media. We call for future research to integrate the ethics of (AI) algorithms into the field of sexual and reproductive health, recognizing the complex connections between individual, organizational, and societal levels.

Implications: When taking the mapped ethical concerns seriously, we see a potential for algorithm-driven period and fertility tracking technologies to empower - and not discriminate - its users; for users to learn about their bodies and use the technologies responsibly; and for society to actively scrutinize its biases and achieve health equity.