My body is mine: menstrual apps and the sociotechnical normalization of gender

Abstract

The use of mobile applications to track menstrual cycles is becoming more widespread. The proliferation of applications raises concerns about the normalization of the binary construction of gender identities by means of technological innovation and its impact on human rights. Some of these issues include an opaque treatment of users’ personal data, the reproduction of gender stereotypes in design, and algorithmic biases. This study adopts a qualitative approach to examine those implications in the lives of menstruating people in Mexico City. The qualitative study included 32 in-depth interviews with young adult users aged 18 to 25 to learn about their experiences with various menstrual tracking apps. The analysis revealed that users were dissatisfied with the gender bias in the design, with the inadequate treatment of personal data by the apps, regarded as an invasion of privacy, and with app performance, which contributes to standardizing experiences and normalizing binary conceptions of gender by techno-social means. This study suggests that the design of period tracking apps should consider the experiences and needs of menstruating persons in their diversity, based on a non-binary definition of gender. Fair design should begin by engaging with menstruating people in order to improve their experience and quality of life, with their rights at the forefront.