"It is not our job to educate you": Exploring Perceptions of AI-Integrated Menstrual Tracking Apps Through Speculative Reflection

• doi:10.1145/3772363.3798676

Medical misogyny contributes to dismissal and normalization of pain in menstrual healthcare, often leaving AFAB (assigned female at birth) people with undiagnosed conditions for months or years. Meanwhile, menstrual tracking apps (MTAs) are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to identify patterns that may evidence menstrual conditions in clinical settings. However, limited research explores whether AI-integrated MTAs challenge or reinforce medical biases. In this study, we worked with seven AFAB people aged from 24 to 39 years old in a speculative reflective writing process to explore AI-integrated MTAs through a feminist HCI lens. Thematic analysis was used to analyze reflections, and four themes were identified 1) compulsory AI-generated evidence; 2) quantifying menstrual experiences; 3) reinforcing reproductive labor; 4) a sociotechnical hierarchy of trust. Our findings show that AI-integrated MTAs could marginalize users with menstrual conditions, and frameworks are needed to evaluate how apps might perpetuate or challenge biases in menstrual healthcare.

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