JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The United States has abysmal reproductive health indices that, in part, reflect stark inequities experienced by people of color and those with preexisting medical conditions. The growth of “femtech,” or technology-based solutions to women’s health issues in the public and private sectors, is promising; yet these solutions are often geared towards health literate, socioeconomically privileged, and relatively healthy white cis-women. In this viewpoint, we propose a set of guiding principles for building technologies that proactively identifies and addresses these critical gaps in health care for people from socially and economically marginalized populations who are capable of pregnancy, as well as those with serious chronic medical conditions. These guiding principles require that such technologies: 1) include community stakeholders in the design, development, and deployment of the technology, 2) are grounded in person-centered frameworks, and 3) address health disparities as a strategy to advance health equity and improve health outcomes.