Sarah Richardson Featured in the FAS Current Scrutinizing Menstrual Tracking Apps

Sarah S. Richardson, Aramont Professor of the History of Science and Professor of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, is featured in the FAS Current article "Alarm over menstrual tracking apps" to highlight her analysis of the popularity of "femtech" apps in the BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal). In collaboration with the GenderSci Lab—for which she serves as its director—Professor Richardson warns against the growing use of menstrual tracking apps, contributed by social media, wellness discourse, and sports. The article discusses how "the apps can dangerously mislead women while also exposing them to commercial exploitation and legal concerns." Professor Richardson sees the menstrual tracking apps as being "marketed as wellness and medical tools, but there are no protections on the data. Data is often sold, raising concerns for reproductive autonomy and privacy."

Photo by Dylan Goodman/Harvard University