Fertility apps, datafication and knowledge production in reproductive health

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Digital Health Technologies
• Sociology of Knowledge

Background:

• Commercial digital technologies, particularly fertility applications (apps), are widespread in reproductive health.
• Previous research highlighted app design and surveillance concerns.
• The impact of datafied knowledge availability from these apps remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the proliferation of fertility apps influences knowledge and practices in reproductive health.
• To analyze the role of fertility apps as mediators of data and knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of key document sources.
• Application of critical data studies perspectives.

Main Results:

• Fertility apps facilitate the datafication of fertility awareness knowledge, creating new data-driven insights.
• These apps contribute to legitimation discourses and practices in reproductive health.
• They are remaking networks for private and public expertise and knowledge production.

Conclusions:

• Fertility apps significantly shape reproductive health knowledge and practices through data mediation.
• Understanding these apps requires a critical data studies approach.
• The study emphasizes the transformative effects of datafied knowledge in reproductive health.