Femtech in context: A critical conceptual (re)view.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Gender Studies
• Science and Technology Studies

Background:

• Femtech emerged in 2016, offering digital health solutions for women's needs like menstruation, fertility, and menopause.
• The term 'femtech' has gained cultural significance but lacks clarity across disciplines regarding its scope and assumptions.
• Existing scholarship has not fully addressed how different fields challenge femtech's core concepts of 'fem' and 'tech'.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review and analyze diverse disciplinary perspectives on femtech.
• To address the research gap concerning the assumptions about sex, gender, health, technology, and innovation within femtech.
• To provide new entry points for critical debates surrounding femtech's definition and impact.

Main Methods:

• A critical conceptual review was conducted.
• The study novelly adapted 'diffractive reading' as a methodological approach.
• Interdisciplinary perspectives from anthropology, computer science, cultural studies, gender studies, information studies, law, media studies, medicine, and science and technology studies were synthesized.

Main Results:

• The review highlights critiques that challenge dominant ideologies, discourses, and practices shaping femtech.
• Insights reveal tensions in understanding who femtech is for ('fem') and what it constitutes ('tech').
• Disciplinary conversations trouble the assumed boundaries and universal applicability of femtech.

Conclusions:

• Femtech's role in shaping global dynamics of reproductive, labor, and environmental justice requires ongoing examination.
• Neoliberal approaches to healthcare are significantly influenced by femtech's development and discourse.
• A critical, interdisciplinary lens is essential for understanding femtech's broader societal implications and ethical considerations.