BACKGROUND: Most women within reproductive ages living in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, have limited or no access to education on sexual and reproductive health and contraception, yet about 1.9 billon women in LMICs own a mobile phone. The exposure to digital health services has the potential to contribute to improving awareness, influencing positive perceptions, beliefs and promoting SRH and contraception.AIM: To explore user views and perceptions on the Grace Health’s (a digital health service) ability to improve awareness on sexual reproductive health and contraception among Ghanaian, Nigerian and Kenyan women aged 18-35.METHODOLOGY: A qualitative design using phenomenography to interview women remotely on women’s perception of digital health services through their own experience with using the Grace health chat bot and app. Also, their views were sought on how other women are gaining awareness and impacts on sexual reproductive health and contraception from the digital health services.RESULTS: Seven categories on digital health services emerged, with key findings presented as Safe days, ovulation as contraception, impacts on SRH, Avoiding or seeking pregnancy and influence on perception.CONCLUSION: This qualitative study gives insight for research community, public health professionals, app designers, health care providers, stakeholders and civil society organisations in making decisions regarding the use of digital health service as strategic, innovative instruments for interventions in major key indicators of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights.

OBJECTIVE: After comparing the top 10 menstrual tracking applications, there are no applications that address symptoms specific to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This thesis demonstrates the need for a comprehensive menstrual tracking application that caters toward all populations, including patients with PCOS. METHODS: Mobile application usage was evaluated through data from the Ovulation and Menstruation (OM) Health Study to view relationships between PCOS/demographic groups and preference for tracking methods. The top 10 most popular mobile menstrual tracking applications were compiled through a search on the iOS operating system. Mobile menstrual tracking applications were then evaluated through an adapted APPLICATIONS system, which includes categories to score for PCOS-specific symptoms. RESULTS: PCOS groups showed clear preference for tracking methods overall, and are more likely to view their own health as fair/poor. P values for tests between other demographic variables in the OM Health study were insignificant, but there are observable trends in education, income, and age and usage of tracking methods. Evaluation of the top 10 mobile menstrual applications resulted in Clue scoring the highest, but no applications scored a complete PCOS-specific score. CONCLUSIONS: With continual variance in menstrual cycles, there needs to be development of a mobile menstrual application that is effective for all populations. Mobile menstrual applications have proven their popularity through PCOS groups and the rising usage within younger age groups. However, through the adapted APPLICATIONS system, major features are still missing, and are necessary to cater towards unique groups such as people with menstrual irregularities and PCOS.

Les applications de suivi du cycle menstruel sont aujourd’hui utilisées par des millions de personnes dans le monde. Elles permettent de soutenir et d’aider le suivi des menstruations, de garder des traces des cycles précédents, et de rapporter une variété de symptômes reliés. Les usager·ère·s de ces applications partagent avec les entreprises propriétaires des données sensibles et personnelles sur leur corps et sur leurs ressentis. Cependant, certaines de ces applications partagent ces données avec des tiers. En utilisant ces outils numériques, les usager·ère·s composent donc entre deux éléments en tension : d’un côté, l’utilité de ces applications, et de l’autre, des risques d’atteinte à leur vie privée à travers l’usage de leurs données. Ce mémoire analyse les pratiques et les discours permettant aux usager·ère·s de composer avec cette tension ainsi que les préoccupations qui y sont reliées au prisme des théories féministes sur les données, et sur la surveillance. Pour ce faire, j’ai réalisé plusieurs entrevues semi-dirigées collectives, des focus groups de 2 à 3 participant·e·s, avec des personnes menstruées, qui utilisent une application de suivi menstruel. La recherche fait ressortir que les usager·ère·s ne considèrent pas forcément les données sur les menstruations qu’elles partagent comme des données intimes et personnelles, et que certain·e·s ne savent pas vraiment à quels usages peuvent servir ces données, ce qui soulève des questions quant au consentement éclairé et valide lors de l’usage de ces applications. La plupart des personnes, bien que dérangées par la surveillance de leurs données de suivi menstruel, l’acceptent dans leurs pratiques quotidiennes, au même titre que la surveillance numérique générale. Selon les personnes interrogées, ces applications sont utiles et pratiques au niveau individuel, mais elles peuvent aussi avoir une utilité à un niveau collectif, dans ce qu’elles peuvent accomplir pour la recherche sur les menstruations, la valorisation du ressenti des femmes et de leur bien-être, des éléments que la discussion collective a permis de mettre de l’avant. / Period tracking applications are now used by millions of people around the world. They support and assist in tracking menstrual cycles, keeping track of previous cycles, and reporting a variety of related symptoms. Users of these applications share sensitive and personal data about their bodies and feelings with the companies that own them. However, some of these applications share their users’ data with third parties. By using these digital tools, users need therefore to deal with two elements in tension: on the one hand, the usefulness of these applications, and on the other, the risks of invasion of their privacy through the use of their data. This thesis analyzes the practices and discourses that allow users to deal with this tension and the concerns related to it using the perspective of data feminism theory and feminist surveillance studies. I conducted several semi-structured group interviews, focus groups of 2-3 participants, with menstruating individuals who use a menstrual tracking application. The research highlights that users do not necessarily consider the menstrual data they share as intimate and personal, and that some of them do not really know how these data can be used, which raises questions about informed and valid consent to use these applications. Most people, while bothered by the monitoring of their menstrual data, accept it as part of their daily practices, along with general digital monitoring. According to the interviewees, these applications are useful and practical on an individual level, but they can also be useful on a collective level, in what they can accomplish for research on menstruation, valuing women's feelings and well-being, issues that the collective discussion brought forward.