Treffer: Exploration of Reproductive Health Apps' Data Privacy Policies and the Risks Posed to Users: Qualitative Content Analysis.

Title:
Exploration of Reproductive Health Apps' Data Privacy Policies and the Risks Posed to Users: Qualitative Content Analysis.
Authors:
Zadushlivy N; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States., Biviji R; College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States., Williams KS; Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.
Source:
Journal of medical Internet research [J Med Internet Res] 2025 Mar 05; Vol. 27, pp. e51517. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Mar 05.
Publication Type:
Comparative Study; Evaluation Study; Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: JMIR Publications Country of Publication: Canada NLM ID: 100959882 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1438-8871 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14388871 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Med Internet Res Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: <2011- > : Toronto : JMIR Publications
Original Publication: [Pittsburgh, PA? : s.n., 1999-
MeSH Terms:
Mobile Applications*/legislation & jurisprudence , Mobile Applications*/standards , Mobile Applications*/statistics & numerical data , Reproductive Health Services*/legislation & jurisprudence , Reproductive Health Services*/standards , Reproductive Health Services*/statistics & numerical data , Confidentiality*/legislation & jurisprudence , Confidentiality*/standards , Internet*/legislation & jurisprudence , Internet*/standards , Internet*/statistics & numerical data , Computer Security*/legislation & jurisprudence , Computer Security*/standards , Computer Security*/statistics & numerical data , Policy*, Qualitative Research ; European Union ; Government Regulation ; Benchmarking ; User-Computer Interface ; United States ; Europe
References:
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2022 May 6;10(5):e33735. (PMID: 35522465)
Mhealth. 2015 Mar 10;1:1. (PMID: 28293561)
Transl Behav Med. 2021 Mar 16;11(2):504-515. (PMID: 32491165)
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2020 Jan 24;8(1):e15663. (PMID: 32012107)
Glob Health Action. 2020 Dec 31;13(1):1796346. (PMID: 32778000)
BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2021 Apr;47(2):90-101. (PMID: 32253280)
Womens Health (Lond). 2022 Jan-Dec;18:17455057221095246. (PMID: 35465788)
NPJ Digit Med. 2020 May 21;3:74. (PMID: 32509971)
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2015 Mar 11;3(1):e27. (PMID: 25760773)
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2020 Jul 2;8(7):e18868. (PMID: 32459640)
Int J Telemed Appl. 2013;2013:782074. (PMID: 24454354)
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: THESIS; THESIS evaluation; Transparency, Health Content, Excellent Technical Content, Security/Privacy, Usability, Subjective; data privacy policy; mHealth; menstrual health; menstruating persons’ health; mobile health; mobile phone; reproductive health apps; women’s health
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20250307 Date Completed: 20250314 Latest Revision: 20250322
Update Code:
20250324
PubMed Central ID:
PMC11923453
DOI:
10.2196/51517
PMID:
40053713
Database:
MEDLINE

Weitere Informationen

Background: Mobile health apps often require the collection of identifiable information. Subsequently, this places users at significant risk of privacy breaches when the data are misused or not adequately stored and secured. These issues are especially concerning for users of reproductive health apps in the United States as protection of sensitive user information is affected by shifting governmental regulations such as the overruling of Roe v Wade and varying state-level abortion laws. Limited studies have analyzed the data privacy policies of these apps and considered the safety issues associated with a lack of user transparency and protection.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate popular reproductive health apps, assess their individual privacy policies, analyze federal and state data privacy laws governing these apps in the United States and the European Union (EU), and recommend best practices for users and app developers to ensure user data safety.
Methods: In total, 4 popular reproductive health apps-Clue, Flo, Period Tracker by GP Apps, and Stardust-as identified from multiple web sources were selected through convenience sampling. This selection ensured equal representation of apps based in the United States and the EU, facilitating a comparative analysis of data safety practices under differing privacy laws. A qualitative content analysis of the apps and a review of the literature on data use policies, governmental data privacy regulations, and best practices for mobile app data privacy were conducted between January 2023 and July 2023. The apps were downloaded and systematically evaluated using the Transparency, Health Content, Excellent Technical Content, Security/Privacy, Usability, Subjective (THESIS) evaluation tool to assess their privacy and security practices.
Results: The overall privacy and security scores for the EU-based apps, Clue and Flo, were both 3.5 of 5. In contrast, the US-based apps, Period Tracker by GP Apps and Stardust, received scores of 2 and 4.5, respectively. Major concerns regarding privacy and data security primarily involved the apps' use of IP address tracking and the involvement of third parties for advertising and marketing purposes, as well as the potential misuse of data.
Conclusions: Currently, user expectations for data privacy in reproductive health apps are not being met. Despite stricter privacy policies, particularly with state-specific adaptations, apps must be transparent about data storage and third-party sharing even if just for marketing or analytical purposes. Given the sensitivity of reproductive health data and recent state restrictions on abortion, apps should minimize data collection, exceed encryption and anonymization standards, and reduce IP address tracking to better protect users.
(©Nina Zadushlivy, Rizwana Biviji, Karmen S Williams. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 05.03.2025.)