Navigating Privacy in Intimate Health Technologies: Using the Story Completion Method and a Design Probe Kit to Explore Intimate Data

06/06/2024

Intimate Health Technologies (IHT) are transforming the landscape of personal health by providing innovative solutions in areas such as sexual and reproductive health (SRH), mental well-being, and personal care. These technologies collect and store personal, intimate data, raising concerns about privacy and the consequences of data misuse to vulnerable users. Despite regulations like the GDPR, current privacy practices have shown to be inadequate, relying on the ambiguity in the law, which can introduce different risks to IHT users and others. This thesis investigates user perceptions and management of privacy within IHT, through two user studies that employ creative research methods: story completion and design probes. The studies explore privacy dilemmas, behaviors, and preferences amongst users, and offer user-based design recommendations to enhance the current space of privacy and consent processes. Our findings highlight the importance of user-centric approaches in addressing privacy in intimate health contexts and the need to improve user privacy awareness throughout their technology interactions. We conclude by recommending that future privacy mechanisms be designed and improved through effective Risk Communication, enhancing user understanding of the potential harms and risks associated with the use of IHTs.

Authors in the community:

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  D

  Diana Manuela Padilla Moniz

  ist192449

Supervisors of this institution:

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  T

  Teresa Almeida

  ist429249

electrical-engineering-electronic-engineering-information-engineering - Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering

eng - English

Instituto Superior Técnico