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Menstruationsspårning för alla: En normkritisk granskning av MSA
Halmstad University, School of Information Technology.
Halmstad University, School of Information Technology.
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

Digital services play an increasing role in personal healthcare and have become a part of society. One of those services is menstruation tracking applications (MSA), which help users monitor their menstrual cycle and better understand their health. MSA was developed within the rise of Femtech, a movement that emerged as a response to the male norm in medical research. The aim was to create more personalized solutions. However, Femtech has faced criticism. This criticism revolves around aspects such as inclusion and the societal norms embedded in perceptions of women. Earlier research shows that MSA is shaped by a normative design that may exclude certain users and reinforce stereotypical gender norms. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the user experience of MSA. This is achieved through a norm-critical design perspective, where underlying norms are analyzed to prevent their reproduction in future MSA. This study is based on a literature review to develop a deeper understanding of the subject, combined with a workshop with four participants and seven interviews. The collected material is analyzed thematically to identify patterns and shortcomings in existing MSA. Finally, three design implications are presented to guide designers in developing more inclusive and user-centered MSA.

Abstract [sv]

Digitala tjänster spelar en allt större roll inom personlig hälsovård och har blivit enintegrerad del av samhället. En digital tjänst inom detta område ärmenstruationsspårningsapplikationer (MSA), som hjälper användare att följa sinmenstruationscykel och förstå sin hälsa. MSA utvecklades inom ramen för femtech, enrörelse som uppstod som en reaktion på den manliga normen inom medicinsk forskning.Syftet var att skapa mer individanpassade lösningar, men trots detta har femtech fåttkritik. Kritiken handlade om aspekter kring inkludering samt samhällets inbyggdanormer om personer som menstruerar. Tidigare forskning visar att MSA formas av ennormativ design som kan exkludera vissa användare och förstärka stereotypakönsnormer. Studiens syfte är att få kunskap om användarupplevelsen av MSA. Dettagenom ett normkritiskt designperspektiv, där underliggande normer analyseras för attundvika att de upprepas i framtida MSA. Studien bygger på en litteraturgenomgång föratt skapa en djupare förståelse för ämnet, kombinerat med en workshop med fyradeltagare och sju intervjuer. Det insamlade materialet analyseras tematiskt för attidentifiera teman och brister i existerande MSA. Slutligen presenteras tredesignimplikationer som kan vägleda designers i utvecklingen av mer inkluderande ochanvändarcentrerade MSA.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025.
Keywords [en]
“Menstrual Cycle”, “Norm Critical Design”, “Menstrual Technology”, “Menstrual tracking applications”
National Category
Information Systems
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-55697OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-55697DiVA, id: diva2:1948331
Subject / course
Informatics
Educational program
Digital Design and Innovation, 180 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-05-20 Created: 2025-03-28 Last updated: 2025-10-01Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
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Output format
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