By Callum 
Digital tools have become a big part of how we manage our health. Consider the apps that track your fitness or menstrual cycles. These tools offer convenience and make you feel more in control of your health.
However, this digital convenience comes with a growing concern: the privacy and security of your sensitive health data. While technology promises big steps forward, it also brings important risks. These risks aren’t always obvious and can go unnoticed by everyday users.
This blog post explains women’s unique health data vulnerabilities and reveals why current protections fall short.
The Medical Research Gap That Started It All
For decades, medical researchers treated men’s bodies as the default. Women’s bodies were often seen as too complex or variable, leading to their exclusion from most clinical trials before the 1990s. Researchers feared that hormonal fluctuations would complicate study outcomes, so they opted for simple, straightforward data from male subjects.
However, this exclusion had serious consequences, as countless medical treatments and devices were never tested on female bodies. As a result, women are nearly twice as likely to suffer adverse medication reactions. This oversight also extended to medical devices. Metal hip replacements, for example, have higher failure rates in women.
This pattern extends to female-specific treatments like surgical mesh for pelvic reconstructive surgery, where hidden test results caused devastating harm. The transvaginal mesh lawsuit highlights these failures, as thousands of women came forward with stories of chronic pain, infections, and life-altering complications.
According to TorHoerman Law, over 100,000 suits have been filed by the injured women. To date, the manufacturers have paid settlements worth nearly $8 billion to these women. These medical research oversights set a troubling pattern that still shapes how digital tools treat women’s health.
Why Women Don’t Trust Health Apps
Women are unsure about sharing health data online, and these instincts are often correct. Many apps that track health information aren’t protected by HIPAA, meaning the data could be shared or sold without clear notice.
Deloitte’s 2023 Connected Consumer Survey found that women trust health technology less than men do. Women find privacy risks from online health services less convincing. Moreover, they feel inadequately informed about data collection and usage practices, and how to restrict them.
Less than 45% of women share their smart wearable data with their healthcare provider, as compared to over 55% of men. Similarly, only 43% of women agree to the potential automatic data-sharing with their healthcare provider, in contrast to 52% of men. This trust gap affects their healthcare.
This skepticism makes sense, as HIPAA rules don’t cover most health apps. Companies can share or sell data to other companies. However, when women avoid helpful digital tools due to privacy fears, they miss opportunities for better health monitoring. This could create unintended consequences that might worsen health disparities.
Some patients now use wearables to track blood sugar levels and heart problems. They share this data with doctors for faster treatment. If women don’t participate in these programs, they might receive lower-quality care. Moreover, the trust gap could even worsen existing health inequalities.
When Period Trackers Become Surveillance Tools
Popular women’s health apps have serious privacy issues. A 2024 European study examined 20 reproductive health apps, and its findings were troubling. 35% of these apps had conflicting third-party personal data-sharing policies. Worse, law enforcement or authorities can access user data.
Users couldn’t understand what would happen to their information. According to Euronews, these apps treat sexual activity, ovulation cycle, period, and fertility data like any other information. Developers don’t recognize that reproductive data is sensitive and could stigmatize or criminalize users. Your menstrual cycle information could be used against you in legal situations.
Concerns run deeper than vague policies. Many apps enable data sharing by default. They make it difficult to opt out of data collection. Some apps require you to share personal information just to delete your account. Under European privacy law, health and reproductive data should receive additional protection.
Many apps ignore these requirements. They put profits before your privacy and safety. Law enforcement can often access your data. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive health data became even more sensitive. Your period tracking information could be used as evidence in legal cases.
Healthcare Provider Bias Affects Your Data
Privacy concerns extend beyond apps to doctor visits. Medical bias affects how healthcare providers handle your health information and concerns. The KFF Women’s Health Survey (WHS) for 2022 reports that women (38%) are more likely to encounter negative healthcare experiences than men (32%).
Nearly 10% of women aged 18-64 report experiencing some age-, gender-, ethnicity-, identity-, religion-, or other personal trait-based discrimination. Over 1 in 4 women experienced the practitioner deflecting their queries. 15% of women claimed a healthcare professional doubted their claims.
When doctors don’t take health-related queries seriously, some patients might turn to apps and online platforms for answers. This pushes them toward less secure digital health tools. Provider bias impacts how digital health data is interpreted. If doctors dismiss women’s concerns, they might as well undervalue the health data collected through apps and devices.
Communication gaps worsen these problems. Only 35% of women aged 40-64 have discussed menopause expectations with their healthcare provider. Likewise, nearly a quarter of Hispanic, underprivileged, and uninsured women find it challenging to find a doctor who gives clear explanations.
These biases affect individual trust and care experiences while contributing to a larger societal cost. When health systems and digital tools fail women, the consequences ripple through the economy.
The Economic Cost of Poor Data Protection
Women’s health represents a massive economic opportunity. McKinsey research shows that addressing women’s health gaps could strengthen the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040. Closing this health gap could also cause 137 million more women to hold full-time jobs by 2040.
That’s not just a win for women, it’s a path to lifting families out of poverty and boosting global prosperity. But it requires serious investment in better treatments, care delivery, and more inclusive health data. Women often face conditions that require long-term care or cause disability rather than immediate death.
These chronic conditions require long-term monitoring and data tracking. As women age, it can become harder to manage or even understand who has access to their digital health data. Strong protection systems should function even when individuals can’t monitor them.
Poor data protection discourages women from using helpful digital health tools. This widens the health gap and results in increased healthcare expenses and lost productivity for everyone.
People Also Ask
Q1. Why is women’s health data targeted more than men’s?
Women’s health data is valuable due to its nature and connection to reproductive health. This makes it attractive for various uses, including targeted advertising and, in some cases, potential legal actions. Historically, medical research also overlooked women, creating systemic gaps that now extend to digital data handling.
Q2. What kind of health data is most at risk in apps?
Data related to your reproductive health, such as menstrual cycles, pregnancy status, and sexual activity, is sensitive. Your location data and personal identifiers like email addresses are also vulnerable. This information, if breached, can have serious personal and legal consequences, especially concerning reproductive rights.
Q3. How can I tell if a health app protects my privacy?
Look for apps that mention their data practices upfront. Check if they explicitly state they don’t sell your data to third parties. Strong apps will offer easy-to-find privacy settings, allowing you to control what information you share. Transparency and user control are key indicators of good privacy protection.
Protecting women’s health data isn’t just a tech problem, it’s a healthcare and human rights issue. As digital tools become more common in managing everything from fertility to chronic pain, stronger protections are no longer optional. They are essential.
Until laws catch up, being informed and cautious with the tools you use can make a real difference. It’s time we demanded more from the apps that hold our most personal information.