Woman-Centered Design through Humanity, Activism, and Inclusion

Women account for over half of the global population, however, continue to be subject to systematic and systemic disadvantage, particularly in terms of access to health and education. At every intersection, where systemic inequality accounts for greater loss of life or limitations on full and healthy living, women are more greatly impacted by those inequalities. The design of technologies is no different, the very definition of technology is historically cast in terms of male activities, and advancements in the field are critical to improve women's quality of life. This article views HCI, a relatively new field, as well positioned to act critically in the ways that technology serve, refigure, and redefine women's bodies. Indeed, the female body remains a contested topic, a restriction to the development of women's health. On one hand, the field of women's health has attended to the medicalization of the body and therefore is to be understood through medical language and knowledge. On the other hand, the framing of issues associated with women's health and people's experiences of and within such system(s) remain problematic for many. This is visible today in, e.g., socio-cultural practices in disparate geographies or medical devices within a clinic or the home. Moreover, the biological body is part of a great unmentionable, i.e., the perils of essentialism. We contend that it is necessary, pragmatically and ethically, for HCI to turn its attention toward a woman-centered design approach. While previous research has argued for the dangers of gender-demarcated design work, we advance that designing for and with women should not be regarded as ghettoizing, but instead as critical to improving women's experiences in bodily transactions, choices, rights, and access to and in health and care. In this article, we consider how and why designing with and for woman matters. We use our design-led research as a way to speak to and illustrate alternatives to designing for and with women within HCI.QC 20200930</p

Do Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Intrauterine Devices Predict Interest in Their Use?

Increasing use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) is seen as a promising strategy to prevent unintended pregnancies, particularly among young women. In this study, we examined correlates of young women's interest in using an IUD, including sources of information about, knowledge of, and attitudes toward IUDs.We conducted a national Web survey of young adults (ages 18-29) in 2012. Using a subset of data from 382 sexually experienced young women who had never used an IUD, we employed multinominal logit regression models to examine differences in IUD interest.Twenty percent of women in the sample were interested in using an IUD in the future, 32% were not, and 48% were unsure. Women who thought IUDs were unattractive owing to the devices being inside their bodies, the need for provider insertion and removal, or the potential for pain during insertion were less likely to be interested in ever using an IUD. Those who found IUDs attractive owing to the ease of use, the ability to have sex without interruption or a barrier method, the option of a nonhormonal method, the potential length of use, the internal nature of the method, or the high level of effectiveness were more likely to be interested.These data suggest that young women's attitudes toward IUDs are strongly linked to their interest-or lack thereof-in using an IUD. Health care providers attuned to women's contraceptive preferences are well-poised to help their patients match with methods that best accommodate these preferences

Do Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Intrauterine Devices Predict Interest in Their Use?

Increasing use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) is seen as a promising strategy to prevent unintended pregnancies, particularly among young women. In this study, we examined correlates of young women's interest in using an IUD, including sources of information about, knowledge of, and attitudes toward IUDs.We conducted a national Web survey of young adults (ages 18-29) in 2012. Using a subset of data from 382 sexually experienced young women who had never used an IUD, we employed multinominal logit regression models to examine differences in IUD interest.Twenty percent of women in the sample were interested in using an IUD in the future, 32% were not, and 48% were unsure. Women who thought IUDs were unattractive owing to the devices being inside their bodies, the need for provider insertion and removal, or the potential for pain during insertion were less likely to be interested in ever using an IUD. Those who found IUDs attractive owing to the ease of use, the ability to have sex without interruption or a barrier method, the option of a nonhormonal method, the potential length of use, the internal nature of the method, or the high level of effectiveness were more likely to be interested.These data suggest that young women's attitudes toward IUDs are strongly linked to their interest-or lack thereof-in using an IUD. Health care providers attuned to women's contraceptive preferences are well-poised to help their patients match with methods that best accommodate these preferences