Research highlights privacy concerns around menopause tech

Researchers at Royal Holloway University of London have highlighted privacy and safety concerns surrounding menopause technology.

The study, ‘User risk perceptions and privacy attitudes towards menopause data collection and use’, published by ACM Transactions on Social Computing on 18 February 2026, calls for sensitive health data collected from women to be protected from exploitation.

The research team surveyed 310 women in the UK who have experienced menopausal symptoms to explore risk perceptions and privacy attitudes towards menopause data collection and sharing. 

They found that 69% of respondents turned to digital tools, such as self-tracking apps, digital community platforms and wearable devices, because they felt underserved by traditional healthcare, with only 25% saying that they felt supported by their healthcare provider.

Of those surveyed, 24% cited misinformation as a serious concern and 19% said that they struggled with conflicting and overwhelming information on menopause. 

Dr Maryam Mehrnezhad, reader in information security at Royal Holloway and co-author of the study, said: “Many women are turning to technology to navigate the diagnostic ambiguity of going through the menopause and to combat the long waiting times often associated with traditional healthcare.

“This makes the absence of trained medical professionals on these tech community forums, who can create misinformation, a real serious threat to participants.”

Participants emphasised the need for increased security, transparency, valid consent, and minimal data collection to trust menopause technologies.

“Users we surveyed also expressed deep fears regarding data use, specifically that intimate health data, including emotional symptoms and sexual activity history, could be accessed by insurance companies or employers,” Mehrnezhad said.

The research found that regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation, do not sufficiently address the challenges associated with menopause tech’s collection of sensitive health data.

Many menopause technologies operate outside medical device regulations by classifying themselves as lifestyle or wellness apps, despite offering features that could influence health decision. 

“By sidestepping proper classification, these digital products collect, process, and share intimate user information without adequate transparency, consent, or security, leaving users vulnerable to privacy breaches and potential misuse of highly personal health insights,” the study says.

Researchers highlighted that AI-influenced menopause solutions can introduce additional risks “as existing legal frameworks do not account for the security challenges posed by AI algorithms”.

Dr Taylor Robinson, co-author and post-doctoral researcher at Royal Holloway, said: “Self-tracking apps are becoming essential tools for personal advocacy, allowing users to document their journeys and foster deeper self-reflection, which ultimately improves their interactions with doctors, but more needs to be done to protect those using the apps.”

The researchers call for data protection and privacy law to “ensure robust consent mechanisms, strictly enforce data minimisation, and limit its use solely to stated intentions, particularly preventing its exploitation for targeted advertising, employment, or insurance discrimination”.

They also recommend that menopause technologies that collect sensitive data should fall under medical device regulations for safety and security.

Meanwhile, researchers at Erasmus University have raised ethical concerns about the algorithms used to track menstrual cycles and fertility windows.

Read more about balancing innovation and compliance in FemTech regulation here.