Technical Communication Quarterly Oct 2019

Data Our Bodies Tell: Towards Critical Feminist Action in Fertility and Period Tracking Applications

Maria Novotny University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh ; Les Hutchinson Michigan State University

Abstract

This article situates reproductive applications as an emerging “do-it-yourself” health technology in need of feminist technical communication action. The authors focus on Glow, a fertility and period tracking application, and argue that though this application promises user’s self-empowerment over their reproductive health, individual agency is often reduced. The authors consider how technical communication scholars can intervene in fertility and period tracking applications through a redesign of how consent is obtained when collecting user’s personal health information.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2019-10-02
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2019.1607907
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (7)

  1. Balghare et al. (2026)
    Investigating User Empowerment Through the Fertility App Glow
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Gray (2026)
    The Utility of Inclusivity: How Emoji Proposal Writers Navigate Oppositional In…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Banville et al. (2026)
    How Biometrics Travel: Reimagining Opt-Out Logics
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Robledo et al. (2025)
    Critical and Creative Quantum Literacies
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Bennett (2025)
    Ableist Archives: Challenging Technoableism in Workplace Mental Health Applicat…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 7 →
  1. Ceraso et al. (2023)
    Ticking Clocks: Rhetorics of Tenure and (In)Fertility
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Campos et al. (2021)
    Introduction to the special issue: Rhetorics of data
    Computers and Composition

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    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
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    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
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CrossRef global citation count: 27 View in citation network →

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