Safe and Seen: Codesigning Technology to Address Disparities in Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health by LGBTQ+ People with Uteruses in the UK

Existing research shows that LGBTQ+ people with uteruses (PwU) experience poorer quality of reproductive and sexual healthcare (SRH) compared to cisgender individuals. We explored how the design of technology can support the experiences of LGBTQ+ PwU when seeking SRH in the UK. We undertook two studies: (1) An online survey (n=32) investigating UK SRH access barriers for LGBTQ+ PwU and (2) Asynchronous co-design sessions (n=8) in which LGBTQ+ PwU designed technologies based on the survey insights. The survey results showed participants’ fears and safety concerns associated with in-person care. The survey findings were used to frame the co-design sessions, where participants developed three technology designs to facilitate safe and appropriate SRH care for LGBTQ+ PwU. We provide critical insights into the needs of LGBTQ+ PwU accessing SRH, and how technologies could foster safe, discrimination-free environments and providing information suited to the range of identities within the LGBTQ+ community.