Enhancing LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in an AI-Powered Sexual Health Chatbot: User-Centered Design Approach Through a Nonprofit and Academic Partnership
Academic and nonprofit collaborations can leverage participatory methods to enhance digital health tools in real-world contexts. LGBTQ+ teenagers served not only as testers but as co-designers, shaping the chatbot's evolution and surfacing broader lessons about trust, AI literacy, and health equity. This study demonstrates that marginalized teenagers possess the critical insights needed to meaningfully shape AI-enabled health interventions when provided with structured opportunities for engagement. This partnership offers a scalable model for integrating community voice into the development, evaluation, and implementation of inclusive, AI-enabled health technologies.
Authors
- Jacob Gordon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9876-5463)
- Michael O'Keefe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3864-8679)
- Kathryn R. Macapagal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1208-6097)
- Julianna Lorenzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3482-4855)
- Attia Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3332-0967)
- Nicole Levitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0984-0762)
- Elizabeth P. Casline (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9582-9249)
- Andrés Alvarado Avila (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5549-121X)
- William Wibowo Liem (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5873-6470)
Institutions
- Northwestern University (US)
- Planned Parenthood (US)
- Northwestern University (PH)
- University of Cincinnati Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Medical Internet Research
- Published
- 2025-12-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2196/78621
- Primary Topic
- Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00