A tale as old as time: contraception concerns in the 21st century

Historical inconsistencies in contraception research have led to concerns about side effects regarding hormonal contraception. Today, concerns about the hormonal contraceptive pill are still ongoing. The side effects from hormonal contraception and prevailing socioeconomic barriers to effective contraception have heralded in the use of Mobile Health (mHealth) applications as birth control methods. These applications are set to become ubiquitous with the proliferation of wearable devices that monitor biodata. Access to modern contraceptives depend on who you are and where you live and often have cost-implications. The use of ‘mHealth’ applications has been rising in recent years and are marketed as having maximal reward for minimal cost and perhaps could alleviate some of these concerns. While mHealth applications are flexible, accessible, and low cost, this paper suggests that we exercise caution so as not to repeat past mistakes. We provide a critical review of the history of research into contraception. We may have come far but we still have a long way to go for equitable access to contraceptive healthcare. Keywords: mHealth, contraception, wearable device, ethics, reproductive justice