This is a question that our researchers Sara Canhoto, LASIGE MSc student, and Rúben Gouveia and Tiago Guerreiro, both integrated members, sought to answer by adopting an inclusive design approach, as part of the IBD project, a project that was awarded funding through the competitive LASIGE Seed Projects Call 2025.

This research explored the experiences of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals with endometriosis when interacting with existing health tracking technologies. The project involved international recruitment through online communities and support groups, combining questionnaire findings with co-design workshops to better understand the challenges faced by this population.

The main findings highlighted strong concerns regarding privacy, surveillance, and fear of harassment or persecution within digital spaces. Participants also emphasized that existing health applications are largely designed around the experiences and assumptions of cisgender women, often failing to accommodate diverse identities, bodies, and health experiences. Additionally, participants reported a lack of personalization, both in terms of symptom tracking and identity representation, reinforcing the need for more adaptive and inclusive health technologies.

Participants also described limited support and understanding from healthcare professionals, highlighting the importance of technologies capable of helping users identify patterns in symptoms and experiences over time. The findings further emphasized the need for digital platforms that can support users in finding healthcare professionals and resources specialized in TGD healthcare and endometriosis-related care.

Overall, the project highlights the importance of actively involving target users in the design and development of digital health technologies to ensure that these systems meaningfully reflect and support their real needs, experiences, and concerns.

This work was also presented at the 11th LASIGE Workshop, on 20 May 20 2026.