Evaluating AI for Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health

Investment / Stage 2: Test Solutions

    Across India, more than 300 million women face major barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, driven by stigma, misinformation, and limited access to quality services. In urban informal settlements alone, over 90 million women (roughly one in four) cannot make decisions about their own healthcare, and around 70 percent of women in urban India report being unable to leave home even once a day. The result is delayed or foregone care, especially for conditions women find embarrassing or “not urgent enough” to act on.

    AI-enabled tools could lower these barriers, but whether they substitute for human care or complement it by drawing women into the formal health system is an open question with major implications for how governments deploy AI in health. Our research project sets out to answer that question with causal evidence.

    Working through Myna Bolo, a culturally and linguistically tailored SRH chatbot developed by the Myna Mahila Foundation and delivered over WhatsApp, our team is conducting a sequence of experiments to test which features encourage people to seek care, including two-way interaction, voice versus text, privacy, and the option to connect with a healthcare provider. Rather than evaluating a single AI tool, the research tests the core design features that influence whether women seek care, creating practical guidance for governments, NGOs, and health programs.

    The project brings together researchers from Stanford, Imperial College London, and Emory University in partnership with the Myna Mahila Foundation and state health systems in India. Together, our team combines expertise in health economics, human-centered AI, rigorous evaluation, and community-based implementation.

    Myna Mahila Foundation

    A smiling woman with long, dark hair is wearing a light blue sweater and a soft beige scarf. She is looking at the camera with a friendly expression, showing her red lips. The background is softly blurred, giving focus to her warm demeanor.
    Aditi Durgapal

    Research Manager, Myna Mahila Foundation

    A woman with medium-length, wavy dark hair that has lighter tips is smiling at the camera. She is wearing clear glasses and decorative drop earrings. The background features a textured wall with green hues, and she appears cheerful and friendly.
    Azra Ismail

    Co-Director, Center for AI in Reproductive health

    A woman is smiling at the camera, wearing a colorful traditional saree in shades of blue and red. She has a bindi on her forehead and earrings, and her hair is tied back. The background is a vibrant pink, making her image stand out.
    Sweta Rupesh Kanavaje

    Director of Operations, Myna Mahila Foundation

    A woman with curly dark hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a light brown sweater and is standing in an architectural setting with soft lighting.
    Jasmin Moshfegh

    Assistant Professor, Economics and Public Policy, Imperial College London

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