A Plurality of More-than-Humanness: Feminist Speculations for Designing with the Vaginal MicrobiomeShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium, HttF 2024, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2024, article id 20Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
The vaginal microbiome (often called vaginal flora) plays a crucial role in intimate health, preventing bacterial imbalances and potentially influencing other conditions such as sexually transmitted infections, fertility issues, and even gynecological cancers. This work critically explores present and future technologies that engage with the vaginal microbiome through four speculative provocations. We conceptualize futures with self-tests, smart sensors, domestic microbiology labs, microbiome influencers, microbial donation, and microbial fermented foods — where the vaginal microbes become central to interactive technologies. In doing so, we unpack the more-than-human and critical feminist concerns that arise, challenging us to rethink our relationship with the vagina, as well as with the unseen inhabitants that coexist within it. We discuss the growing intersections of feminist HCI, Bio-HCI, and More-than-Human Design, reflecting on the implications of these proposed futures for our field, hoping to inspire more collaboration and discussion at these intersections.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2024. article id 20
Keywords [en]
bio-hci, design futuring, feminist hci, microbes, microbiome, more-than-human design, more-than-humanness, plurality of humanness, speculative design, vaginal flora
National Category
Design Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-359261DOI: 10.1145/3686169.3686170Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85215532878OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-359261DiVA, id: diva2:1932587
Conference
2024 Halfway to the Future Symposium, HttF 2024, Santa Cruz, United States of America, October 21-23, 2024
Note
Part of ISBN 9798400710421
QC 20250131
2025-01-292025-01-292025-01-31Bibliographically approved