Creating Standards for Sexual Reproductive Health Chatbots

Across the Global South, a growing number of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) chatbots have emerged to provide young people, especially adolescent girls, with critical information on topics such as contraception, relationships, and mental health. Yet, there is currently no standardized framework to evaluate the quality, safety, and effectiveness of these digital tools. In partnership with Girl Effect, an international nonprofit that leverages media and technology to empower girls in Africa and Asia, this Capstone project will create the first evaluation framework for SRH chatbots to ensure they are reliable, user-centered, and impactful.

The project will begin with a global landscape analysis to identify existing SRH and health-related chatbots, examining common features such as Q&A services, service directories, quizzes, and counseling linkages. The team will then develop a set of quantitative and qualitative metrics to assess chatbot performance across dimensions like clarity, accessibility, usability, safety, and accuracy. Each metric will be weighted to reflect its relative importance in ensuring a positive user experience and trustworthy information delivery.

Using this framework, the team will evaluate 8–10 chatbots (e.g., Nivi, Dimagi, Noora Health), conduct outreach to secure participation, and gather feedback from implementing organizations. Findings will be synthesized into a final report featuring comparative ratings, key challenges, and recommendations to strengthen SRH chatbot design and governance. By setting a clear standard for quality assurance, this project will help advance responsible AI and digital health innovation, ensuring that SRH chatbots truly empower young people to make informed, safe, and autonomous health decisions.