The politicization of abortion in the United States compared with Mexico: the impact of data on the future of sexual and reproductive rights

Abstract

The announcement in 2022 of the overturning of Roe v. Wade sparked concerns about possible restrictions and further rollbacks to people's reproductive and sexual health rights in the United States. The purpose of this study is to establish the short and medium-term implications of the evolution of healthcare data, analytics and AI in the context of the Dobbs decision, using a strategic foresight method called Futures Wheel. It also intends to determine how, without any considerations or regard for privacy rights, it can have significant negative impacts on people’s reproductive and sexual health rights. The literature review was coupled with various interviews, which complemented the data obtained in public reports, databases, and case studies to determine the most relevant components that constitute the current abortion discussion. In comparing the case of the United States and Mexico’s data panorama, stark differences were observable in their treatment of data and showed ample opportunity for shared lessons and best practices between both countries. As a result, it was possible to define three areas of opportunity or possible courses of action in terms of the future of reproductive and sexual health rights, and the progress of data collection technologies.