The artificial intelligence chatbot, named “Roo,” answers questions about birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and other aspects of sexual health. It’s meant to support 13- to 17-year-olds who don’t have access to sex education or who only have access to abstinence-only programs.
The program, which is available online at roo.plannedparenthood.org, also directs users to additional resources — such as healthcare facilities and live educators — when appropriate.
“Young people process information in a way that’s changing,” Leana Wen, MD, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, told WSJ. “We wanted to make sure that Roo, for example, is available on mobile because we know that’s how most young people are searching for information.”
Planned Parenthood funded the chatbot project through a private grant and through an investment from design and technology firm Work & Co., which worked with the nonprofit for more than a year to develop Roo.
Roo is part of Planned Parenthood’s larger push to connect Americans with sexual health resources online. The organization’s other digital initiatives include a messaging system that connects users with trained educators and a period-tracking app called Spot On.
“In this environment, it’s more important than ever that we have as many methods as possible to reach people where they are for healthcare and education,” Dr. Wen told WSJ. “The chatbot is one more critical tool we’re piloting to provide that information to people.”
More articles on telehealth:
Telemedicine startup The Pill Club raises $51M from Alphabet, other investors
How to establish a patient-physician relationship via telemedicine, according to the American College of Physicians
Sanford Health, VC firms invest $33M in telehealth startup Tyto Care
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