A bill protecting reproductive and sexual health data has been reintroduced to Congress by Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego.
Jacobs was joined by Senators Mazie Hirono, D-HI, and Ron Wyden, D-OR, in reintroducing the My Body, My Data Act, originally brought forth by Jacobs in 2022.
Her 51st District includes parts of San Diego, along with El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove.
The bill, an attempt to protect sexual and reproductive data, focuses on minimizing third-party access to the data and making user requests for data and its deletion more accessible. The bill also will require entities that collect this data to develop user-friendly privacy agreements that are easy to read and understand.
“As apps and devices that collect reproductive and sexual health information – like period and fertility trackers – become increasingly popular, everyone should be able to trust that their personal health data is safe and secure,” Hirono said in a press release.
In the same press release, Jacobs called out Republicans for their “assault on our bodily autonomy and reproductive rights.” She said she would do everything in her power to protect people’s “freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.”
Concerns regarding sexual and reproductive data have risen in recent years following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and established that there is no constitutional right to abortion.
The National Partnership for Women & Families published a report on data privacy and reproductive freedom in October 2024. The report addressed concerns about abortion travel bans and how private reproductive data, if not protected, could threaten those who seek out-of-state abortion care.
“As a physician, I know how critical it is for the personal information of the patients I care for to be protected. Too often, data related to reproductive health care is used to target and criminalize people seeking essential care,” said Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an OB/GYN in Texas and board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Health.
The new bill, if passed, would limit the reproductive and sexual data that can be collected, retained, used or disclosed to only what is necessary to deliver a product or service. Menstrual cycle and fertility tracking apps are just some of the entities that collect this data.
India McKinney, director of federal affairs at Electronic Frontier Foundation, described the bill as common sense. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a nonprofit organization advocating for technology that supports freedom and protects privacy.
“We thank Rep. Jacobs for continuing to work on this important issue. This bill is an opportunity to not only protect those seeking reproductive health care, but also to highlight why data privacy is an important element of reproductive justice,” McKinney said in a statement.
The reintroduced legislation is supported by the Center for Democracy and Technology, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Reproductive Freedom for All, Physicians for Reproductive Health, and other health and activist organizations.
