Larissa Neto Espíndola et al. Elise Sant’Ana Isaías Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira Alexandra Monteiro
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been driving significant transformations in healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, personalizing treatments, and optimizing clinical workflows. In women’s health, it offers innovative approaches for prevention, early detection, and management of various conditions throughout life — from adolescence to old age.
Over the past decade, advances in machine learning algorithms, neural networks, and natural language processing have enabled the analysis of large volumes of clinical data with previously unimaginable precision and speed. However, the integration of AI into women’s healthcare remains underutilized, representing a valuable opportunity to reduce social inequalities that influence adverse health outcomes.
However, the use of AI in women’s healthcare raises important ethical concerns, particularly the need to protect patients’ sensitive data, avoid algorithmic biases that may perpetuate stigma or inequality, and ensure safe, equitable, and responsible implementation. Ethical governance — with national and international guidelines and regulations — is essential to ensure that AI benefits all women, including vulnerable and underrepresented populations, without exacerbating existing disparities.
This manuscript aims to synthesize the main applications of AI in women’s health across different life stages, identifying advances, opportunities, and challenges in this context. Given the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of the topic, we conducted a scoping review – an appropriate methodology for exploring emerging and still underdeveloped fields. In addition to scientific databases, we included a complementary search in digital health app libraries to identify technological solutions already implemented or under development for women’s health.