Sensitive Topic Chatbot
Use structured conversation to make sensitive topics easier to navigate.
In practice: Flo
A sensitive-topic chatbot replaces the blank input with a guided flow. Users pick a topic, choose from real scenarios, and can always tap 'I'm not sure', so exploring an intimate subject feels safe and low-effort.
Topics before typing
A 'Start a new chat' menu branches topics like cramps, headaches, acne, and mental health into guided openers, so users pick a subject instead of composing a delicate question from scratch.
No blank input
The assistant opens with no free-form field, only tappable options, so beginning the conversation takes a tap rather than the courage to type.
Preview, then depth
Answers arrive as short summaries with a 'Read more' expand, letting users decide how deep to go instead of facing a wall of text.
Authority and boundaries
Chats credit a collaborating MD and psychologist with a clear 'not a substitute for medical advice' disclaimer, keeping credibility and limits visible.
Permission to be unsure
Multiple-choice steps always include an 'I'm not sure / None of the above' option, removing the stress of forced choice and producing better data than a guess.
A friend-like register
Warm, informal language and emojis like 'I feel you' soften a sensitive exchange while cited sources keep it trustworthy.
Why it works
A private, contained interface makes exploring intimate questions feel safer than asking a person or searching publicly. Structured choices remove the effort and exposure of free-form typing, and permission to be unsure keeps the conversation honest.
How Flo does it
Topics Before Typing
Assistants are grouped by topic: sex check-in, cramps, headaches, acne, mental health. Within each, users pick from typical scenarios rather than composing a delicate question from scratch.
Fully Guided Flow
There is no free-form text entry at all. Every step is a choice among options, with a progress bar showing how far the conversation has left to run.
Preview Then Depth
Answers arrive as short summaries with an expand option, and complex points become infographics, so users decide how deep to go instead of receiving a wall of text.
Friend-Like Register
Emojis and informal lines like 'I feel you' lower the intimidation of clinical language, while cited MDs and validated sources keep the authority intact.
Behavioral principles
Reduced Stigma
A private, contained interface makes intimate questions feel safer than asking a person or searching publicly.
Choice Over Composition
Selecting from real scenarios removes the effort and exposure of writing a delicate question.
Permission to Be Unsure
An 'I'm not sure' option removes forced-choice stress, and honest uncertainty produces better data.
Progressive Disclosure
Short summaries that expand on demand let users control how deep they go.
Design considerations
When a conversation implies urgent, legal, or safety risk, route users to appropriate human or professional support. Sensitive conversation data, especially in reproductive health, needs clear privacy controls and retention expectations.
Implementation prompt
Use the pattern above as the reference, then prototype the same behavior in your own product surface.
I want to incorporate a guided conversation for a sensitive topic in my product. The goal is to replace the blank input with a structured flow, so exploring an intimate subject takes a tap rather than the courage to compose a question. Please suggest how to implement this in the product: • Branch the subject into named topics the user can pick from, instead of asking them to phrase it • Offer real scenarios as choices, so users recognize their situation rather than describing it • Include an "I'm not sure" or "none of these" option at every step, since forced choice produces worse data than honest uncertainty • Answer with a short summary that expands on demand, rather than a wall of text • Show progress through the conversation so the user knows how much is left For implementation, propose: • The topic taxonomy and the branch structure beneath each one • Step types, and where free text is genuinely necessary versus merely convenient • Escalation rules routing urgent, legal, or safety-risk conversations to human or professional support • A warm register that stays credible, with visible sourcing and clear limits on what the product can advise • Privacy, retention, and data-use disclosure appropriate to how sensitive the subject is.