3 ways FemTech can benefit women’s health

Coined in 2016, ‘FemTech’ refers to medical technologies that target women’s health.¹ Today many believe this may help address the current gender inequality in healthcare. One prominent area of FemTech is apps that women can use to track their experiences and symptoms. The most common health issues FemTech apps aim to address are:

These areas are frequently overlooked or undervalued within healthcare which contributes to gender health inequality.² Historically, the healthcare industry gave little thought to issues faced only by women. But in recent years attitudes have been changing, with the UK government pledging to prioritise gender health inequality.³

“For generations, women have lived with a health and care system that is mostly designed by men, for men."

- Matt Hancock, UK Health Secretary 2018-2021

The mission to eliminate the gender gap in healthcare is also being aided by the growing number of women in technology and healthcare, along with a push for increased consideration of women’s health on social media. This has led to the incredible rise of the FemTech industry.

 

Why is there a demand for FemTech?

Any woman can tell you that female health can be unpredictable, especially menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. Some women wish to gain a sense of control over their bodies and health so recording their menstrual cycle and its associated symptoms in apps such as Flo is incredibly appealing. These types of apps use data science and artificial intelligence to provide predictions that empower women with knowledge about their own bodies and enable informed decisions.

It is a very common experience for women to be told by their doctor that what they are experiencing is normal and simply due to hormones or their menstrual cycle, rather than investigating whether there is an underlying issue. Having access to months, potentially years, of tracking data can have significant benefits to women’s health.

 

3 benefits of FemTech on women’s health

1.    Giving women the confidence to seek medical advice

FemTech apps have the ability to advise women on whether their experiences are considered medically normal or abnormal. This simple confirmation that issues such as length of menstrual cycle, type of discharge or symptoms during pregnancy could be cause for concern can give women the confidence needed to speak to a healthcare professional.

 

2.    Aiding in the early detection of health issues

Some women can face long delays in receiving a diagnosis, for example sufferers of endometriosis usually experience a delay of 7 years before receiving a diagnosis and treatment.⁴ When users of FemTech apps seek help, they are able to share the detailed record of their symptoms which can enable healthcare professionals to make an earlier diagnosis and develop a management plan. As a result, the use of these apps can reduce suffering and long-term impacts of women’s health issues.

 

3.    Advancing scientific research and knowledge

FemTech apps also have the potential to act as a rich source of anonymised female health data. Insights can be drawn from this data in order to drive research and inform healthcare professionals. Unfortunately, menopause is not as well understood as it could be but apps like balance, where users track their menopause symptoms, have the potential to provide the comprehensive data necessary to better inform society and healthcare professionals about the wide range of symptoms women can face and how best to manage them.

 

References

1. "An Interview With Clue CEO, Ida Tin". Femtech Live, 2022, https://femtech.live/femtech-founder-an-interview-with-clue-ceo-ida-tin/.
   
2. Devlin, Hannah. "Denial Of Women's Concerns Contributed To Decades Of Medical Scandals, Says Inquiry". The Guardian, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/08/denial-of-womens-concerns-contributed-to-medical-scandals-says-inquiry.
   
3. "Women's Health Strategy: Call For Evidence". GOV.UK, 2021, https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/womens-health-strategy-call-for-evidence.
   
4. Nnoaham, Kelechi E. et al. "Impact Of Endometriosis On Quality Of Life And Work Productivity: A Multicenter Study Across Ten Countries". Fertility And Sterility, vol 96, no. 2, 2011, pp. 366-373.e8. Elsevier BV, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.05.090. Accessed 18 Feb 2022.