Femtech in 2022; digital contraceptives; TikTok for sex ed; the effect of pandemic on women’s periods and more.
Technology and research transforming women’s health and wellness.
Hi there and happy holidays!
Natasha here. It is Thursday, which means you are saying hello to the new edition of the HealthyHer (previously FemHealth) newsletter! The goal of this newsletter is to bring you into the world of technology for women, covering innovations and research to better women’s health and wellbeing.
If you like this edition, I would appreciate your support through sharing it with your friends and liking ♥ it on the top of the page!
Now into the world of technology…
News Snippets
Meet Pink Salt Ventures, the first UK Venture Capital fund helping rising women entrepreneurs.
After the US, Switzerland has the highest number of companies dedicated to increasing female longevity.
Attention to women’s health and fertility rises as more money is invested in improving female health (read more in the News Reads section 👇).
Clue period tracker gets FDA clearance to help users track fertility dates to avoid unwanted pregnancies (read more in the News Reads section 👇).
Studies show there is no significant difference between periods before and after the pandemic (read more in the News Reads section 👇).
Medical educators use TikTok to deliver more extensive sex education and answer questions regarding sexual health.
Female tech company Femcy works towards launching a digital app to help women enhance their menstrual health (read more in the News Reads section 👇).
News Reads
The female health industry is looking up for 2022 with higher funding and more thorough research and development. While most fertility treatments are focused on women, focus will be placed on men’s bodies and what their DNA has to do with fertility problems and miscarriages as well. “Digital health solutions” will be more readily accessible for testing and treatment in the home, and women will have a wider range of communities for support. Data sets will be more thorough as AI is improved to include the most accurate data possible. Read more about it here.
Clue, a period-tracking app, has gotten FDA clearance to be used as a digital contraceptive and is being released into the US market. With the power of science, math, and more extensive data sets, Clue will be able to use previous cycle information to better predict days of high and low fertility, allowing users to track their cycles and avoid unwanted pregnancy on the next level. Read more here.
Studies show there is no significant difference between periods before and after the pandemic. While some women have had varying menstrual cycles due to stress induced by the pandemic, research showed that there wasn’t a huge difference between periods before the pandemic began and after the lockdowns had started. While there isn’t extensive studies and data linking periods and stress, the data shown here implies that the stress of the pandemic did not have a major effect on periods. Find out more here.
Eve World, a social platform for women, purchased female health company Femcy focusing on improving menstrual health of Asian women. Eve World is a platform that covers topics around women-centric issues and will now incorporate Femcy’s solutions into its own product. The app will be released worldwide during 2022 and will provide a place for women to have anonymity while freely discussing their worries and health concerns. Read more here.
Research Reads
Fertility and birth rates have fallen over the years due to accessibility to contraception pills, abortions, but there may be a greater issue at work. A study in Denmark researched more in-depth reasons why fertility rates have been falling, including: cancer, poor egg quality, lack of sperm, and other biological concerns. There is a possible link between the toxins from fossil fuels entering the human reproductive system and the reproductive issues. Read more here.
With the introduction of the various COVID-19 vaccines, women have been generally concerned if mRNA type vaccines would affect fertility or ovarian health. An Israeli research group studied 200 women to evaluate the influence of the Pfizer vaccine on their reproductive health. The study showed that the mRNA vaccine did not alter women’s ovarian health or overall fertility. Read more about it here.
Listening to:
Mindful productivity with Anne-Laure Le Cunff.
Extending the lifespan with David Sinclair 👇.
That’s it for now. Happy New Year and till the next time!
Yours,
Natasha
By Natasha Antropova, an AI engineer at DeepMind. Belarusian American based in London. Find me on Twitter and Instagram.