Hot Flashes to Cool Tech – The Menopause Boom in FemTech

An insight into the menopause boom within the FemTech Industry Did you know that 63% of women say their workplace has no menopause support system in place? In a survey conducted of 2,000 women with menopause symptoms, a shocking 63% said their workplace had no policy in place which is affecting their decisions to leave the workplace. Did you know that 73% of women don’t treat their menopause symptoms – including hot flashes (16%), weight gain (15%), difficulties with sleep (14%) and night sweats (14%), among others. These statistics should seem extremely surprising considering most women experience menopausal symptoms at some stage in their lives! More often, these symptoms occur when women are still excelling through their career – highlighting the crucial importance of workplaces understanding the menopause and how it can affect day to day work abilities. Because of this, is it vital that workplaces delegate a firm support system to manage and support their employees’ needs. However, first, we MUST be knowledgeable as a global community! A Refresh As most of us will already be aware, menopause is a natural biological process that occurs as a marker of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Stereotypically, the transformation occurs for women in their late 40s, but in some cases, it can erupt earlier or later. The change is characterized by hormonal changes which can trigger various symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog and weight gain/loss. Biologically, the menopause is caused by the loss of ovarian follicular function and a decline in circulating blood oestrogen levels. It is crucial for everyone to understand the menopause. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal symptoms can be disruptive to personal and professional lives, and changes associated with the menopause will affect a woman’s health as she ages. In fact, menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce, so it is essential for both men and women to have a thorough understanding symptoms to ensure all employees are supported in the best possible way. Historically, there has been little to no teaching of the menopause, leaving generations of women with a detrimental knowledge gap. Despite this, there has been leaps in the right direction over the last 10 years. A Boom in Attention Rightly so, there has been a significant rise in talk regarding the menopause in recent years. From more symptom understanding to new treatments through innovative technologies, there has certainly been many steps forward that can be noted. Perhaps, this is also due to discussions around the menopause becoming more accessible and destigmatized, leading to more visibility of information and encouragement of awareness. Additionally, the 21stcentury is witnessing an increase in the number of people entering menopausal stages as the aging population continues to grow. In line with this, there has been more demand for symptom-tracking apps and hormone therapy innovations from the Femtech industry!   Femtech Advancements surrounding the menopause – The Positives! Health Tracking Devices + Femtech Apps We can now engage with so much analytical data about ourselves! Whether you are curious about menstrual health, menopausal health, sexual health or nutritional health, there is an app for it. Symptom Management Devices Hormone therapy has become more popular and is very effective for managing symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats. Tech company Embr offers a wrist-worn device; The Embr Wave 2. This emits cold or hot bursts to the skin on your wrist which supports your temperature and makes you feel cooler or warmer depending on your needs. Hormone replacement treatments HRT is another well recognised treatment which relieves symptoms of the menopause and replaces hormones that are at a lower level as women approach the hormonal phase. Benefits include relief of symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings and reduced sex drive.   By 2025, over 1 billion women will be postmenopausal across the world Despite attention towards women’s health care steadily increasing, there is still a lot of work we can do to better the health of the women of our generation. To support this, we must recognise and acknowledge the things the Femtech industry could improve on! Firstly, in a world of accessible technology and information online, it is becoming apparent that unlocking access to Femtech comes at a cost. Making Femtech variations more affordable would appeal to a wider range of women from lower-income communities where healthcare is limited and increase the usage of Femtech globally. Additionally, it is crucial that our Femtech solutions are inclusive and cater to the many needs of women of different ages, body types and ethnicities. Lastly, it is vital that our future generations are thoroughly educated which will help women world-wide navigate their way through the menopause.   Key companies working to better the menopause space. Vira Health Vira Health’s app ‘Stella’ combines evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, pelvic floor exercises, and diet and lifestyle changes to support women through the menopause over a personalised 12-week treatment solution. Elektra Health They embark on a focus of empowering women and diluting the menopause taboo by providing education, care and offering a community of deep expertise. Their platform includes unlimited virtual coaching, personalised learning, and access to a supportive community. Midi Health On a mission to bring compassionate, high-quality medical care to women in perimenopause and menopause. They offer a supported path to symptom relief through a large variety of treatment solutions, treating a variety of symptoms. Treatment options often include, HRT, Prescriptions of SSRIs and SNRIs, lifestyle advice, and advisory supplement. Midi are successful in providing a thorough service for women to rely on for healthcare management and support. So… what does all this mean? It is certainly noted that the rise of femtech can be associated with a direct result of women’s healthcare historically not being taken seriously. Growing industry knowledge and advanced technology is clearly allowing the women of our generation to take more control over their own health; whether it be to gain support on a fertility journey or receive advice on navigating menopause. It is definitely very exciting and extremely encouraging to see many new tech solutions emerging within the market as well as increased talk regarding the issues women face in healthcare every single day. As an industry, let’s keep striving to better the lives of women across the world.