Cbinsights-科技如何使妇女的医疗保健更加公平和容易获得（英）-2022.11-37正式版

2022Howtechismakingwomen’shealthcaremoreequitableandaccessibleWhereisallthisdatafrom?TheCBInsightsplatformhastheunderlyingdataincludedinthisreportClickheretosignupforfreeTableofContentsMakingwomen’shealthcaremoreaffordableandaccessible8Improvingmaternitycare13Personalizingmenstrualcare19Enhancingunderstandingofmenopause21Equalizingcancercare23Destigmatizingwomen’ssexualwellnessandcontraception27Acceleratingreproductivecare28Demystifyingpelvichealth32Addressingothercommonconditions35Lookingahead37HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE3MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEWomenarepushingbackagainstahealthcaresystemthathaslargelyignoredtheirspecificneeds,creatingabroadspaceforstartupstoofferwomen-specificsolutions.Fromsmartphone-sizedcolposcopestoAI-poweredfertilitytrackers,welookatthecompaniesdevelopingthetechnologytoclosethechasminwomen’shealthcare.WomencomprisehalfthepopulationandcontrolmostofthehealthcarespendingintheUS,yetthevastmajorityofmodernmedicinehasbeendesignedaroundmen’sanatomy.Itwasn’tuntil1993,whentheUSCongresspassedtheNIHRevitalizationAct,thatwomenwererequiredtobeincludedinclinicaltrials.Andevenwiththatregulationinplace,studiesstillshowthatwomenareheavilyunderrepresentedinmedicalresearch.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE4MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEThelackofwomen-specifichealthcaresolutionshasledtomisdiagnosisanddelayedtreatment.Forexample,earlycardiovascularresearchwaslargelybasedonmalesubjects,whomostoftenexperiencepainintheleftarmandchestattheonsetofaheartattack.Women,however,typicallyexperiencenausea,heartburn,andpainintheupperabdomen—symptomsthatmaybemistakenasindigestion.Asaresult,womenaremisdiagnosedmoreoftenthanmenand,inturn,aremorelikelytodieofaheartattack.Agrowinggroupofmostlywomen-ownedtechnologycompaniesisleadingthechargetoclosethegendergapinmedicine,bydevelopingwomen-specifichealthcare(femtech)solutions.Whatstartedasasmallnicheinabigmarketisnowexpandingatadouble-digitCAGRandwillreportedlybea$100Bindustryby2030.Theriseoffemtechoffersneededsolutionsforwomenwhohavehadtoaccepthealthcarethatwasn’tdesignedfortheirphysiology.It’salsoahugeopportunitythat’sexperiencinganupswellinfunding,companylaunches,andcommunication.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE5MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:MCKINSEYWithmanyneedsstillunmet,well-fundedfemtechstartupswillcontinuetodeveloptechnologythathelpswomenfinallyaccessthecaretheyneed.Here,weexaminethetechnologythatiscreatinganewrealityforwomen’shealthcare.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE6MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEInthisreport,weexplainhowdifferentinnovations—fromnewdevicestoAI-enabledhealthcarebenefits—areimprovingtheseareas:Makingwomen’shealthcaremoreaffordableandaccessibleImprovingmaternitycarePersonalizingmenstrualcareEnhancingunderstandingofmenopauseEqualizingcancercareDestigmatizingwomen’ssexualwellnessandcontraceptionAcceleratingreproductivecareDemystifyingpelvichealthAddressingothercommonconditionsHOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE7MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEMakingwomen’shealthcaremoreaffordableandaccessibleWomenspendmorethanmenonhealthcareintheUS,especiallyduringchildbearingyears.Theyalsotendtobeprimarycaregivers,leavingthemlesstimetocareforthemselves.Severalfemtechstartupsareworkingtocreateadistributedmodelofwomen-specifichealthcarethat’ssupportedbyemployerbenefitplansandaccessibleinavarietyofconvenientways.BENEFITSANDFINANCINGThecostofhealthcareis80%higherforwomenofchildbearingagethanmen,accordingtotheUSDepartmentofLabor.Thishighcostforceswomentomakedifficultchoices.AKFFstudyshowedthat1in4womenhadproblemspayingmedicalbillsin2020.Ofthatgroup,almosthalfsaidthatmedicalbillsmadeitdifficulttopayforothernecessitieslikehousingandfood.Meanwhile,theJAMAnetworkpointedoutthatwomenaremorelikelythanmentoskiparecommendedmedicaltestortreatmentduetocost.Peppyisonestartupworkingwithemployerstoofferwomenasolution.ThroughthePeppyplatform,companiescangivetheiremployeesaccesstospecializedhealthcareprofessionals,educationalresources,groupchats,andliveevents.Peppyprovidesprogramsandexpertiserelatedtowomen-centrichealthissueslikemenopause,fertility,andendometriosis.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE8MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:PEPPYPeppysecured$10Minfundingin2021andnowprovidesitsproducttoover250organizations.Earlierthisyear,thecompanyannouncedplanstoexpandintootherserviceslikementalhealth,contraception,andbreastcare.Fertilityservicesarecostlyandoftenneedtobepaidforout-of-pocket,whichhasledseveralfemtechstartupstofocusonfertilitybenefits.CarrotprovidesemployersandhealthplanproviderswithamanagedfertilitybenefitoptionforseveralprocedureslikeIVFandeggfreezing.Thecompanyraised$75Minfundinglastyearafterwatchingitsrevenueincrease5xovertheprevious2years.Progyny,anotherfertilityandfamily-buildingbenefitscompany,wasthefirstofitskindtogopublic.Atthetimeofits2019IPO,thecompanywasvaluedat$1.3B.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE9MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEOviaHealthtakesadata-drivenapproachtoreducingfamilyplanningcostsandimprovingoutcomes.Thestartup,whichwasacquiredbyLabcorpin2021,usesitsclinicalresearchandalgorithmstoofferpersonalizedinterventionsacrosseverythingfromfertilitytocaregiversupport.Theplatformisofferedthroughemployersasabenefitand,accordingtothecompany,deliversa4xreturnoninvestment.Somestartupsareaddressingthehighcostofhealthcarethroughcreativefinancing.GaiaworksdirectlywithfamiliesinsteadofthroughemployerstomakeIVFmoreaffordable.ItaccomplishesthisbyfirstmeasuringpotentialIVFsuccessrateusingitspredictiontechnology.Clientsarethenabletomakebetterfamilyplanningdecisionsandreducethechanceofspendingthousandsofdollarsonunsuccessfultreatments.Gaiaprovidesaflatratethatdoesn’tincreaseforunsuccessfulprocedures,anditrequiresthosethatdosuccessfullygivebirthtopaybackthecostofcompletedIVFroundsinmonthlyinstallments.Essentially,theplanworkslikestand-aloneinsurance,wheresuccessfulmembershelpcoverthecostsforthosethatdon’tconceiveandgivebirth.VIRTUALCLINICSTheneedtophysicallyattendmedicalappointmentscanalsobeabarriertowomentryingtoaccesshealthcare.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE10MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLE“Womenhavetraditionallyputofftheirowncarewhilefocusingontheneedsoffamilymembersandotherlovedones.TheCOVIDpandemicaddeduniquechallengesthatputintostarkrelieftheneedtomakeaccesstocaresimpleandhassle-freeforwomen.”—CynthiaZelis,chiefmedicalofficeratMDLive,toHealthcareDiveThatmaybeakeyreasonwhytelehealthandvirtualmedicinearemorepopularamongwomen.Teladoc,oneofthelargestvirtualhealthcareproviders,saidwomenmadeup64%ofitsgeneralmedicalvisitsinearly2021.Similarly,researchbyTrilliantHealthfoundthatwomenusetelehealthservicesmorefrequentlythanmen—accountingforamajorityof“high”and“super”usercohorts.SOURCE:TRILLIANTHEALTHHOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE11MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEStartupsandinvestorsarebankingonthistrendtocontinue.Forexample,Tiasecured$100MinfundinglastSeptembertoexpanditshybridmodelofvirtualandin-personcareforwomen.Thecompanydelivers60%ofitsappointmentsvirtually,butit’salsoopeningnewin-personclinicsinamovetodefragmentwomen’shealthcare.“Twelvemonthsago,peopleweresaying,‘Thedoctor’sofficeisdead,andtelehealthisthefuture,’Buttelehealthaloneisn’ttheanswer.It’saboutconnectedcare.”—CarolynWitte,TIAco-founder,viaFierceHealthcarePhysicianswhohavepracticedintraditionalbrick-and-mortarofficeswillneedtoevolvetheirpracticestomeetthegrowingdemandforvirtualservices.NablaleanedintothechallengeandrecentlypivoteditsproductfromaB2CvirtualclinictoanAI-enabledpatientengagementplatform.It’sdesignedtohelpclinicianscommunicatewithpatientsonlineatscale.ThereareevengreaterdisparitiesinhealthcareforwomenofcolorintheUS—forexample,BlackwomenfacelowerlifeexpectancyandhighermaternalmortalityratesthanotherUSwomen.Kiirahasbuiltavirtualclinicthatgivesusers24/7accesstoarangeofpersonalized,culture-centricvirtualservices.Thecompanyreceiveda$4Mseedroundin2021andhasexpandeditsin-personfootprintbyopeningbrick-and-mortarclinicsinLosAngeles.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE12MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEImprovingmaternitycareAsof2020,theUShadthehighestmaternalmortalityraterelativetootherhigh-incomecountries.Itrecorded23.8deathsper100,000livebirths,accordingtoTheCommonwealthFund.SOURCE:THECOMMONWEALTHFUNDHOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE13MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLETheUSalsohadthehighestrateofavoidablematernaldeaths—ametricthatoftenreflectspublichealthandcaredeliverygaps.Notcoincidentally,theUSisalsoanoutlieramongitspeersgiventhatitdoesnotguaranteeaccesstoproviderhomevisitsduringthepost-partumperiod.Additionally,incontrasttotheUS,midwives—whoareoftenmoreavailableinbetweenprimarycareappointmentsandhaveprovenkeytomaternaldeathprevention—greatlyoutnumberOB-GYNsinotherhigh-incomecountries.TheoveralltotalofmaternitycareprovidersisalsomuchhigheroutsideoftheUS.Asaresult,startupsinthisspaceareleveragingtechnologylikevirtualhealthappsandat-hometestingequipmenttoreducetheneedformoreproviders.PREGNANCYANDPOSTPARTUMTechnologysuchasonlinechatsupport,machinelearning,andremotemonitoringcouldhelpclosethecaregapforparentsbeforeandaftergivingbirth.Onlineapps,inparticular,canpickuptheslackbetweenin-personvisitswithanOB-GYN.Forexample,CayabaCareworkswithinsuranceproviderstosupportwomenduringandafterpregnancy.Throughthefreeplatform,expectantindividualsarepairedwithalocalmaternitynavigator,apatientcarecoordinator,asocialworker,andanursepractitioner.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE14MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:CAYABACAREThroughtheCayabaCareapp,womencanaskaboutsymptomswithoutwaitingforanappointment,oftenleadingtoearlierdiagnosisandbettertreatment.Meanwhile,ZayaCarehelpsexpectantmothersfindpractitionersthatmeettheirneedsandtaketheirinsurance.Usersenterafewpiecesofinformation,includingwhattypeofcaretheyrequireandtheinsurancetheyhave.Theappthenmatchesthemwithexperiencedprovidersthatcanmeetthemonlineorathome.ZayaCareraisedanearly$8MseedroundledbyInspiredCapitalinMarch2022.StartupDelfinahasbuiltapregnancydataplatformthatusesmachinelearningtohelpcareteamsassesstheriskofcomplicationsbeforeandduringchildbirth.Theplatformcontinuouslyingestsclinical,physicalhealth,andmentalhealthdatatodynamicallyupdateapatient’sriskprofile.CliniciansuseDelfinatomoreaccuratelypredictpotentialcomplicationsandinterveneearlier.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE15MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEDuringpregnancy,remotemonitoringenablesadistributedcaremodelthatgivesprovidersaccesstosimilarlevelsofdiagnosticsacrosshomeandhospitalsettings.Babyscriptsincorporatesaremotebloodpressuremonitorasadatapointforproviderstoassesspregnancyrisks.NuvoGroup‘sINVUmonitorsmaternalandfetalheartrates,anditsendsthatinformationtotheclinician’sdashboardforongoingassessment.Oula’sappactslikeavirtualmidwife,givingexpectantmotherssupportinbetweentheirin-personprovidervisits.Thestartuphasreceivedover$3Minfundingtodateandhasopened2in-personclinicstopairwithitsonlineservices.BREASTFEEDINGNursingmothersoftenfacechallengeswhenbeginningtobreastfeed.Lowmilksupplyandlackofinstitutionalsupportandtrainingarecommon.Plus,motherscanspendhundredsofhoursbreastfeedingandhundredsofdollarsonpumpsandstorageeachyear.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE16MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:CDCSeveralstartupsareconnectingmotherswiththesupporttheyneedtobetternavigatethisearlystep.Forexample,LactAppisapay-what-you-canappthatdeliverspersonalizedresponsestobreastfeedingqueriesintheformofwrittenandvideoguides.LactAppMedicalandLactAppClinicalgivehealthcareprofessionalsanadditionalresourceandsecondopiniontheycanusetoprovidebetterpatientcare.Pumpspottingisanotherdigitalsupportsystemfornursingparents.Theconnected,globalcommunityhelpsmembersfindmom-approvedfeedinglocations,sharestoriesfromtheirownexperiences,andsendwordsofencouragement.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE17MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEOthercompaniesarehelpingparentsmonitortheirbaby’snutrition.Forexample,LactationInnovationsoffersabutton-sizedmonitorsimilartoabloodoxygenmeterthatdetectshowmuchbreastmilkababyhasingested.Ireland-basedstartupCorofloaddsflowmeterstoastandardnippleshieldthatsendsdatawirelesslytoanapp.Breastfeedingmomsgetreal-timemilkflowdatatoensuretheirbabiesreceivepropernutrition.Meanwhile,MyMilkLabs’Myleeisasensorthatteststhemilk’selectrochemicalcompositionand,withtheassociatedapp,tellsparentsiftheirmilkisprogressingattheexpectedrate.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE18MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEPersonalizingmenstrualcareRoughlyhalfoftheworld’spopulationwillexperiencemenstruation,butthesubjecthaswidelybeenmadetaboo.AstudyconductedbyThinx—amakerofperiod-proofunderwear—revealedthat42%ofwomenhavebeenshamedforhavingaperiod.Thestigmaaroundperiodcaremakesfindingproductsthatfitwomen’spersonalneedsandpreferencesmuchmoredifficult.Inresponse,femtechstartupsarecreatingmorepersonalizedsolutionsforwomen.Formanywomen,oneissuetheyseewithcurrentfemininehygieneproductsistheamountofwastetheyproduce.Someestimatessuggestthatasinglemenstruatingpersonwilluseanddiscardanywherefrom5,000to15,000padsandtamponsovertheirlifetime.Mostofthosewillwindupinlandfills,wherethey’lltake500to800yearstodegrade.Germany-basedstartupVYLDhasamoresustainableoption:periodproductsmadefromseaweed.VYLD’sproductsaremarinedegradable,meaningtheywon’tcontributetooceanpollution.Femlyalsooffersplant-basedperiodcareproducts.Throughasubscriptionservice,Femlycustomerscanchoosefromdifferenttypesofpadsdependingontheirpersonalneeds.Meanwhile,theperiod-trackingappClueaimstohelpwomenunderstandtheircyclebetter.Userscancalculatefertilitywindowsandunderstandtheeffectstheirindividualcyclehasontheirskin,mood,andenergylevels.Thecompanyhasraisedover$47Minfundingtodate.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE19MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:CLUEOtherstartupsareworkingtohelppeopleoptimizewellnessateachstageoftheirmenstrualcycle.Forexample,28hasdevelopedafitnessandhealthprogramthatvariesbasedonhormonalfluctuationsthatoccurduringthe4phasesofthemenstrualcycle.ThielCapitalrecentlyleda$3Minvestmentin28,whichwillletthecompanyinvestinmorecycle-basednutritional,workout,andemotionalguidanceforitsusers.Wild.aialsohelpswomentrainbasedonhowtheirneedsevolvethroughoutboththeircycleandlifestages.Theappautomaticallyadjustsitsfoodandexerciserecommendationsbasedontypicalhormonefluctuations.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE20MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEEnhancingunderstandingofmenopauseFormanywomen,menopausecomeswithmoderatetoseveresymptoms—includinghotflashes,jointpain,brainfog,andfatigue—thatcangreatlyaffecttheirqualityoflife.Thesuddendropinestrogencanalsoleadtoanxietyanddepression.Assignificantasthisnaturalphaseis,thereislittleinthewayofformaleducationforwomenwhowillexperienceit.RecentsurveyresultspublishedinSageJournalsrevealthat90%ofwomenarenoteducatedaboutmenopauseatschool,and60%don’tfeelatallinformedaboutit.Thismakesitdifficultforwomentoidentifysymptomsofmenopauseandseeksupport.Infact,onlyaquarterofwomenaffectedbymenopausesymptomsgettreatment,accordingtoBonafide’sStateofMenopauseStudy.Withover83MwomenintheUSovertheageof40andthepopulationofolderAmericansgrowing,themarketformenopausesolutionsislargeandexpanding.By2030,themenopausemarketisexpectedtoreach$24.4B,asperGrandViewResearch.SOURCE:GRANDVIEWRESEARCHHOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE21MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEInmanycases,womenavoidseekingtreatmentbecauseofdiscomfortoverdiscussingpersonalissues.Asaresult,agrowingnumberofstartupsarelookingtoboosttheaccessibilityofcarethroughremoteoptions.Forexample,Roryconnectspatientstodoctorswhocantreatmenopausesymptomswithprescriptionsandsupplements,alldelivereddiscreetlytothepatient’shome.Rory’sparentcompany,Ro,raised$150MinSeriesDfundinginearly2022,valuingthecompanyat$7B.Alloy’stelehealth-drivenmenopauseprescriptionservicefocusesonplant-basedhormonetherapies.Thecompanyalsoprovideseducationalpagesoneachofthemostcommonmenopausesymptoms.Toaddressthegenderdatagapandofferpersonalizedmenopausecare,ViraHealthlaunchedStella,aproviderofAI-backeddigitaltherapeuticsformenopause.Stellaprovidespersonalizedguidancesupportingbehavioralandlifestylechangesthathavebeenshowntohelpwomenmitigateandmanagetheeffectsofmenopause.Thecompanyplanstoexpanditsapproachtocoverothercommonhealthconcernswomenface.Anotherfactorthatcomplicatestheeffectivedeliveryofmenopausecareisthefactthatmanygeneralpracticephysicians,andevensomeOB-GYNs,don’thaveexpertisesurroundingthenuancesoftreatingmenopause.Despitethisgap,mostwomen—4outof5,accordingtoanAARPsurvey—areneverreferredtoamenopausespecialist.Gennevworksdirectlywithphysicianstohelpthembecome“menopausesupportiveproviders.”ThroughtheGennevapp,primarydoctorscanoffertheirpatientsintegratedmenopausecareandeducationalprograms,andtheycanalsokeepthemselvesuptodateonnewresearch.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE22MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEEqualizingcancercareResearchfordiseasesthatprimarilyaffectwomenisoftenunderfundedcomparedtoresearchonthosethatprimarilyaffectmen.Forexample,studieshaveshownthatgynecologiccancers(e.g.,ovarian,cervical,uterine)rankfarbelowprostatecancerinresearchfunding.ThoughbreastcanceristhemostcommontypeofcancerintheUS—anditsresearchgarnersmorefundingthanmostothers—thereisstillagapintheresearchconductedwhenitcomestoraceandethnicity.Andthatgapisnotwithoutconsequence.“Allofourpatientswhoidentifyaspatientsofcolorhavereallybeenleftbehindinthis[breastcancerriskassessment]domain.TheriskmodelsthatarebeingusedinhealthcarewerebuiltonEuropeanCaucasianwomen.”—Dr.ConnieLehman,chiefdiagnosticradiologistanddirectorofbreastimagingatBoston’sMassGeneralHospital,viaCNBCWhilebreastcancerincidence(occurrenceofnewcases)ishigherinnon-Hispanicwhitewomen,themortalityrateisover40%higherinnon-Hispanicblackwomen.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE23MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:SUSANG.KOMENDr.LehmandevelopedanAI-poweredbreastscanthatformedthebasisofthefemtechstartupClairity.ClairityleveragesAI-poweredbreastimaginganalysistohelpwomenbetterdeterminetheirbreastcancerriskaswellasprovidepersonalizedcareplansforpatients.KoiosusesAIandmachinelearningtosupporttheclinicaldiagnosisofbreastcancer.Itsplatformcomparesapatient’sultrasoundwithhundredsofthousandsofpreviousimagesfromconfirmedcasestoincreasethechanceofacorrectdiagnosis.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE24MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEMeanwhile,FrontwaveImaging‘shigh-resolution3Dultrasoundimagesaimtomakeiteasierforhealthcareproviderstotracktheprogressofatumor.Frontwaveclaimsthatitsultrasoundsareclearerandsaferthanstandardmammographyscreeningmethods,whichrelyonionizingradiation.SiriusMedicalisalsoworkingtomaketheremovalofbreastcancertumorsmoreprecisebygivingsurgeonsreal-timedirectionalguidancethroughtheuseofitsnavigationalsoftware,GPSDetect.Anotherthreattowomen’shealthisovariancancer.Whilethesurvivalrateishighforwomendiagnosedwithstage1ovariancancer,only16%ofovariancancersarefoundearly,accordingtotheOvarianCancerResearchAlliance.Manyovariancancersymptoms,likepelvicpainandbloating,aremisdiagnosed,decreasingthechanceofearlydetectionandsuccessfultreatment.AOADxhasdevelopedanewbloodtestthatisreportedly53%moreeffectiveatdetectingearly-stageovariancancerthancurrenttests.TheYCombinator-backedstartuplanded$7MinSeriesAfundinginSeptember2022.Still,thehighcostofastandardcolposcopy,andtheneedforspecialistadministration,canmakeitdifficultforwomeninunder-resourcedlocationstogetatimelycervicalcancerdiagnosis.Toaddressthisissue,MobileODTlaunchedamobilecolposcopethatusesasmartphoneequippedwithalightsource,amagnifier,anditsAIalgorithm.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE25MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLESOURCE:MOBILEODTThesmaller,lessexpensivedeviceallowsforfastdetectionandcanbeusedbynon-specialists,makingcervicalcancerscreeningaccessibletomillionsmorewomen.Similarly,IllumigynrecentlypartneredwithPeramareEnterprisestomakeitsGynescopeavailableacrossAfrica.Thesystemletsanyprovider,includingmidwives,capturehigh-resolutionimagesduringapapsmearandmakethemsecurelyavailableforotherpractitionerstoofferfeedback.Asaresult,patientsdon’thavetowaitforanOB-GYNappointment,andtheycangetasecondopinionwithoutasecondprocedure.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE26MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEDestigmatizingwomen’ssexualwellnessandcontraceptionSexualwellnessandcontraceptiontechnologyhelpwomenprotecttheirhealthandimprovethequalityoftheirsexlives.Unfortunately,societalbiasesstillkeepmanywomenfromexploringalloftheiroptions.Startupsaresteppingintomakewomen’ssexualhealthcaremoreaccessibleandmainstream.Forexample,theRosyappprovidesresearch-based,personalized,shame-freesexualwellnessplanstohelpwomenwhosufferfromlowlibido.Userscanjoingrouptherapysessions,get1:1coaching,andconnectanonymouslywithacommunityofpeoplewithsimilarconcerns.Thecompanylanded$2MinseedfundinginAugust2021.Lionessisalsoaddressingwomen’ssexualwellnesswithitssmartvibrators.Sensorssendinformationabouteachorgasmtoanappthatenableswomentoseehowfactorslikealcohol,sleep,andstressaffectthem.Startupsarealsohelpingwomenunderstandandaccessdifferentoptionsforbirthcontrol.Forexample,Adynhasadoptedascience-basedmethodforchoosingcontraception.ItoffersTheBirthControlTest—anat-homesamplecollectionkitthatmeasureshormonebaselinelevels.Theresultsareusedtodeterminehowindividualswilllikelyreacttotheestrogenandprogestinusedinhormonalcontraception.Physiciansreviewthesamplesandprescribethebestoptionforeachuser.Similarly,Tuuneanalyzeswomen’shormonelevelsviaat-homefinger-prickteststorecommendthebestbirthcontrol.Women’ssexualhealthisstillanunderservedareathathashighgrowthpotential.AcumenResearchandConsultingexpectsthattheglobalsexualwellnessmarket,whichincludesbothdigitalandtraditionalproductsandprocedures,willexpandtoover$122Bby2030.HOWTECHISMAKINGWOMEN’SHEALTHCARE27MOREEQUITABLEANDACCESSIBLEAcceleratingreproductivecareInfertilityisgenerallydefinedas“notbeingabletogetpregnant(conceive)afteroneyear(orlonger)ofunprotectedsex,”accordingtotheCDC.IntheUS,nearly1in5heterosexualwomenaged15to49dealwiththisissue.Additionally,morethan1in4womenintheUShaveissuesbecomingorremainingpregnant(impairedfecundity).Formanywomen,therootoftheirdifficultyandapathforwardisunclear