Meet The Women’s Health Companies Disrupting The Wearable Space

Mother’s Day marked the beginning of National Women’s Health Week (NWHW), an initiative by the U.S. Department of Health aimed at raising awareness about issues that affect women, and inviting them to take the time to practice self-care. Proper nutrition, exercising and preventive well-woman visits are key recommended practices.

Some other, aspects, such as pelvic, intimate or sexual health, are sometimes not highlighted enough in public initiatives. Thankfully, there’s a group of female founders that are bringing awareness to neglected or taboo areas of women’s health, and raising millions of dollars to bring innovative solutions to women worldwide. These are the tech companies helping women take control of their wellness and live healthier lives – and changing perceptions and constraints around what it means to be a woman .

Elvie, The Women’s Health Tech Company Redefining Motherhood And Intimate Health

Elvie is a health and lifestyle brand developing smarter technology for women. The UK-based startup’s first product was the Elvie Trainer, an app-connected Kegel trainer that helps women strengthen the pelvic floor via fun, five-minute workouts. Most recently, the femtech company launched its second innovation, Elvie Pump, the world’s first silent wearable breast pump, making breast pumping as easy, streamlined and flexible as possible for moms.

After announcing a $42 Million funding round, the largest investment in the femtech category to date, the creators of the Elvie launched the “Free the Feed” campaign to raise awareness about the stigma surrounding breastfeeding, and most recently, for Mother’s Day, the company unveiled “A Mother and More”. The campaign featuring stunning portraits shot by Brock Elbank aims to spotlight the dual identity of woman and mother, highlighting a diverse group of 12 women and their identities outside of their mother role.

Tania Boler, CEO of Elvie said “We want to change the idea that once a woman becomes a mother, it is the only thing that defines her. Being a mom is an important part of many women’s lives, but it’s not the only aspect, and it’s important that we celebrate women on an individual level — their successes, their strength, and their passions, in motherhood and beyond .”

Ohnut, The Wearable Destigmatizing Female Pleasure And Its Nuances

75% of women will experience painful sex in their lifetime — and sexual discomfort can be attributed to various women’s health conditions ranging from endometriosis, scar tissue after surgery or childbirth, pelvic pain or menopause, to name a few. Emily Sauer, founder and CEO of Ohnut, says “Many of these people are silently enduring, either because they don’t think there’s anything they can do about their challenge, or they’re too embarrassed to bring it up to their partner or their doctor. Painful sex affects millions of couples, and yet it’s still an area that’s mired in taboo and shame. That’s why a product like Ohnut is so important.”

Ohnut is a non-invasive, non-hormonal tool that straddles the line between the medical community and the sexual wellness community, designed to help couples connect with their bodies and each other without fear of pain. The product launched with a crowdfunding campaign that raised 60k and is championed by OBGYNs, pelvic floor therapists and sex therapists all over the world.

Kegg, Helping Women Understand Their Fertility

Kegg is the world’s first connected device to sense cervical mucus – the only metric which determines cyclical conception probability, as opposed to the basal body temperature shift, which comes after ovulation has occurred. Apart from maximizing the chances of conception, women can also exercise their pelvic floor.

Kristina, founder and CEO says “Our vision is not just to help women conceive but also to enable preventive fertility care, natural birth control, and menopause management in the near future.” Kegg will launch with a Kickstarter campaign this summer.

Womanizer, Challenging Perceptions Of Sexuality After Menopause

If there is an area of women’s health that is taboo, that is sexual health during menopause. Womanizer is a sexual wellness company that designs innovative products for female pleasure. A pilot study named Treatment of Orgasmic Difficulty in Perimenopausal, Menopausal and Post-Menopausal Women found the Womanizer Deluxe, an indirect clitoral stimulator, to be highly effective in helping menopausal women improve sexual function, sexual distress and overall quality of life.

The 4-week pilot study included 22 menopausal women experiencing orgasmic difficulty with a mean age of 56. 86% of the participants stated that the Womanizer improved their sexual response. Nagma V. Clark, Ph.D., AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Womanizer Expert said “The study shows that the Womanizer is a powerful sexual empowerment tool for women who have struggled with absent or weak orgasms. Being able to experience consistent pleasure is an incredibly validating experience and not only improves a woman’s sexual function and response, but also her overall sense of well being because it alleviates feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.”

Bloomlife, Helping Women Interpret Their Bodies Signs During Pregnancy

Bloomlife has developed a hands-free, cord-free, stress-free contraction monitoring system. Its comfortable, wearable sensor automatically tracks and records frequency, duration and patterns of your contractions. The venture backed company aims to provide a trustworthy system for women to better understand their pregnancy and their body.

“The changes that a woman’s body goes through from pregnancy through postpartum are monumental yet maternal health is often a neglected part of perinatal care. Bloomlife puts moms first, unlocking data previously stuck in hospitals and putting the information at the woman’s fingertips. Access to information gives her agency in her own care, confidence to make the best personal decisions and peace of mind during her pregnancy journey”, said Molly Dickens, PhD and Head of Community.

Design, technology and female leadership have met to create some of the smartest innovations for women. What a great way to celebrate this National Women’s Health Week!