Issue 6: 👋🏼 Data breach fine for Premom, shocking NHS fertility report, Maven on TikTok

Seven stories from the world of women's health innovation and FemTech

👋🏼 Hey, welcome back and welcome to my new subscribers.

This week I’ve got seven short updates to share from the world of women’s health and FemTech.

We’re talking data privacy (again! but we really do have to), a shocking new report into GPs’ lack of understanding about how to provide fertility support, and FemTech giant Maven’s new foray onto TikTok.

Thanks for reading!

Anna

⭐️ 1) Another week, another data privacy issue in FemTech.

If you read issue 3 of this newsletter, you’ll know that I believe data privacy is the biggest reputational threat to innovation in women’s health.

In the latest breach, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found that fertility tracking app Premom was sharing really sensitive - and identifiable - health data with third parties.

The story gets worse, as revealed in the settlement press release:

“Premom shared user location data and device identifiers with two China-based companies flagged for suspect privacy practices without making appropriate disclosures or securing user consent.”

In other words, Premom was knowingly passing on personal and identifiable data with two companies that they likely knew were not safe - and they were deceiving users by not telling them they were doing this nor asking for their permission.

Premom has now been fined $200,000 - but tell that to Premom’s instagram page which has just carried on regardless. Sigh.

⭐️ 2) Our NHS GPs don’t understand fertility support guidelines

Navigating the world of fertility and IVF can be an incredibly stressful and anxious time for wannabe-parents.

We already know that in the UK there’s a postcode lottery when it comes to accessing treatment via the NHS.

Now a new report, by Progress Educational Trust (PET) has found that the postcode lottery is made worse because GPs don’t really understand the NICE guidelines on fertility (which provide guidance and recommendations about when to refer people for investigations and treatment).

It seems the confusion is worse among male GPs too. A total of 52% of male GPs would be likely to refer an eligible patient, compared to 73% of female GPs. The report also said younger and less experienced GPs were more likely to refer patients for IVF treatment.

It’s perhaps not surprising then that nearly three-quarters of GPs have received a complaint about access to fertility treatment in the last 12 months - with 10% seeing more than 10 complaints.

All of this patchy support and confusion means there’s no doubt that demand for private fertility options are likely to see a continued increase - that’s if you can afford them of course.

⭐️ 3) More Americans are getting fertility support through their employers - but large groups aren’t

Talking of IVF and affordability, over in the US, a very different model exists for fertility support with access generally coming through insurance and therefore often through employers as an employee benefit.

It’s big business.

A total of 54% of the biggest US employers (those with 20,000 workers or more) - covered IVF on health insurance in 2022, up from 36% in 2015. Even in smaller companies, 43% of employers with 500 or more workers offered IVF coverage.

A new article by Fortune dug deeper into this issue though.

Fortune found that if you work at a smaller company it’s unlikely you’ll get coverage. There’s also no real regulation in place for who gets coverage - although 21 states have laws mandating coverage of fertility treatments.

Medicaid, which is the state and federally funded program for people with low incomes, limits coverage for fertility issues.

The upshot of all of this? People on lower incomes and Black and Hispanic women are disproportionately affected says non-profit KFF, quoted in the Fortune article. (Interestingly, the article also notes that Medicaid does cover vasectomy).

⭐️ 4) Maven’s on TikTok!

FemTech giant Maven has launched a TikTok channel.

Maven is the largest virtual clinic for women's and family health covering everything through fertility, pregnancy and parenting. So given the huge resources Maven likely puts into its marketing, this TikTok launch is one to watch.

I do find their social strategies a bit of a puzzle though - Maven’s instagram content for example, is like a corporate comms channel (mention of awards they’ve won and new acquisitions etc - which don’t strike me as being of interest to the average consumer!)

And this new TikTok channel seems to be trying to reach audiences at every stage of their fertility journey. So you might be following after seeing a supportive post about IVF and then their next post is one about how to get your baby to sleep through the night.

⭐️ 5) Reduced rights in Florida

This issue is worth tracking. It’s worrying times over in Florida, where new legislation means doctors will be able to pick and choose who they do and don’t treat based on religious or moral grounds.

⭐️ 6) Could the new hot flush drug Fezolinetant be headed to the UK?

Last week, I wrote about the hot flush drug Fezolinetant being approved for use in the US.

To recap, this is a big deal because it’s a non-hormonal treatment for hot flushes that seems to be having good results. That’s great for women who have had certain cancers who may not be able to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), or for women who don’t want to take HRT.

It looks like here in the UK, NICE will be reviewing its use here beginning December 2023 which could see availability in 2024.

⭐️ 7) A hopeful step forward for menopause research in the UK

Also in the UK, this month saw the creation of the Menopause Research and Education Fund (MREF). The goal is to fund research into menopause, fund education for health professionals and ensure women have access to accurate and evidence-based information.

The MREF is still brand new and hasn’t yet been registered as a charity. BUT - it’s worth tracking given the names behind it: menopause campaigner Diane Danzebrink, menopause specialist Vikram Talaulikar and medical journalist and menopause campaigner Fiona Clark. Good luck team!

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➡️ ➡️ That’s all for this week! If you’ve got this far - thank you! - I’d really appreciate it if you could drop a ‘like’ on this post if it’s been useful for you. Suggestions and comments welcome too!