Female-founded startup Bummed launches to destigmatize anorectal care
85% of pregnant women encounter hemorrhoids during the third trimester
A new digital health startup, Bummed, has launched with a mission to make anorectal health “simple and stigma-free.” The female-founded company is the first dedicated telehealth platform for the education, treatment, and prevention of common anorectal conditions, including constipation, hemorrhoids, and anal fissures.
Founded by Jennifer Dwork and Rebecca Monahan, both early employees of women’s telehealth company Wisp, Bummed offers custom-compounded prescription treatments that were previously only available through specialist care. The platform connects patients with clinicians online and delivers medications directly to their homes. These compounded formulations are not FDA-approved but are prepared by partner pharmacies using clinically informed ingredients.
Addressing an overlooked health issue
Bummed’s founders say the company was created to fill a major gap in accessible, evidence-based care for conditions that affect a large proportion of adults yet remain widely stigmatized. Up to 75% of Americans will experience hemorrhoids in their lifetime, and 85% of pregnant women encounter them during the third trimester.
The company points to broader factors contributing to anorectal issues, including sedentary lifestyles, ultraprocessed diets, and the growing use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, which can cause constipation.
“Hemorrhoids are often the butt of a joke—but that’s silly,” said Dwork.
“Nearly three-quarters of adults will experience them. They’re also one more condition pregnant women are expected to suffer through without real solutions or guidance. We’re changing that by offering online prescriptions that are safe for most pregnant women and actually relieve pain. As a pregnant woman myself, I know how important it is to find comfort during an already uncomfortable time.”
Monahan added that shame and inaccessibility often prevent women from seeking timely care.
“Anorectal care is highly stigmatized, so many women wait until their pain is unbearable—then end up in the ER. With Bummed, we’re changing that pattern: delivering timely, evidence-based telehealth that validates women’s pain, keeps unnecessary ER visits down, and supports an overburdened healthcare workforce facing record burnout.”
The access problem
Traditional ways of seeking care - such as seeing a gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon - can be prohibitively expensive and difficult to access. According to Bummed, patients typically wait more than two months for an appointment, and out-of-pocket costs can exceed $200 even with insurance.
Ignoring symptoms like bleeding or pain can delay diagnosis of more serious conditions, including colorectal cancer, which is rising among younger adults. The company says its clinicians can triage patients online and refer them for in-person evaluation when necessary, aiming to encourage earlier care and reduce unnecessary emergency visits.
Focus on pregnant people and women’s health
The startup is particularly focused on improving care for pregnant people, who often experience hemorrhoids and constipation due to hormonal and physiological changes, diet, and inactivity. Yet many effective prescription treatments are unavailable or untested for this group.
Bummed says it is bringing together OBGYNs, gastroenterologists, and colorectal surgeons to advise on treatment safety and develop options suitable for pregnant people. Constipation is also roughly twice as common in women as in men, driven by hormonal, anatomical, and lifestyle factors. The company’s founders say they want to normalize conversations about anorectal care so that women feel empowered to seek help rather than endure symptoms in silence.
Clinically guided and female-led
Bummed’s Chief Medical Officer is Dr. Carmen Fong, a double board-certified colorectal surgeon and author of Constipation Nation: What to Know When You Can’t Go (Bloomsbury, 2024). The company’s medical advisory board includes gastroenterologists and OBGYNs.
The startup’s product range includes prescription creams for hemorrhoids, fissures, and itching, as well as an oral constipation treatment. All formulations are compounded through partner pharmacies and backed by clinical evidence, according to the company.
For Dwork and Monahan, the mission is personal. Dwork, who is pregnant, says she founded Bummed after struggling to find safe, effective treatment options for herself. Monahan’s motivation stems from her mother’s late-diagnosed colon cancer and years of working to expand telehealth access.
Looking ahead
Bummed joins a growing number of digital health brands targeting historically neglected aspects of women’s and digestive health. It’s also part of the emerging ecosystem forming around the widespread use of GLP-1 drugs, which have highlighted constipation and other gastrointestinal side effects as unmet needs in care.