Hi, welcome to FutureFemHealth, the newsletter that brings you a weekly dose of news and inspiration about innovation in women’s health and FemTech.

I’m Anna and whether you’re a founder, an investor, someone who works in women’s health / FemTech or are simply a fan, I’m glad you’re here to join me.

TV broadcaster Naga Munchetty adenomyosis — TV broadcaster Naga Munchetty

Isn’t it amazing what a single story can do?

The BBC broadcaster Naga Munchetty has spoken about the daily pain she goes through with the womb condition adenomyosis.

"Right now as I sit here talking to you: I am in pain. Constant, nagging pain.

"In my uterus. Around my pelvis. Sometimes it runs down my thighs.

"And I'll have some level of pain for the entire show and for the rest of the day until I go to sleep."

You can listen to the full clip here.

And while 10% of women experience adenomyosis, most of us wouldn’t have known an awful lot about it until a week ago.

Like most areas of women’s health, there's been decades of stigma, a lack of research and near non-existent training for doctors.

Naga herself was only diagnosed 8 months ago after years of suffering.

Yet within just seven days Naga’s story has:

generated near widespread national media coverage of her experience and explanations of adenomyosis, plus follow up coverage of other women’s experience
led to a big uptick in google searches for the term ‘adenomyosis’
influenced thousands of social media posts.

The reminder? Stories really work. In women’s health, sharing real stories can break the stigma, create awareness and fill the education gap. (And if you can find a celebrity to help you to do that even better!)

📌 More news from women’s health and FemTech this week:

How do we close the gender health gap? Wired UK’s special health issue delves into how the Women’s Health Strategy plus the work of FemTech companies such as Maven, The Lowdown and Juno Bio may help with providing access to individualised, patient-focused care - but concludes that what we really need is more money into research. (Wired)
The NIH must address disparities in women’s health research funding. The Wired UK feature above is mirrored over the US in The Hill, with a similar plea for more equitable health research funding. The Hill
FDA weighs up when software should be classified as a medical device. An interesting case that could set a precedent - the FDA is likely to respond in October. (Axios)
Unlocking the trillion dollar female economy In this article about the increasing spending power of women, FemTech is called out as a growth area by VC firm Cake Ventures. (Tech Crunch)

📌 Menopause

Vira Health has secured a grant from Innovate UK. This will fund a 12-month project integrating its clinical menopause assessment tool into primary care workflows for the NHS. (*Spotted on Vira Health’s LinkedIn page)*
Post-hysterectomy care in Northern Ireland must improve, says patient. (BBC News)
How normalising menopause can help employers retain senior women. Ex J-Crew International President Tracy Gardner shares her story of menopause in the workplace and why it led her to step down from her role in 2010. (Bloomberg)

📌 Fertility, reproductive health & period care

Flo Health released its ‘Reproductive Health Report’ - another stark reminder of how far we still have to go to make reliable information about period and reproductive health accessible. (Flo Health website)
England’s first not-for-profit fertility clinic closes within a year of opening. (The Guardian)
IVF postcode lottery: Same-sex couples still being forced to spend up to £25k despite pledge to fix system. (i news)
The cancer-reducing birth control method you might not have heard of. Vox takes a look at the benefits and risks of the fallopian tube removal procedure, salpingectomy (Vox)
8 in 10 women say stigma around periods has held them back in their career. (Big Issue).

📌 Cardio health

Women more likely to die after heart attack than men (Healthline)

🙌🏻 That’s all for this week, thanks for reading and I hope these updates are helpful and interesting!

Anna

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Issue 7: 🌟 Stories smash stigma: Naga…