Proov launches at-home perimenopause test
Proov Empower is designed to guide hormone balance, provide insights and create personalised plans for women
Women’s health at-home diagnostics and treatment company Proov has launched Proov Empower, an at-home perimenopause testing experience designed to guide women through hormonal changes and symptoms and to support hormone balance.
Guiding insight
The Proov Empower Perimenopause Testing System aims to provide a comprehensive and personalised insight into how a woman’s changing hormones could be impacting her overall health and wellness.
While doctors advise that there is no single ‘test’ for perimenopause, Proov’s noninvasive, multi-time point urine tests provides insights by measuring four key hormones (FSH, estrogen marker E1G, progesterone marker PdG, and LH) that impact a person’s symptoms and perimenopause experience.
Proov Empower incorporates evaluations of menstrual cycle changes and perimenopause symptoms to identify a woman’s perimenopause stage and give the full picture of her perimenopause status. The app also provides personalized solution recommendations, including a referral to trusted clinical partners if needed.
As perimenopause progresses, Proov Empower can be used as a guide and partner on a woman’s hormone journey through periodic retesting as hormones and symptoms change, helping women find answers during the transition to menopause. In addition to testing, Proov offers a suite of supplement products to help women during their menopause journey.
Amy Beckley, PhD and CEO of Proov said:
“At Proov, we have spent nearly a decade helping women understand their hormones so they can feel empowered, in control of their bodies, and thrive. We are thrilled to announce our commitment to creating a world where women are in control of their hormonal journey at every stage of their lives with the Proov Empower Perimenopause Testing System.”
Proov’s launch will also include a partnership with virtual care clinic Midi Health, where users of the test can connect with Midi’s medical providers for further support.
Dr. Kathleen Jordan, Chief Medical Officer of Midi Health, is excited to see home testing evolve to support women's health.
The rise of at-home perimenopause tests
A number of at-home perimenopause tests have arrived on the market in recent years including ClearBlue, Everlywell and reveal. They are completed either as a finger prick test or via urine test and measure a range of hormones. While these tests can’t definitively determine perimenopause or menopause - and as a results these tests have come under some criticism from doctors - many users still value the insights they bring in this complex phase of life.
Perimenopause is defined as the five to 10 years of transition leading up to menopause. 75 million women are in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause right now in the US - with 6,000 more women reaching menopause each day.
As perimenopause begins, hormones fluctuate and shift out of balance, triggering a broad range of debilitating symptoms, like heavier periods, anxiety and depression, abdominal weight gain, changes in sexual desire, muscle aches, hot flashes and insomnia. These symptoms can dramatically alter a person’s quality of life, and recent research from the Mayo Clinic found such symptoms can cost an estimated $1.8 billion in lost work time each year.
While most people associate hot flashes with menopause, many do not know that hot flashes are one of the latter symptoms of perimenopause, so women may not even suspect their hormones are changing for quite some time – leaving them to suffer without answers.
Beckley continues:
“Women’s health has been historically understudied. This has left billions of women and their health concerns ignored and in the dark when it comes to their healthcare.
“Proov Empower is designed to help women better understand their menopause transition, manage symptoms, and find balance to live their best lives. Women shouldn’t be in the dark when it comes to their health; we want them to feel in control, heard, and valued. Our mission with Proov Empower is to do just that.”