Using tech to destigmatise women’s health issues
Melissa Snover, a registered nutritionist, and founder and CEO of 3D-printed personalised vitamin brand, Nourished, says:
“Technology has become an inherent and necessary component of everyday life, with far-reaching implications for all parts of society. This brings with it a significant amount of opportunity, and so it only makes sense that we take advantage of what is available to destigmatise women’s health issues, some of which are still considered taboo.
While increasing the number of women in the technology industry has rightly been a priority of this generation, it is equally critical that we urge the industry as a whole to utilise its knowledge to break down old taboos in other areas of life. Female health, such as menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, has long been regarded a niche subject only important to women, and has been associated with a great deal of stigma. As a result, a lack of research into women's health and underrepresentation of female health issues has caused misunderstandings and insufficient support for people suffering from such health issues. Various research has found a gender health gap in the UK, with many women receiving poorer healthcare than men, such as the Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care Report, which found that systemic biases due to pregnancy, health and other issues prevented women between 2016 and 2018 receiving the care they need, and 217 women actually died during or up to six weeks after childbirth from causes associated with their pregnancy. This may be because women have been underrepresented in clinical trials and medical research, with pregnant women banned from participating in trials in the past.
However, we are now seeing the world increasingly waking up to the realities of women's health, with technology acting as a driving force for change and education. There are apps that enable women to track their menstrual cycles and ovulation windows in order to better understand and control their own bodies and experiences. Wearable technology that can now alter the temperature of one specific place on a woman's body during hot flushes, or others that allow for discreet and convenient breast pumping while breastfeeding, help to break down cultural barriers and stigmas. By building infrastructures in society that are available to all through the easy use of an app, and focusing on some of the challenges that women confront, we are legitimising those issues and the feelings that individuals who face them experience.
There are numerous new and fantastic technology developments that enable women to manage their own health concerns and find treatments that were previously useless or underdeveloped. Of course, we can always do more. More unknown women's health conditions, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which is estimated to impact one in every ten women in the UK, according to the NHS, continue to have minimal help available for women. As our focus shifts increasingly toward women's health issues, it is critical that we cast a light and focus our resources on a variety of female health challenges, not only the more obvious topics of menstruation and pregnancy.
When my best friend developed PCOS, after a lengthy period without a diagnosis, I became aware of the stigma and considerable lack of knowledge and support available for women suffering from the condition. The lack of education, care, and treatment astonished me and drove me to expand Nourished’s range, so women can take control of their symptoms and alleviate their suffering. That's why, utilising our innovative 3D-printing technology, we've designed bespoke blends of high-impact active ingredients that aid in the relief of symptoms associated with women's health conditions such as PCOS, menopause, menstrual cycles, and pregnancy.
With the ever-increasing number of different sorts of technologies emerging, there is even more potential for technology to bring positive change. Apps have been shown to be beneficial in putting answers to women's health issues into the debate and into the hands of ordinary people. However, as technology progresses and access to various types of machinery expands, entrepreneurs must broaden the demand and area of use to match. I never imagined I'd be learning software development and 3D printing skills from the ground up, but with this education, I'm able to make a meaningful difference with Nourished vitamins. I've always been a health fanatic with my own health, but now I'm delighted to say that my vision for nutrition and food technology can help relieve suffering and improve the health of many women throughout the world.
However, Nourished is just one of many companies that must continue to support women's health at all phases and in all areas of their lives. According to a survey of 2,000 women in the UK who are now experiencing menopause symptoms, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they needed to take time off as a result of their menopause symptoms. A quarter of respondents said they are unhappy at work because of the lack of support, with a majority of women also saying their workplace had not introduced any policies to make things easier for anyone experiencing menopause symptoms. This research demonstrates that menopause is not merely a worry for women but has a wider impact and should be on the radar of all companies. Female technology innovations can be a fantastic method to break through the taboo of women's health difficulties in the workplace in a helpful, respectful, and private way, allowing women to navigate solutions to their own health issues so that they can engage in the working world comfortably.”
