The women’s health app market is projected to hit $3.9 billion by 2026.
Up until the introduction of this industry, the last major innovation to advancing women’s body autonomy was the invention of the birth control pill in the 50’s. This observation comes from Ida Tin, CEO of the women’s health app Clue.
The creation of another avenue to deliver health information specifically for women, means taking a step closer towards better, inclusive care.
The creation of “femtech” will have many impacts on changing the lives of women. Here are the three we found most prominent.
Women Are Better Educated About Their Own Health
Online medical websites can seem daunting with the sheer amount of information they provide. With technical language and countless potential causes for a certain symptom, trying to sort through and understanding the right information can be difficult.
The woman’s body has functions, organs and chemical composition that are unique to women. Creating a resource that accounts and accommodates for this helps to alleviate the frustration of educating yourself online.
The learning can also come after a diagnosis. Sometimes a diagnosis can be hard for a patient to take in and adapt for. Depending on the severity, they may not be sure of how to adapt and struggle in imagining themselves living with the prognosis.
This common challenge is what inspired the creation of an app by the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Women being diagnosed with breast cancer were finding it challenging to remain positive. They also were feeling left in the dark about what to expect in terms of body and lifestyle changes.
The Beyond the Shock app aims to educate patients and their loved ones battling breast cancer. They do this through educational videos, inspirational stories from survivors and by providing an online communication forum. The forum allows patients newly diagnosed to ask professionals, women currently living with the disease and survivors about their concerns, apprehensions and inquiries.
By providing a community of individuals joined by the same cause, women feel comfortable and confident about the information they receive. Not only will advice here be accurate, but because it is from a peer or trusted ally, it will be more likely to be adhered to.
Community is not just beneficial during times of crises. Developing a community centered on health and wellbeing is vital at any age or health condition. The app 99Walks aims to create communities for women to get into walking so they can be happier and healthier.
Women can connect with friends and family in the app. As they track their walks they can share their distances and routes with people they’ve connected with on the app. Women can set goals, create challenges and motivate each other to stay on track. The app also provides blogs and podcasts generated specifically for women. These resources focus on more than just physical health and cover a variety of areas that pertain to a woman’s well being. This app demonstrates that community and education about health is just as beneficial before a diagnosis.
Women Have Better Access To Healthcare
Accessibility to care takes a variety of forms. Often we only think about physical mobility barriers, but there are many reasons that can play into a woman finding it challenging to access care.
In today’s climate, it’s evident now more than ever that accessibility to care is crucial. In order to overcome the situations like our current one, health apps are creating options for everyone to seek out care.
In normal circumstances, women may be busy with work, family, personal commitments or a combination of those, to be able to take on appointments, especially if the clinic has restrictive openings and times available. Moreover, going to a doctor’s appointment may be a sensitive issue. Having to go to an appointment may require the woman to see out transportation from an individual whom she would have to explain her arrand to.
To overcome these barriers, Maven Clinic released their mobile solution for women. Their app allows women to attend appointments via video. Their app specializes in women and family health care. From preconception to pediatrics, the app helps women through every step of the journey.
Those living in remote areas are all too familiar with the barriers that come in accessing care. Smaller towns aren’t equipped with the same technology as metropolitan centres. This means that an individual that needs in depth testing often needs to travel to the nearest city.
It’s reasons like this that lead to iSono health creating a 3D ultrasound breast scanner and app to help women receive more accessible and personalized care. The scanner is able to send scans to your doctor and medical professionals. This means women can do scans as frequently as they wish, from their own home and during times that work for them.
Women Are Taking Control Of Their Healthcare Needs
Finding new and creative ways to empower women and give them bodily autonomy has been a prominent social issue for the twenty-first century. As mentioned above, a major step towards bodily autonomy was the inception of birth control.
The introduction of contraception methods like the pill, the ring, the needle, and more gave women power over their fertility. However, the nature of these contraceptives often rely on hormones and regulate the chemical compositions within the body. Moreover, for methods like the pill to be effective, it must be taken on a routine basis at the same time.
The Nurx birth control app aims to reimagine healthcare. The app offers a variety of amenities like fulfilling birth control prescriptions, administering STI tests and providing information to help users see what contraceptive may be the best option for them.
By offering all of this through an app it alleviates any shame associated with this area of health. Interacting with a screen dismantles preconceived stigma that may otherwise act as a barrier in seeking this information. Women can place prescriptions and have them delivered to the door, giving them the power to choose and take the method that suits them and their lifestyle.
Some women do not react well with the hormonal changes that some of these birth control induce. Natural Cycles serves as another option to help women feel intune with their body and fertility.
Throughaily tracking and inputting menstrual information, the app helps women understand their ovulation periods. This can help women know how to get pregnant or avoid pregnancy without medical intervention. Using the provided thermometer and tracking bodily temperatures, the app delivers analytics regarding where your body is in its natural cycle.
Fertility is a sensitive issue for many women. Their choice on when and whether to have children is a decision for them to make in a manner they see fit. Apps like these allow women to feel connected with their bodies, confident in their choices and reassured in their decisions.
What’s Next?
The rise of telehealth is building a healthier population who lead better lives.
Acknowledging the various health issues specific to women creates for more accurate and effective care. Helping women gain power and confidence in their bodies and wellbeing can only produce beneficial outcomes for us as a greater community.
The innovation for femtech has only just begun. From both a consumer and app owner perspective, it is exciting to anticipate what’s coming next.
Are you looking to build a mobile solution to improve lives? Get in touch with us to see if we are the right partner to get you there.
