Recognising the critical importance of women in the STEM sector, particularly in leadership roles, femme health emphasises the need for diversity and inclusion to drive innovation and address pressing healthcare challenges. By amplifying women's voices in senior STEM positions, fresh perspectives and insights are brought to the table, fostering creative problem-solving and influencing research agendas to prioritise issues like sustainability and socioeconomic pressures.
Written by femme health
As a female-led company with one of the only female managing directors in the IVD industry, we are really passionate about the importance of women in business, but particularly in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) sector.
Including more women in senior STEM roles is critical for innovation. Bringing women to the table will lead to fresh ideas and perspectives, as well as encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving. Women’s perspectives will also shape the direction of research and strategic direction, as women tend to focus on different issues such as sustainability and socioeconomic pressures.
Finally, including women in senior STEM roles may also help to close the gender health gap. The UK currently has the worst gender health gap in the G20 meaning that women receive poorer healthcare than men. This is mainly due to a lack of research into women’s health; for example, there is 5 times more money spent on erectile dysfunction (which affects 19% of men), than on premenstrual syndrome (which affects 90% of women).
At femme health we are committed to working with brands who share our values and our hopes for the standard of reproductive care in the UK. Hear more from some of these brands on the importance of focusing on women’s health as well as promoting and nurturing women in STEM roles.
Dr. Amy Beckley is the founder and CEO of Proov, and the inventor of the first and only FDA-cleared at-home PdG test to confirm successful ovulation. Amy has an MBA and a PhD in Pharmacology, and has studied hormone signalling for over 20 years. When Amy was trying to get pregnant, she suffered nearly seven miscarriages – and no test or doctor could explain why. She ultimately turned to IVF to have her son. It was only after she uncovered the source of her troubles – a problem with ovulation – that she successfully conceived, this time without the help of IVF. She then set out to create an accurate, effective diagnostic to empower women to test at home. Amy invented the PdG test in her basement, commercialised the original Proov technology through crowdfunding in 2016 and launched it officially in 2017. Now, Amy and Proov offer an array of at-home diagnostic tests and support to help women get pregnant faster.
Proov's flagship product remains the PdG test, which is a way to understand if you have insufficient progesterone in your system. Amy calls it “successful ovulation” as opposed to just ovulation. What that means, is “ovulation” means producing an egg; successful ovulation means you produce an egg and have a healthy uterine environment because it saw enough of this hormone for long enough. Proov has a patented method that measures the implantation window. By measuring a hormone called PdG in urine 7 to 10 days after peak fertility, women find out if they have enough of this hormone for long enough to have the maximum chance of conception. For the UK customers whose PdG results are suboptimal, Proov has entered into a clinical partnership with Plan Your Baby. UK Proovers whose ovulation report shows low levels of PdG may choose to make an appointment online (for a fee) with a certified Plan Your Baby Fertility doctor who, after assessment of results may prescribe Progesterone supplementation. Just with a click, no need for in person visits, referrals or waiting lists.
Founded by scientists and powered by an (all female) research team, Hertility is a women’s health company, bringing the latest reproductive science out of the lab direct to your home. With at-home hormone and fertility testing, telemedicine and treatment (we can spot 18 gynae conditions related to reproductive health like PCOS in just 10 days and streamline you to in-house female health experts and vetted partner clinics), Hertility has you covered all the way from menstruation through menopause.
Hertility is a women’s health company, supporting women all the way from menstruation through menopause with comprehensive at-home testing, telemedicine and treatment. Until now, people with ovaries have been underserved by the healthcare system, so they gathered the best minds in female health and dedicated years to building an award-winning alternative clinical experience. They have pioneered the most accurate diagnostic tool in female health that gives women clarity into what's going on in their bodies. Currently in just 10 days, they can provide advanced insights into reproductive health, fertility decline and the onset of menopause as well as screening for 18 reproductive health conditions. Hertility's clinical trials aim to raise the standard of scientific rigour and education in female health to radically reduce time to diagnosis and fast-track women to specialist care sooner.
Hertility's Core Values:
- For all womankind: They want to be accessible to every single woman. Their work isn't done until there is no (wo)man left standing.
- Women rule the world: They're more than the care and serves they provide, they empower women to live fearlessly.
- Every body counts: They champion diversity and inclusion in every sense of the word. At Hertility, everyone matters.
Shop for Hertility At-Home test here
OVUM felt the fertility industry takes advantage of women at what is arguably one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. Many of us would just about buy or try anything if we felt it improved our chances of conceiving.
Jenny started OVUM when she began trying to conceive themselves and wanted clarity on what exactly they could be doing to improve their chances, from a medical and scientific perspective. No BS, no falling for the misleading advertising, no herbs and voodoo baby dances - they just wanted to know what they could be doing to genuinely help their chances whilst still keeping sane.
The benefits for those taking these prenatal, conception and fertility supplements aren’t what they could or should be. Cheaper and less absorbable forms of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are used and often in lower, inefficient dosages where profit takes priority over efficacy.
Once they’d done their homework it was clear that today’s prenatal, conception and fertility supplements fall short of what should be available as the new standard to all. For this very reason they will soon become a B Corp (certification pending), making OVUM a company that pledges to use business as a force for good. Certified B Corps are businesses that meet the highest possible standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. OVUM is vegan, not tested on animals and BPA and all plastics-free packaging. You can find out more here.
At OVUM they’re about letting the research guide their Scientists and Fertility Doctors who in turn determine the formulation of our fertility supplement. So, with OVUM you can rest assured you’re benefiting from the latest findings and know you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of becoming pregnant.
At BioSure they are passionate about their role in changing the perception of self-care and self-diagnostic testing.
They do this by empowering you with world-leading products, so that you have increased choice, enabling you to take responsibility for your own testing and wellbeing, on your own terms, with confidence.
Everything they do is designed and refined with your unique needs in mind so you can make your own informed choices with power and knowledge.
BioSure Global develop, manufacture, source and distribute rapid tests with the highest levels of accuracy, many rivalling those of standard laboratory tests. Their rapid diagnostic and detection tests are invaluable tools where immediate results are the primary consideration. The tests that they manufacture and supply are used worldwide for the management of human infectious disease.
BioSure Global specialise in providing solutions utilising rapid Point of Care Tests (POCT) and has unique expertise in self-testing. They passionately believe that this technology through integration into healthcare settings and for use as self-tests can revolutionise testing protocols, reduce late diagnoses, provide cost effective testing solutions for the general population and engage hard to reach key populations. Ultimately budgets can be spread further through far lower delivery costs and immediate diagnosis.
BioSure Global has been recognised for its work in numerous awards:
- Winner in the national Barclays’ Entrepreneur Awards 2020, recognising entrepreneurs who are transforming their industries, the economy, and society.
- Our CEO Brigette Bard won a @Cofinitive #21ToWatch award, recognising innovation and entrepreneurship across the globe.
- BioSure made Start Up Of The Day on the Innovation Origins independent news platform in Europe for contributing to the world of innovation.
- Brigette Bard made the Maserati 100 Index 2019 – celebrating entrepreneurial excellence in the UK.
- 2018 Winners of Pitch@Palace 10.0
