From product censorship to societal stigma, many companies in the FemTech industry are faced with a unique set of challenges. The uphill battle in bringing essential health and wellbeing products to market is becoming an frequent topic of conversation among leaders in this industry.
Fertility Innovation, Met with Resistance
Béa Fertility, a pioneering company in the fertility space, has had to navigate said stigma while developing their groundbreaking home fertility product. But their journey has been a testament to resilience, innovation, and a commitment to helping people build families.
The product – an affordable, accessible fertility solution for people trying to conceive. The idea is revolutionary, but even more remarkable is the team’s determination to push through the obstacles that have come their way. One particular challenge came from an unexpected source: Amazon. The e-commerce giant blocked Béa’s page for using the word ‘vagina’ – an essential term for a product that is literally designed to be used in one!
This kind of censorship highlights an ongoing issue: the stigma surrounding women’s health, reproductive care, and fertility treatments. For companies like Béa Fertility, whose mission is to empower individuals and remove barriers to family planning, it’s an unnecessary and frustrating distraction.
Following a feature in The Guardian, Tess Isabelle Cosade (Co-Founder and CEO of Béa Fertility) posted on Linkedin highlighting this very point and reflecting the emotional and mental toll of these battles.
“These petty battles are a colossal waste of my – and my team’s – time,” she wrote. It’s hard not to empathise. In a world where time is one of the most precious resources for start-ups, diverting it to fight against stigmatised censorship feels like a huge injustice.
In The Guardian’s article Tess unveils the truth about the issues Béa Fertility faced. Other leaders in the FemTech industry opened up about their experiences too; from early funding right through to marketing and product launch. You can read the full article here.
Despite the various challenges Béa have faced up to this point. their product is doing exactly as intended. Following successful trials, their treatment kit has been recognised by the NHS and is on the market providing affordable, supportive and natural home fertility treatment.
The journey is far from over
Béa Fertility continues to push forward, dedicating their time and energy to building an impactful service. And they’re not alone in this fight. As mentioned in Tess’ post, there is great support from fellow founders and organisations like censHERship (find out more about censHERship here), who are shedding light on the broader issue of censorship in women’s health. The industry is filled with passionate, driven leaders who are breaking barriers in the health tech space, like Valentina Milanova of Daye, Farah Kabir, and Rachel Bartholomew, all of whom are changing the conversation around women’s health.
These industry leaders recognise that, while such challenges are inevitable, they are not insurmountable. Béa Fertility’s fight for visibility – and for the freedom to discuss its product using accurate medical language – is a microcosm of a larger movement to destigmatise women’s health and fertility. Their efforts, alongside others in the space, are helping to bring about long-overdue change.
FemTech is a booming industry, and one that is showing no signs of slowing. What was once an overlooked segment of the healthcare market is now a thriving sector, attracting billions in investment and driving innovation in areas that were previously underfunded and underserved. As more and more innovators, entrepreneurs and investors step into this space, any stigma attached to it is going to be regularly challenged and overcome.
It goes without saying, the future of FemTech is incredibly bright. Already we’ve witnessed significant strides in improving the lives of millions of women around the world, and the potential for further growth is immense. Investors, healthcare professionals, and tech innovators are frequent visitors at our doors, driving an ever increasing demand for new products and services in this space.
In the end, it’s not just about building products that help people overcome personal challenges; it’s about creating a world where discussing these issues is normal, accepted, and encouraged. Béa Fertility is at the forefront of that change, and we’re proud to have been part of their story.
Read more about the work we did for Béa Fertility by checking out our Case Study: Béa Fertility The world’s first at-home, clinical-grade fertility treatment.