Hey there,
We woke up today in the UK to a new Government!
Earlier this week, I shared my thoughts on the General Election for an AllBright article. I managed to weave women’s health into my comment. Sharing your opinions in the press this way is a great way to raise your profile and call out the things that matter to you. Over on LinkedIn, I explain more. (The algorithm absolutely buried this post for some reason.)
Here’s hoping the next four years bring some good news for women’s health.
In the meantime, here’s how you can take action.
Three ways to help close the gender health gap this week
Share your reproductive health challenges
Women’s health startup, Woost, is looking to change how we diagnose gynaecological health through menstrual blood testing.
The brand wants to better understand people’s current experiences with the diagnosis of women’s health diseases and conditions.
Did you know four out five women currently face issues when trying to access the healthcare system?
The ‘Unravelling Women’s Health: Your, Her, and Our Story’ study will explore more about this stat and examine why it’s so hard to be heard.
If you’re over 16, head here to complete the survey.
Listen to what space can teach us about cancer recovery
Ok, this isn’t strictly women’s health content, but it does mention breast cancer and the lead scientist is a woman.
In this podcast by nutrition brand Zoe, Dr Jessica Scott explains the connection between astronauts and cancer recovery.
Dr Scott worked at NASA for over seven years designing fitness programmes for those travelling into space. She uses these insights to help cancer patients during and after treatment.
Read more about Dr Scott and the full transcript here.
Read more about the future of the non-hormonal IUD
Does anyone else shudder when they hear someone mention an IUD?
I know so many of us have had awful experiences with fittings. (I am forever grateful for the doctor who convinced me to have local anaesthetic.) But, as many shun hormonal contraceptives, there’s an important place for non-hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs).
The current option, the ‘copper coil’, is one of the world’s most popular non-hormonal contraceptives. But heavier periods and other intense side effects make it intolerable for many.
In this article in Nature, researchers analyse the complexity in creating new metallic IUDs and call out why we need experts from multiple areas of science to help push the innovation forward.
Bonus this week is a call out to FemTech founders who have experienced difficulties accessing financial or insurance services. The founders of the CensHERship campaign are compiling this new research about the discrimination faced by women’s and sexual health brands when it comes to accessing certain services. Complete the survey here.
If you enjoyed reading this, please do like or shout about it!
When not curating this email, I help women’s health brands find their voice and stand out in a busy market.
Do you need help raising your voice? You need my Communications Coaching workshop. I have space for bookings in August.
Thanks very much for reading,
Hannah
Thanks for the shout out for the new CensHERship survey, Hannah!