Hormonal health
“Let the activists keep beating the drum around female health inequalities”
By Nicola Finn, associate director at OggaDoon
For decades medical research has been based on data from the male body, but we now know that women’s bodies respond in different ways to drugs and disease.
The research and application gap in healthcare is starting to be recognised and thankfully, the landscape is changing. After all women account for 50 per cent of the global population.
We are going to witness a massive explosion in female health solutions over the next five years. Femtech is predicted to grow at around 15 per cent CAGR, with solutions around mental health, ovarian health, menstrual health and menopause health – to name a few.
More female founders who connect and understand the different health challenges women face are starting businesses to help fill the female health gap in different ways. However, this is not for the faint of heart as the female founders must overcome other barriers such as the bias in capital funding, access to business loans and support for childcare to help free up women’s time.
In the UK, there is a widening funding gap between male-founded and female-founded companies. In 2020, just 2.3 per cent of VC funding went to women-led start-ups. This fell to 1.7 per cent in 2021.
There is additional research conducted by Extended Ventures which also spotlighted the huge investment gap facing diverse founders over the past decade, according to race, gender and educational background, with all-ethnic teams and female entrepreneurs receiving just a fraction of available funding versus all-white teams and male founders. The finding of baked-in bias holds true across all funding stages, per the findings.
Lack of diversity across the capital landscape – angel, venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE) – is no secret. At present, it is a male-dominated space globally.
In 2019 women comprise 30 per cent of venture capital personnel – a small increase from 27 per cent in 2017. Whilst this is encouraging and implies more representation, it still lags behind the average of UK working professionals.
All groups of humans have similar biases, naturally gravitating to people and scenarios that they can personally relate to. This extends to bias around investment decisions, intentional or not. But we need more female investors to be in these positions, as they can personally understand the impact of innovations, specifically targeting female health.
After years of male investors ignoring the female health space, it is finally being recognised as a hotbed for investment due to its predicted growth.
Thankfully, more women are coming into the female health investment industry and more funds are also headed by female investors.
This is needed to drive and ensure inclusivity and unbiased access to the industry and will need historic investment for innovation and collaboration.
In order to build towards the brave new world that prioritises individual female needs in healthcare, there needs to be a movement. Not just front-line activists championing and fighting for equality in female health, but also activist angels, VCs and PEs, providing funding support to visionary founders.
Right now, it is a critical time to keep taking those meaningful steps to bridge the gender health gap. With that, here are some of the UK femtech founders bridging the gender health gap:
Sarah Bolt, founder of Forth has always been part of the movement to highlight and bridge the female gender data and health inequality gap. Forth’s mission is to empower women to become experts on their own body through scientific knowledge and understanding. Historically, women’s bodies were deemed too complicated for clinical trials due to the complexities of their hormone network. This has resulted in women reacting differently to drugs and often misdiagnosed as they do not present with the same symptoms as men.
It was only six years ago that the National Institutes of Health required medical investigators to consider sex as a biological variable. But there is still a long way to go in closing the gender data gap in health.
Forth’s contribution to closing this gap in data is their ground-breaking solution MyFORM™, an advanced female hormone blood test that addresses the lack of clinical insight from current single day hormone blood tests. The single-day tests assume every woman has an average length cycle of 28 days and offer little in the way of personalisation.
MyFORM™ uses a combination of blood analysis, advanced mathematical modelling and endocrinology expertise to scientifically map how a woman’s hormones are fluctuating across their entire menstrual cycle rather than a single day.
With two blood tests taken on day 14 and day 21, the test is able to predict the woman’s own cycle length, creating charts of her four key female hormones across her menstrual cycle, as well as providing personalised ranges for each hormone.
Forth has also developed a unique way to assess a woman’s ovarian health. The Forth Ovarian Response Metric (FORM) takes the results from the blood tests to provide a score on how well a woman’s ovaries are responding to her control hormones. A score above 75 indicates a healthy hormone network. This is particularly useful for women entering perimenopause when their ovaries begin to become less responsive.
The product is designed for women who are experiencing natural menstrual cycles and not using any hormonal treatments such as the pill, Mirena coil or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It is particularly useful for:
- Women who want to check for hormone imbalance
- Women in their 40s who want to understand if the symptoms they are experiencing are due to perimenopause
- To identify or manage an existing hormone related condition
- Women who consider starting a family
- Exercisers, athletes and dancers who want to perform to their personal best throughout their cycle and ensure their hormones have not been compromised by their training load and fuelling strategies
- Women whose menstrual cycles have recently resumed following recovery from RED-S – relative energy deficiency in sport – discontinuation of hormonal contraception or in the postnatal period.
The highly accurate, personalised results are based on eight hormone measurements, which are translated through AI and delivered on the Forth app. This offers scientific data and actionable insights as hormones are intrinsically linked to a woman’s wellbeing and have an important role to play not only in fertility but in heart health, bone health and the nervous system.
Dr Chen Mao Davies started LatchAid after facing her own struggles with breastfeeding, pain and subsequent depression. She realised that mothers needed maternal support fit for the 21st century in an interactive way.
With the pandemic currently paralysing the predominantly face-to-face support model in place, her app is more necessary now than ever.
LatchAid supports breastfeeding mums and their families through interactive 3D technology, artificial intelligence, virtual peer support groups and live healthcare specialists to combat problems experienced with the latching technique. The app prides itself on being inherently accessible and democratic, empowering women everywhere, regardless of their economic or environmental circumstances.
As well as positive health outcomes for mothers and babies, breastfeeding offers social, economic, and environmental benefits. The UK, however, has the lowest breastfeeding rate in the world. 90 per cent of women give up breastfeeding before they want to because of pain, health issues or lack of support. Unsuccessful breastfeeding also costs society around US$1B per day globally.
LatchAid is an app that utilises 3D interactive technology to help mothers learn breastfeeding skills intuitively from 3D avatars. It offers virtual peer support groups to connect mothers to a close-knit peer-to-peer support network and an AI-powered virtual supporter chatbot to provide users with personalised expertise and companionship 24/7.
Elvie is a women’s healthcare company providing products which take women’s tech out of the dark ages. Tania Boler started the business after working on women’s health policy for global NGOs and the United Nations.
She believes that the release of health products targeting a female audience must go alongside the breaking down of societal stigmatisation of women’s health.
One such product is the sleek, innovative breast pump – the smallest and lightest wearable electric one on the market. It is a silent, wire-free, fully electric device that fits subtly into a nursing bra, ensuring new mothers can pump whilst moving around comfortably.
The pump connects to a mobile app which releases a notification when the bottles are filled. The app can also be used to adjust the suction, monitor pumping history, monitor real-time milk levels and pause and start pumping. The product also includes bra adjusters to ensure less pressure on the breast.
Another product by Elvie is the pelvic floor trainer. Now available on the NHS, this product connects to the Elvie app and encourages training with fun games for five minutes, three times a week.
The trainer is fully waterproof, rechargeable and covered with medical-grade silicone and it is safe to use with an IUD and coil. The app encourages use with four different skill levels and six different exercise types including strength and lift.
Kim Palmer founded the women’s mental health app Clementine in 2017 which uses hypnotherapy to lower stress levels and build confidence. She created Clementine after suffering herself from panic attacks during pregnancy. The app has both a free and a subscription-based version with sleep sessions, confidence and anti-anxiety courses as well as mantras.
Deborah Brock founded Nua Fertility following the challenges she had through her own fertility journey. Following her own successful pregnancy through optimising diet, she started researching the connection between the gut microbiome and reproductive health. After three years of research, Deborah developed two fertility supplements – one for men and one for women – that focus on the microbiome to optimise fertility health.
Nua fertility supplements, have a microbiome focus and are designed to support the nutritional needs of men and women when trying to conceive. The company’s NuaBiome Women supplements combine fertility-supporting vitamins and minerals with a blend of strains of good bacteria to promote healthy conception, egg health, and foetal development.
The friendly bacteria offer three significant benefits: absorption of essential fertility vitamins and nutrients, strengthening the immune system and reducing inflammation in the body.
All these female founders have fought to gain funding for their propositions and succeeded despite the obstacles due to the baked-in bias and lack of diversity across the business capital arena.
However, more female investors need to be appointed as they can personally understand the impact of female health tech innovations.
Let the activists keep beating the drum around female health inequalities. As we continue to make these meaningful steps to bridge the gender health gap we can remember that necessity is the mother of all invention.
By Sarah Bolt, Forth
Following recent approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, testosterone is set to become much more widely available to women in the UK.
Offering greater access to testosterone treatment through their GP, the move marks a significant shift in how menopause symptoms are recognised and treated.
However, despite the increased access, many women are still in the dark about the role testosterone plays.
As conversations around women’s health continue to evolve, testosterone is becoming an increasingly important part of the menopause discussion.
Already licensed in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, the UK becomes among only a handful of countries making testosterone more accessible for women.
The development marks a significant step forward in recognising the full impact hormonal changes can have during midlife and menopause and the benefits that taking testosterone can have.
Testosterone is often misunderstood, and more closely associated with men, but it also plays a vital role in women’s health.
From energy levels and cognitive function to mood and libido, its influence on the body is far-reaching.
Here are the eight things women need to know about testosterone:
1. Testosterone is a vital female hormone
Testosterone is essential for women.
Produced naturally in the ovaries and adrenal glands it supports a wide range of functions in women including maintaining libido, energy levels, mood, concentration and overall wellbeing.
It also contributes to muscle strength and bone health, both of which become increasingly important during later life.
For many women, low testosterone can leave them feeling a bit out of sorts, impacting confidence, memory, motivation and other areas of life.
Because symptoms are often gradual these are often dismissed as part of ageing or the pressures of life and juggling everything that comes with it.
2. Testosterone levels decline with age
Like oestrogen and progesterone, testosterone levels naturally decline as women get older, particularly during perimenopause and menopause.
Our research found that testosterone levels in women decline by more than 51 per cent with age.
These changes can have a significant impact on daily life, affecting everything from relationships and self-esteem to work performance and sleep quality.
Despite this, many women are unaware that low testosterone may be contributing to how they feel.
3. Signs of low testosterone can vary
Low testosterone symptoms show up differently for everyone. This is why diagnosis and treatment can sometimes be overlooked.
Common symptoms include fatigue, low energy, hot flushes, night sweats, thinning hair, dry skin, muscle weakness, weight gain, mood swings and difficulty concentrating.
Some women may also experience reduced confidence, lower motivation or a loss of interest in sex.
Because many of these symptoms overlap with menopause itself, it is important that women have access to informed conversations and personalised medical advice to determine whether testosterone could help.
4. Testosterone supports more than libido
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding testosterone is that it is only linked to sex drive.
While testosterone can help improve libido, its benefits extend much further, helping to regulate energy, motivation, emotional wellbeing, muscle strength, bone density and much more.
For some women, restoring testosterone levels can contribute to feeling more energised, confident and mentally sharp again.
5. Testosterone can support cognitive function
One of the main struggles with menopause is brain fog and difficulties with memory and concentration.
Taking testosterone can help protect brain health by supporting communication between brain cells and increasing blood flow.
As awareness around the cognitive impact of menopause continues to grow, testosterone is increasingly being recognised as a tool that helps women better manage these symptoms.
6. Testosterone does not make women masculine
Many concerns around testosterone come from the misconception that it will cause women to develop masculine features.
However, when prescribed appropriately at the right dosage by a qualified healthcare professional, this is unlikely.
The aim of testosterone for women is to help restore hormones to a healthy female range, supporting wellbeing and symptom management.
7. Testosterone is not linked to an increased risk of breast cancer
Another common myth is that testosterone increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Current evidence does not support this.
Testosterone does not stimulate breast tissue growth and studies have not shown an increased risk of breast cancer linked to testosterone therapy in women.
In fact, some research has suggested a lower occurrence of breast cancer among women taking testosterone, although more long-term research is still needed in this area.
8. The benefits of testosterone can take time
Testosterone therapy tends to work gradually.
Many women will start to notice improvements in mood, motivation and energy levels within the first few months with the full benefits building over time.
Because testosterone has a cumulative effect, consistent use and regular medical monitoring is important.
Patience is key and ongoing support from healthcare professionals can help ensure treatment remains safe and effective.
Despite growing awareness around hormone replacement therapy, testosterone remains one of the lesser understood hormones.
Our own research shows that testosterone levels in women decline by more than 51 per cent with age with a debilitating impact for many.
Knowledge is power and it’s really important that women are aware of the role testosterone plays in their health, particularly in midlife, so they can see their GP armed with the information they need.
Hormones will fluctuate but hormone mapping is a great place to start and will give women a greater insight into what is happening in their bodies.
It’s imperative that women are able to advocate for themselves and having this information is crucial for this.
Making testosterone more accessible in midlife gives women another treatment option to consider beyond HRT, helping them to manage menopausal symptoms and improve their overall quality of life.
The NHS has been urged to update its website after PCOS was renamed PMOS, or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome.
Last week, the condition, thought to affect about one in eight women, was given a new name after a 14-year effort involving medical experts, charities and women with lived experience of the disorder.
However, the NHS website contains no mention of the new name or any change to the information provided about the condition.
Neelam Heera-Shergill, chief executive and founder of the charity Cysters, urged action.
She said: “As an organisation rooted in reproductive and health justice, we welcome conversations around language that better reflect the realities and experiences of those living with PMOS/PCOS. But any name change must go beyond symbolism.
“Communities deserve clear, accessible and timely information so people are not left confused, excluded or struggling to access support and diagnosis.
“We hope to see the NHS move quickly to update information and public-facing resources in a way that is inclusive, culturally competent and centred on the needs of the communities most impacted.
“For many people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds who already face barriers within healthcare, clarity and visibility can make a real difference in accessing the rightful care and support they need.”
However, Caroline Andrews, a trustee of the charity Verity, said the announcement of the new name came with a three-year transition period.
She added that the NHS is going through many changes, with a new health secretary recently announced after the resignation of Wes Streeting.
In addition, 2026 has seen the launch of the renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, while the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is expected to publish the first standalone guidelines for PMOS/PCOS later this year.
Andrews said: “We fully appreciate that they [the NHS] need transition time just like we do, just like many other organisations do.
“And we’d much rather the NHS do this carefully and thoughtfully, considering this in placement with all the lines of care, such as the fact the Nice guidelines are coming through, and how this is fitting with the delivery of care.”
Prof Channa Jayasena, an expert in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, welcomed the name change.
He said: “I think it’s a tremendous initiative, and I think it’s a great step forward in trying to help women and clinicians understand the full breadth of the seriousness [of the] condition.”
But he added that the shift has only just occurred, with professional societies around the world meeting to inform their members about the change.
He said: “There’s a long history of many conditions sometimes still being called outdated things by clinicians because it takes a while for the workforce to be updated and upskilled.
“And I can guarantee you, not all doctors know about this at the moment, and therefore not all patients will.
“So I think it’s a great move in the right direction, which shows where we should be going.
“But professional societies which have webpages, obviously patient support groups, and the NHS will, I fully expect, over the next year or two, be updating all their websites.”
However, Dr Sophie Williams of the University of Derby and an expert on PCOS/PMOS and mental health said the three-year transition for the name change could cause confusion.
She said: “When you go on the NHS website and it’s still [saying] polycystic ovaries, PCOS… as a member of the public, that might make you question the legitimacy of the information you’re getting.
“[The NHS website] is one of the first places any person might think to go to for health care advice that is rigorous, that is reliable. So from my perspective, I do think that the sooner the better.”
Williams said one option would be to run two shadow webpages that link together, one for PCOS and one for PMOS, or to include text on the current page referring to the name change and noting that information is being reviewed.
An NHS spokesperson said: “We routinely review and update content on the NHS website to ensure it reflects the latest clinical advice and will carefully consider these recommendations.
“The NHS will also continue our work to improve women’s healthcare, including for this important group, which involves giving women more choice over their care, bringing down waiting times, and delivering more care in communities.”
Wegovy is linked to lower risks of migraine and depression in menopausal women than hormone therapy alone, a study has found.
Women across all menopause stages taking semaglutide had a 42 to 45 per cent lower risk of migraine six months after starting the medication and a 25 per cent lower risk of depression than those who took menopausal hormone therapy alone.
The findings are based on a one-year real-world study of more than 34,000 menopausal women in the US who took hormone therapy, Wegovy or a combination of both.
They were announced by Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk, alongside data from the randomised, double-blinded STEP UP and SELECT trials, at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul last week.
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Wegovy, a weight-loss drug.
Dr Emilia Huvinen, a gynaecologist researcher and associate professor at the University of Helsinki, who was involved in two of the three studies, said: “Menopause, associated weight gain and unwanted changes in cardiometabolic markers can significantly impact long-term health and wellbeing of women.
“Still, they remain one of the most neglected areas in obesity research.
“Whether we look at cardiovascular outcomes or weight loss across menopausal stages, semaglutide appears to offer meaningful benefits for women with obesity that extend well beyond weight loss alone.”
Cardiometabolic markers are measures linked to heart and metabolic health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and waist size.
Analysis of the STEP UP trial found that premenopausal women with obesity lost an average of 22.6 per cent of their body weight when taking a once-weekly dose of Wegovy compared with placebo.
A placebo is a dummy treatment used to compare results against an active medicine.
Researchers said the average waist circumference reduction in premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women was 17.5 per cent, 15.6 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively, indicating a major loss of dangerous visceral fat.
Visceral fat is fat stored around internal organs and is linked to a higher risk of heart and metabolic disease.
The STEP UP trial involved 1,407 adults with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or above and investigated the efficacy and safety of Wegovy 7.2mg jabs.
BMI is a measure that uses height and weight to estimate whether a person is in a healthy weight range.
The SELECT trial involved 17,604 participants aged 45 or older with a BMI of 27 or above and assessed the impact of Wegovy on cardiovascular health compared with placebo.
A post-hoc analysis of the SELECT trial found that perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with obesity and heart disease had a reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death.
A post-hoc analysis is carried out after a study has finished and can help identify patterns, although it is generally seen as less definitive than the original planned analysis.
Novo Nordisk said obesity affects nearly one in five women globally, and the burden intensifies during menopause because hormonal changes accelerate weight gain, redistribute fat to the abdomen and increase cardiometabolic risk.
It added that the three studies show that when women with obesity lose weight with Wegovy, they improve their body composition with reduced waist circumference, indicating less visceral fat, and also reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes while improving quality of life, from migraine burden to depression and menopause symptoms.
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