Why the women's health field needs to expand beyond reproductive health
The field of women's health has long been centered around reproductive health care. One health tech executive says that while it's an important area, the industry is missing a large segment of women whose health needs extend far beyond fertility and pregnancy.
“[About] 90% of women are outside the active family-building stage. So when we talk only about reproductive health, we're only looking at 10% of the population, 10% of women. Ninety percent of people also need resources and they need attention,” said Chevon Rariy, MD, chief clinical innovation officer at women's health company Visana.
Rariy made these comments during an interview at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas last week. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Visana serves payers and employers and treats women for a range of conditions, including menopause, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovary syndrome, contraception, urinary tract infections and other conditions.
Larry said some areas of women's health that are often overlooked are cardiovascular disease and cardiometabolic health. She noted that about one-third of women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid problems or endometriosis. About 30% of women are insulin resistant, and about 40% of American women are obese.
“The economic benefits are huge, and the downstream health impacts are equally concerning. From an economic perspective, the United States spends $175 billion on obesity. … For PCOS, that number is about $15 billion,” she said. “So if we were just talking about reproductive health, we wouldn't be talking about this huge number.”
Visana has been expanding its cardiometabolic support following its recent $24 million Series A funding round. Larry said the company decided to enter this space after recognizing a need among patients. The company's initial focus is on gynecological problems such as uterine fibroids and menorrhagia. But the company found that many women had interconnected issues. For example, patients with endometriosis may develop hormonal disorders, such as thyroid problems, that affect bleeding.
There are several companies that offer cardiometabolic health support. However, they don't always focus on women, which is why Visana chose to build its own services in this area rather than partnering with other companies.
“We recognize that there are certain issues that are specific to women that are often overlooked…so for women with PCOS, the hormonal basis or the nature of the hormonal condition of PCOS affects their weight, affects how they manage their weight…so all of those factors need to be taken into account,” Rariy said.
She added that the company hopes to continue to expand support for women, such as behavioral health and at-home testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Other women's health companies include Tia Health and Maven Clinic.
Photo: asnidamarwani, Getty Images
