FemTech is reclaiming women’s health, and it’s about time. It’s well known that women’s health is not taken as seriously as men’s health. In 2020, female-specific problems received only 1% of healthcare research and innovation.
Most of us are familiar with cycle tracking apps, but there’s so much more. There’s stress-reducing tech, maternal health support, and apps that will ease the symptoms of menopause. There’s truly something for every woman, whether you’re young, free, and single, trying for a baby, nursing, or entering perimenopause and menopause.
How do you know what to try first? In this article, we share seven must-try products and technology to help you manage your female-specific health from home.
1. Menstrual Cycle Tracking Apps
Cycle tracking is not just for natural family planning. Your menstrual cycle is so important that it’s considered a fifth vital sign alongside blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate.
Unlike men, who have a 24-hour hormonal cycle, women’s hormonal cycles vary and, on average, last 28 days.
You can use cycle-tracking apps to input data about your cycle. Data such as your period dates, how you feel, how your skin is, and even pain symptoms can help build a picture of where you are in your cycle.
With apps like Flo or Clue, you can build a picture of your cycle and use this information to bring more comfort to your life and a deeper sense of knowing yourself.
As you learn about your body, your hormonal fluctuations, and emotions, you might find you can plan your work and social life around your hormones. Track your data for long enough, and your app can provide your monthly trend with estimates for where you are in your cycle. You’ll know how your hormones impact your body. It might answer the why behind your stress, your capacity to meet with people, or a reason for that desire to curl up alone for the evening.
2. Stress Relief
It’s not just you who feels stressed during ‘that time of the month.’ It’s biological.
As you can see on the graph above, estrogen drops roughly halfway through your menstrual cycle, and estrogen is known to boost your mood. Estrogen keeps serotonin levels regular and helps the effectiveness of endorphins. It can even help protect nerves and encourage nerve growth.
You might feel your best when estrogen levels are at their highest.
More stress can lead to more severe menstrual-related discomfort, so maintaining stress levels will support your cycle and help you manage periods with more ease.
Stress reduction techniques such as exercise, meditation, and a healthy diet are great starting points. If you’re interested in taking stress reduction one step further, non-pharmaceutical treatments like Sensate could be a strong step forward.
3. Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy might be the most diverse tech product for women’s health. This at-home treatment can help with period pain and cramps, including pelvic pain, inflammation, stress reduction, reproductive health, and female-specific issues like endometriosis.
For women who have integrated cycle tracking, red light therapy can be used as a preventative measure against painful periods and cramps. If you know when the cramps begin (thanks to your cycle tracking), you’ll know when you can begin an at-home treatment of red light therapy.
In the midst of fertility issues, women are very aware of all the things they cannot do. No smoking, drinking, caffeine, toxin; even perfumes become a no-go. During one of the most challenging times of their lives, women seem to get no respite.
Red light therapy can feel productive, something you can do to help with fertility. It’s credited with its benefits and is very low-risk. Studies have shown that red light therapy helped Japanese women conceive.
4. Natural Family Planning
While cycle-tracking apps like Flo and Clue (aforementioned) can support natural family planning, Natural Cycles is the only app the FDA has cleared as a class II medical device.
You can use the app to prevent or increase your chances of becoming pregnant. The premise is simple: you take your temperature every morning before your feet touch the ground. The more you track, the more efficiently the algorithm understands your cycle and fertile window. The app tells you when you’re at low, medium, or peak fertility.
When you subscribe, you have a choice of devices to measure your temperature: a free thermometer, a Bluetooth thermometer, or a thermometer you can pair with your Apple watch. Alternatively, there’s the Oura ring.
5. Pelvic Floor
The Elvie Trainer represents a significant advancement in femtech by offering women a tech-savvy approach to improving pelvic health. The trainer is a physical device and smartphone app that guides women through exercises, tracks progress and provides real-time feedback.
The Elvie Trainer turns pelvic floor training into a more manageable and interactive experience that empowers women to take control of their pelvic health with convenience and privacy. The monitor's progress allows users to see tangible improvements and real-time progress, which can be motivating and affirming.
6. Breastfeeding Support With The Elvie Pump
The Elvie Pump supports breastfeeding mums with a discreet, wire-free breast pump that fits inside a standard nursing bra. Mothers can pump hands-free (and quietly) while on the go.
The pump is connected to a smartphone app, so the power is in Mum’s hands. She can monitor milk volume, track pumping history, and control the pump remotely. This innovative femtech technology simplifies breastfeeding, makes the process more flexible and stress-free, and supports mothers in maintaining their breastfeeding goals.
7. Menopause Apps
Menopause comes to us all, and apps like Grace Health and Balance are playing a significant role in supporting women through the menopausal transition.
These apps provide personalized information and resources to help women understand and manage their symptoms more effectively.
Symptom-tracking tools, expert advice, and peer support can help women identify patterns in their symptoms and seek tailored advice.
Grace Health focuses on providing accessible, culturally sensitive health information and support for menopause and other female health concerns, integrating AI to deliver personalized advice.
These apps may not be a replacement for medical intervention, but they are credited with empowering women to take their menopausal symptoms to the doctor for more support.
Which Femtech Product Should You Try?
The two most versatile femtech products are cycle tracking and red light therapy. Both can support women in any stage of life.
If cycle tracking is the fifth vital sign, understanding your cycle can lead to health.
Red light therapy can support women through every stage of life: cramp reduction, fertility easing medical issues like endometriosis, and supporting menopause.
With new and exciting technology, women are not just reclaiming their health but empowering themselves, all from the comfort of their homes.
For more on the role of tech in women’s health read:
- Handling Migraines When Pregnant
- 5 Ways to Manage Swelling During Pregnancy
- Can Red Light Therapy Help Menopause Symptoms?
- Using Red Light Therapy for Fertility
- Explaining Red Light Therapy and Safety in Pregnancy
- How RLT Supported Brittany Ford's Fertility Journey, Plus Top Tips for Your Fertility Journey
