Thanks to femtech startups, women can now source all reproductive and sexual healthcare needs discreetly with one tap

The Philippines has already started bringing up difficult conversations on women's sexual and reproductive health, and it is the rise of femtech startups that might finally help break the taboo. Not only do they make services accessible to those in need through the internet—including social media—but these startups also fill learning gaps by providing much-needed knowledge about women's health.

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Pregnancy, contraception, and post-partum health are only a few of the subjects they mention, and there are one-on-one consultations offered to those interested to learn more.

Read on to know more about the different services these femtech startups offer:

Ease

Ease was first made available in Singapore in May 2020. Guadalupe Lazaro co-founded Ease at merely 22 years old with a motivation that stems from the "stigma or barriers [they] faced when trying to access sexual and reproductive health services in Singapore". 

Lazaro explains, "These experiences made us realize the significant barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services in Asia that exist due to prevailing cultural norms and an existing infrastructure reliant on face to face consultations at clinics. We realized that with technology, we could break down these barriers and revolutionize the ways in which these healthcare services are provided, in order for users to access these services conveniently and discreetly from the comfort of their home."

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After two years, Ease was launched in the Philippines. "Through our app, women can access tracking tools to stay on top of their symptoms and health, explore educational resources to learn more about their health, participate in community forums to interact and learn from other women, utilise telehealth services to receive high quality specialised medical care from the comfort of their home, and purchase medically-backed wellness products manufactured by Ease to prevent a range of women’s health conditions. The comprehensiveness of our solutions and our holistic view of women’s health allows us to provide higher quality of care and better support networks for women throughout their health journeys," explains the founder.

To know more, visit ease-healthcare.com/ph

Kindred Health Philippines

A no-judgment space where women can find "all things female health", Kindred Health Philippines offers in-clinic holistic health services, comprehensive plans of care and treatment. Started by Jessica de Mesa, Kindred Health Philippines allows women to freely ask their team of doctors and medical specialists for medical advice—be it about skincare, birth control, fertility, mental wellness, or weight management—and acquire proper holistic treatment in a judgment-free environment.

The medical experts will even consider their patient's lifestyles and beliefs apart from their needs, creating a warm and safe environment for all.

To know more, visit mykindred.co

Dima

The locally-based startup, Dima is willing to change the conversation about safe sex and birth control by creating a space for all where they can talk about topics related to sex. This is Carlo and Julia Cu Unjieng's mission: a focus on education, accessibility, affordability and the social stigma. "People are deterred from going through the proper channels of seeing a doctor and making purchases in licensed pharmacies," Julia told Philstar.

The name, derived from Diyan Masalanta (the Tagalog goddess of love, childbirth, and peace), accurately reflects the startup's values. To do so, Dima offers sexual health care products and services such as consultations that won't break the bank.

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In the same interview, Carlo related, "Everyone has a role to play and a responsibility when it comes to improving the state of our sexual health, whether it’s taking charge of your own body by using safe and proper medicines, sharing accurate information to help others do the same, or, as with us here at Dima, helping to create the space to protect people’s bodies and expand people’s minds."

To know more, visit dima.ph

Anna

Anna is on a mission to make reproductive health mainstream while providing the modern woman access to healthcare that's specifically tailored to her changing needs and lifestyle. 

The startup advocates for the use of contraceptives without shame by further educating its patrons about pregnancy, periods, and more with the help of an in-house obstetrician who will provide prescriptions. They also offer several kinds of birth control pills that can be purchased online and delivered in a discreet package.

To know more, visit anna.ph

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