Every Monday we share a quick “best of” from the week that was with our Inner Circle members. What’s trending in the Femtech Insider community and beyond? We’ve got you covered! In this week’s brief we talk about Endometriosis Awareness Month, plus…
Male (In)Fertility
Careers in Femtech and Women’s Health Innovation
Startup Spotlight: Gaia & Syrona Health
And more!
It’s Endometriosis Awareness Month!
March isn’t just Women’s History Month, it’s also Endometriosis Awareness Month, so in today’s brief, we’d like to take a closer look and share some of the opportunities we see in the space with you! 👀
➡️ Endometriosis 101
Just like many other conditions in the women’s health space endometriosis is under researched, underserved and underfunded although it affects around 170 million women globally (1 in 10). The most common symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, which often correlates to the menstrual cycle.
The majority of women with endometriosis also report comorbidities such as migraine, depression, anxiety, IBS, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, uterine fibroids, and ovarian cysts.
Women with endometriosis are at slightly higher risk for several types of cancer (e.g. ovarian cancer), systemic lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
🤔 How Is Endometriosis Diagnosed?
As the symptoms of the disease are not easily recognized as endometriosis – by providers and affected women – many experience a significant diagnostic delay. There is no simple test to diagnose endometriosis, the gold standard is currently a laparoscopy.
The diagnostic pathway is complex and inefficient, and unfortunately treatment options currently available for women living with endometriosis are limited as well. The causes of disease are unknown and there currently is no cure. To alleviate symptoms women are usually either given hormonal treatment or may have to undergo complex surgery.
🤔 The Impact
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