All About Eve

Innovators and entrepreneurs in the femtech space are helping women reclaim their sexual health and take control of their fertility through technology

- Renée Batchelor

Women’s pain has long been ignored, overlooked or diminished by doctors. In one study it was found that when it came to emergency room (ER) patients with acute abdominal pain, women had to wait 65 minutes to receive pain medication, compared to the 49 minutes that men had to wait on average. In the ER, studies found that women are more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and sent home in the middle of having a stroke or a heart attack.

When it comes to women’s sexual health and fertility, experiences by women of all ages can be just as dismal, especially in a conservative society like Singapore. Besides facing judgement and even shaming by some medical professionals, women often have to jump through hoops to be prescribed basic medication like birth control, or even to get treatment for common ailments like yeast infections.

Shining a new and encouraging light into all this disparity and inequality is a new emerging segment in women’s health and technology. Dubbed femtech, the industry comprises software and technology companies that address the biological needs of women. And while it is still a relatively small industry compared to other tech industries, the femtech market size is expected to reach US$97 million by 2030. In Singapore, our own unique issues and cultural hang-ups have birthed a slew of femtech companies that address some of the needs of women here.

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