202. Who's Afraid of Vaginas? How Sexist "Taboos" Affect Women's Healthcare with Marina Gerner
Dec 5, 2024
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In a riveting conversation, Marina Gerner, an award-winning financial journalist and author of 'The Vagina Business,' tackles the shocking gender biases in women's healthcare. She discusses the stagnation in women's health research, emphasizing the dismissive attitudes towards women's pain. Marina highlights the uphill battle female entrepreneurs face in the femtech industry and the urgent need to break taboos surrounding sexual health. With actionable insights, she advocates for more inclusive research and open conversations about women's bodies.
The podcast highlights a critical innovation gap in women's health research, with only 4% of funding dedicated to female-specific issues despite women making over 80% of healthcare decisions.
Female entrepreneurs face significant challenges in securing funding for women-focused health innovations as investors often perceive these projects as niche or uncomfortable topics.
The conversation encourages women to advocate for themselves in medical settings, addressing the pervasive issue of medical gaslighting and promoting awareness around women's health concerns.
Deep dives
The Innovation Gap in Women's Health
The podcast highlights a significant innovation gap in women's health, pointing out that the last major advancement in the birthing process was the epidural, popularized in the 1950s. This stagnation reflects the broader issue of gender bias in medical research, where women are often excluded from studies. Despite women making over 80% of healthcare decisions, only 4% of medical research funding is allocated to women's health. The episode emphasizes the urgent need for innovation and focus on female-specific health issues to close this gap.
Challenges in Funding Women's Health Innovations
Raising capital for women-focused health innovations presents significant challenges, primarily due to entrenched societal attitudes about women's health. Investors often view projects related to vaginal health as niche, causing many women-led startups to struggle for funding. The conversation reveals the frustration among female entrepreneurs who find that discussions about women's health products make male investors uncomfortable. This discomfort leads to a systemic lack of funding, stifling progress in the development of crucial health technologies for women.
The Impact of Medical Gaslighting
Medical gaslighting, where women's health concerns are often dismissed or misdiagnosed, remains a pervasive issue. Women commonly receive delayed diagnoses, often suffering from avoidable pain and complications as a result. The episode illustrates this phenomenon through statistics and personal anecdotes, including discussions about the greater likelihood of women experiencing severe side effects from medications. The importance of advocating for oneself in medical settings is emphasized, encouraging women to ask questions and demand appropriate care.
FemTech: A Movement for Change
The FemTech movement emerges as a response to the chronic underfunding and negligence in women's health. It represents innovative technologies specifically designed to address women's health issues, from menstrual tracking apps to wearables that monitor pregnancy health. The episode highlights several promising FemTech innovations, illustrating how these efforts seek to tackle the biases faced by women in the healthcare and technology industries. By fostering collaboration among investors, entrepreneurs, and health professionals, FemTech aims to transform women's health care and education.
Overcoming Cultural Taboos Around Women's Health
The discussion addresses the cultural taboos surrounding conversations about women's health, particularly relating to reproductive health and sexuality. The pervasive shame tied to discussing topics like menstruation and vaginal health prevents many women from seeking information and advocating for their health. By openly discussing these topics, the podcast aims to dismantle this shame and promote greater awareness and education surrounding women's health. Empowering women to discuss their bodies and health candidly is seen as vital for fostering a supportive community and improving health outcomes.
Hey Financial Feminists I'm beyond excited to bring you an eye-opening conversation with Marina Gerner, the author of The Vagina Business. We’re discussing the shocking gender biases in healthcare — from the staggering lack of medical research focused on women's health to the uphill battles female entrepreneurs face when pitching women-centric innovations. This episode is packed with actionable insights on how we can support better research, champion women-owned businesses, and finally start talking openly about the topics that impact us most.