In recent years, forward-thinking leaders and wellness companies have made huge strides in women’s health. They’ve been innovating the way we access healthcare, making it more sustainable, more accessible, and occasionally just downright nifty. From self-sterilizing menstrual cups to cancer-screening bots, the possibilities are ever-expanding. Read on to learn about the latest, most interesting, and sometimes weirdest innovations in women’s health.
Period Underwear
Period underwear have reportedly been around, in one form or another, since at least Ancient Greek and Roman times. In 1957, Mary Kenner invented the adjustable sanitary belt, a panty-like device which would eventually evolve into the maxi pad. Around 1967, the world saw the first of many patents for different types of period underwear. By the early 2000s, you could find a reasonably stylish — if lumpy — pair of period panties from new-age internet stores.
Oh, how the times have changed now: modern period underwear look and work a whole lot differently from their predecessors. New brands and styles are made with super-thin, high-tech fabric designed to absorb liquid without creating bulk. Moisture-wicking layers keep blood flow away from the body, reducing irritation and discomfort. They also come in a huge variety of styles, from thongs, to French cut briefs, to full-coverage boy shorts.
The market for period panties is huge and growing, in large part due to financial and sustainability concerns. Unlike disposable menstrual products, you don’t need to buy new period panties every month; you simply throw them in the wash after each use. Period panties have the potential to keep thousands of tons of waste out of landfills every year. They can also be used in conjunction with other more sustainable period products, like menstrual cups and discs.
Over-the-Counter Birth Control
In 2023, Opill, the first FDA-approved, over-the-counter daily birth control pill became available in the United States. The pill itself, invented in the late 1960s, wasn’t exactly an innovation — but the concept was. Where previously, you had to get a prescription from a doctor, you can now get the pill on drugstore shelves. Opill was also made available online, without a prescription, from a handful of online providers.
While novel in the U.S., the concept of over-the-counter birth control isn’t new in other countries. In Argentina, for example, it’s been possible to walk into a pharmacy and buy oral contraceptive pills, prescription-free, for years. In the U.S., where abortion remains a hot-button political issue, this change could be tremendously impactful. OTC birth control will make it possible for many women to safely and privately avoid a pregnancy.
The OTC pill isn’t without its downsides, though: because it’s progestin-only, it must be taken at the same time every day. Missing a single dose is a lot riskier with this pill than it would be with a combination pill. The progestin-only pill can also cause unpleasant symptoms, like irregular or unpredictable menstrual bleeding. It is, however, safer for people with certain medical conditions who cannot take combination pills, which contain estrogen.
AI-Powered Breast Cancer Detection
Artificial intelligence is apparently good for a whole more than bizarre late-night convos with incoherent, malfunctioning chatbots. It’s also being used to automate just about everything, from loan applications to airport security screenings. In the women’s health world, though, AI is beginning to take on a far more ambitious task. It’s increasingly being used in breast cancer screenings, to detect signs of cancer even some specialists can’t see.
Trained on millions of mammograms, breast cancer AI software has been taught to spot patterns in huge data sets. The software uses machine learning to continuously improve its baseline for what is and isn’t “normal.” The more images of mammograms the program analyzes, the better it gets at interpreting the data. Some doctors’ offices in the U.S. are already incorporating this technology into regular breast cancer screenings.
As of 2023, Google has been working with a hospital in Taiwan on applying this technology to ultrasound screenings. Breast ultrasounds tend to be quicker, less invasive, and less uncomfortable than mammograms. Ultrasounds can also be more effective than mammograms at detecting breast cancer in populations with higher breast density. As this technology develops, breast cancer screening could become quicker, easier, more comfortable, and more accurate.
Smart Menstrual Cups
It’s still in beta (or pre-beta), but one forward-thinking company is working on a smart menstrual cup. The device is a bit easier to insert than your standard menstrual cup, and comes with a tampon-like applicator. The innovation doesn’t end there though; the high-tech cup is designed to measure menstrual metrics like flow rate, volume, cycle length, and regularity. It can track your fertility and ovulation dates and detect conditions like PCOS and endometriosis.
With this cup, there’d be no more guessing when it’s time for a change. Using integrated sensors, the cup lets you know when it’s full and when you need to remove it. The cup also solves one common issue users of regular menstrual cups face: cleaning and sanitizing. With a standard menstrual cup, you basically have to wait until you get home to boil the device if you want it sterile. This new cup, however, comes with a special case that uses UV light to sterilize the cup on the go.
The high tech menstrual device can be synced with both phones and smart watches, and all personal data is protected and anonymized within an app. Data is stored in such a way that the cup’s makers wouldn’t be able to show it to third parties, like law enforcement. You would also be able to download all your details in PDF form, in case you want to share them with your doctor. Though set to be released in 2023, there’s still no work on whether the cup will be on the market.`
ChatPPC
If all of this innovation has you just a little bit worried, you’re not alone in the slightest. There’s an unsettling absence of doctors from women’s healthcare, as apps measure your period and bots screen your breast tissue. This can be a good thing, when these new technologies and innovations make it easier and more affordable to take control of your health. That said, let’s hope chatbots don’t replace your primary care doctor until they get at least a little bit smarter.