We’re still climbing
Women+ health is receiving more attention—but still, gaps remain. New research shows that despite living longer than men, women and people assigned female at birth globally spend 25% more time in “poor health” compared to men. Only 5% of the total women’s health burden can be attributed to gynecological or maternal conditions; 51% stems from conditions that affect women differently than men, like colon cancer, or at higher rates, such as autoimmune disease. Another hard-to-hear stat? According to the Rock Health Venture Funding Database, investment in U.S. digital health startups addressing women+ health needs dropped to $283M in 2023 (2.7% of overall funding), down from $840M (5.5%) in 2022 and $2.1B (7.1%) in 2021.
Yet 2024 is already offering promising signals. Diagnostics player Qvin received FDA clearance for its menstrual blood testing product, while Teal Health launched a clinical study of Teal Wand, its at-home device for cervical cancer screenings. And with cost-related drug nonadherence and autoimmune disease impacting women at higher rates, forward-thinking retailers and employers are expanding access to prescription cost-saving and autoimmune care programs. It’s too early to note if these signals will translate into funding and better outcomes in 2024, but we’re here to support the climb.
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Headlines
Walgreens Explores $4B+ Sale Of Shields Health
Retailer might sell specialty pharmacy business to shore up U.S. healthcare unit Bloomberg
Amazon Pharmacy Is Piloting A Consultation Program With One Medical
One Medical providers can now request drug consultations from Amazon Pharmacy staff Forbes
Instacart, DispatchHealth Partner To Tackle Food Insecurity
Dispatch’s in-home providers will prescribe food interventions MobiHealthNews
Inside California’s Free Digital Health Platforms Supporting Child Mental Health
CA taps Kooth and Rock Health port co Brightline for pediatric digital mental health MedCity News
HHS Releases Voluntary Cybersecurity Goals For The Healthcare Sector
Future steps could be enforceable standards and a HIPAA update Healthcare Dive
Recent Funding
- Digital-first pharmacy benefits manager SmithRx captures $60M
- Turquoise Health picks up $30M for its price transparency and cost-of-care tool suite
- AiCure grabs $16M for its clinical trial management and analytics solution
- At-home clinic for brain health and memory conditions Isaac Health collects $5.7M