I’ve been writing about health and wellness for the better part of two decades now. There’s a common thread that runs through the work I’ve done–people heal best when they have access to a support network, quality care, and the resources they need to navigate a health crisis, chronic illness or a major life transition.
No matter who you are or where you’re from, we have an innate need to know we aren’t alone. That’s the power of storytelling and something I’ve worked to convey many times in this space.
Some of the stories I’ve covered over the years on behalf of publications, businesses and nonprofits have included conversations with:
Women experiencing infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth or pregnancy complications.
New moms white-knuckling through postpartum depression, anxiety and loneliness.
Parents grieving the death of a child by suicide, murder, or addiction.
Elite special forces veterans battling post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, depression, eroding relationships–and a loss of identity.
Parents concerned about the effects of technology on their children’s social skills and the skyrocketing rates of anxiety.
Stressed caregivers balancing the needs of children, partners and aging parents.
As I researched, wrote and shared these compelling stories, I began learning more about the barriers in health communication that cause uncertainty and isolation and put lives at risk. Things like:
Cultural, religious and familial stigmas that perpetuate feelings of shame, guilt, victim-blaming and fear of being cast out of the group.
Systemic racism within healthcare, especially toward Black women, resulting in higher pregnancy and infant mortality rates (in a country already plagued with some of the worst maternal mortality rates of any industrialized nation).
Lack of safe, accessible care for the LGBTQ+ population.
Medical gaslighting, which occurs when health concerns are dismissed, downplayed or not believed, disproportionately affects women, delaying diagnosis and treatment. A study published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine found that women who went to the ER with severe stomach pain waited 33% longer than men with the same symptoms.
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Due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, American women today have less bodily autonomy than our mothers and grandmothers. While researching my novel, I learned that in early modern Europe, women weren’t seen as adults under the law. (Not terribly surprising, given that this was also the heyday of the witch hunts, which resulted in the genocide of millions of women and girls.) Women at the time either had a husband or were assigned a “gender guardian” if widowed to oversee their financial, legal and property affairs.
It’s striking how much this patriarchal systemic attitude continues to permeate our culture despite how much more we know about the repercussions. Much like our financial affairs, when we are unable to govern our personal health decisions, it stunts our ability to do what’s in our own best interest and the interest of our families. Lack of personal sovereignty keeps women (and children) stuck in unhealthy relationships and poverty cycles, and it hurts our local, regional and national economy.
Tragically, the lack of understanding or empathy around the complexities of women’s health and putting unqualified individuals (i.e., politicians, religious extremists, and vigilantes) in charge of our healthcare means the body count will rise. Women will needlessly suffer. Families will suffer. The workplace will suffer. The economy will suffer.
I like to think there is. Although we are living in a time in which we’re witnessing the U.S. teetering into a twisted theocracy bent on enforcing medieval legislation, here’s the thing. We’ve been here before.
Women have found ways to help each other through some of the most oppressive times in history. And thanks to technology, progressive women are finding ways to help each other now more than ever.
Last spring, I started researching the femtech industry mostly out of curiosity. I discovered a vibrant, multibillion-dollar global industry that’s working to fill critical gaps in women’s healthcare, ranging from general conditions that affect women differently to female-specific health conditions.
Female technology, i.e., femtech, encompasses innovative products and services supporting mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, including virtual clinics, prescription services, trackers, health coaching and wearable devices, as well as solutions tailored to underserved populations, like Black women, the LGBTQ+ community, and women in low to middle-income countries. A few examples include:
Leva, a platform that supports women returning to the workforce after having a baby (reducing costly turnover for businesses and strengthening new mothers’ well-being postpartum).
Caria, an app that provides personalized care and support to women in menopause.
Folx, a health and wellness platform that provides gender-affirming, inclusive care to the LGBTQ+ community.
Ironically, many of the same communication barriers the industry’s mostly female founders face are similar to those inherent to women’s health. Obstacles like censorship (gatekeepers), funding issues, and inherent gender bias.
My next evolution.
Femtech isn’t just an industry; it’s a movement that has the potential to disrupt the status quo, especially if there’s rigorous research to back up anecdotal evidence and bring greater education and awareness.
I’ll soon get the opportunity to do just that. After a lengthy application process, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been accepted to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Communication at the University of Kansas.
Starting this fall, I’ll be investing the next five years of my life investigating women’s health innovation and health communication barriers. While learning from some of the leading communication scholars in the country, I’m excited to explore:
How femtech is addressing inequities in women’s health, managing censorship and overcoming gender bias in investment decisions.
From investor pitches to public health campaigns, what women’s health communication looks like when it works–and when it doesn’t.
How storytelling is used to educate and overcome stigma.
Most of all, how can these solutions help us feel less alone and more empowered to make the decisions we need to make to lead healthy, happy and fulfilling lives?
Will Word Energy still be Word Energy?
If you’ve been a subscriber to my Substack, you know I often write about content strategy, presentation preparation and creativity. The underlying message of everything I write is this: Words have power. Stories matter. That’s why I’ll continue to publish this newsletter. This isn’t an ending, it’s an evolution. Who is Word Energy for?
Any woman, or person identifying as a woman, who has ever felt dismissed by their healthcare provider.
Entrepreneurs in femtech who are building innovative solutions but are having trouble getting funded.
People who are frustrated with the current status quo.
I hope to use this space to talk to femtech founders and entrepreneurs about how they communicate the value of their products/services, discuss examples of communication barriers in women’s health, help women advocate for themselves in healthcare settings, and explore how gender bias puts lives at risk–and leaves money on the table.
One of the trade-offs of leaving my business is that I’ll be working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, teaching public speaking to undergrads. Something tells me I’ll be learning from them too, which means I’ll likely be sharing stories about academic life along with my research.
Am I nervous? For sure. But I’m also enthusiastic about the possibilities.
Choosing change at midlife.
Someone told me I was brave for doing this, due to my age. (I’m 50 years old and will probably be one of the oldest students in the room.)
Did you know that the root word of “courage” is “cor” the Latin word for “heart.” Courage originally meant to speak from one’s heart. In my mind, this next chapter isn’t about being brave.
I can’t speak from my heart if I’m not doing something that speaks to my heart.
I’m also fortunate that my lifestyle affords me this opportunity, and I have a strong support network rooting me on.
So, here goes nothing! And I’m here for it—all of it, the disappointments, the successes, and the magic and mundane of everything in between.
I hope you are, too.
Wishing you love and support with every leap you take,
~Christa
xo
To subscribe to my Substack, visit Word Energy by Christa M. Hines.
