Latest news with #hormonalhealth
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GreenShield Expands Women's and Men's Health Offerings with Canada's First Personalized Hormonal Health Program
A bold step forward in health equity and innovation to support whole person wellness, GreenShield's new nurse-led program addresses a critical gap in hormonal health care—empowering Canadians across life stages. TORONTO, July 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Three in four Canadian women experience disruptive menopausal symptoms and one in four men face hormonal shifts like low testosterone. Despite this widespread impact, Canadians still face fragmented education and a one-size-fits-all approach to hormonal health care, which can often lead to worsened health outcomes and increased absenteeism in the workplace. GreenShield, Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, today announced the launch of its new Personalized Hormonal Health Program—a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to support Canadians through life-stage hormonal changes. Building on the integrated capabilities of GreenShield+—Canada's first fully integrated platform combining healthcare services and benefits coverage—GreenShield's comprehensive nurse-led Hormonal Health program merges clinical insights with personalized support to proactively manage hormonal health. Whether it's navigating the effects of perimenopause and menopause, or addressing andropause and low testosterone, the program is designed to empower all Canadians to take control of their hormonal wellness with care that adapts to their needs over time. "Hormonal health is not a niche issue—it's a national health gap," said Joe Blomeley, EVP, GreenShield Health. "Nearly half of Canadian women feel unprepared for menopause, and awareness of hormonal changes in men remains limited. Canadians deserve access to care that not only informs but empowers them to thrive through every stage of life. Our new nurse-led program is designed to support all individuals with personalized care that meets their evolving health needs. By delivering integrated, whole-person care, we're advancing our mission of Better Health for All and ensuring no one feels alone on their health journey." Designed to help members understand and manage the impact of hormonal changes on their everyday health—from energy and mood to sleep and metabolism—GreenShield's program includes: A complimentary nurse intake and assessment so employees can get a full picture of their health Full hormone panel testing A personalized care plan tailored to each member's needs Virtual consultations with a hormonal health provider (e.g., nurse practitioner) Ongoing health support via direct messaging Home delivery of any required treatments The program is fully connected into GreenShield's broader ecosystem—making it easy for members to access mental health services, telemedicine, pharmacy care, well-being tools, and their benefits plan all in one place. This creates a fully integrated, holistic care journey that supports members at every stage of their health experience. Whether the member knows exactly what they are looking for, or is unsure where to begin, GreenShield+ offers a guided, intuitive experience. Key features include: Life stage-based support: Tailored content and services that evolve with the member, addressing everything from reproductive health and parenting to menopause and healthy aging. Personalized, data-driven recommendations: "Next Best Action" suggestions that connect members to the right support at the right time. An intuitive interface: Simplified coverage and care navigation, helping members make more confident health decisions. "Hormonal changes can deeply affect a person's physical, mental, and emotional well-being—often leading to lower engagement and more time away from work," said Nadim Kara, Executive Vice President of People and Culture at GreenShield. "Our integrated model is designed to meet people where they are, making it easier to access holistic care that reflects their individual needs. This program is a clear example of how we're evolving our payer-provider model to support the real, everyday health needs of those we serve—including our own employees through our Total Rewards Program." GreenShield's Total Rewards program is market-leading across three priority areas that are core to the company's values: mental health, social impact and inclusion. Notably, the program includes $10,000 of mental health coverage per year, and donation matching of $3,000 per year towards charities of each employee's choice. Last month, GreenShield's Total Rewards Program expanded to include access to its new Hormonal Health program, including three consultations with a nurse practitioner. This offering builds on GreenShield's inclusive benefits for family building, gender affirmation and more, along with expanded plan choices that employees can customize to their lifestyle, all accessible through the GreenShield+ integrated health and benefits platform. About GreenShield As Canada's only national non-profit health and benefits company, GreenShield believes health care is a right, not a privilege. We're dedicated to improving health outcomes, driving systemic change, and building a future where every Canadian can reach their full health and well-being potential. We are revolutionizing the health and benefits experience with coverage and care in one place. Through our unique integrated payer-provider ("payvider") model, we offer insurance, administer benefits and pay claims as a 'payer' while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine and chronic disease management as a 'provider'. As a non-profit social enterprise without shareholders, we prioritize and reinvest our excess earnings to directly support underserved communities. Through GreenShield Cares, we've committed $75 million to improve the health of over one million Canadians by the end of 2025, focusing on mental health, essential medicines, and chronic disease management. Our scalable initiatives deliver meaningful change in pursuit of Better Health for All. GreenShield is proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures, a leading Imagine Canada Caring Company, and named on the Fortune's Change the World List. * As part of our commitment to inclusion, GreenShield recognizes that the terms "women's health" and "men's health" can be understood expansively. Our program is designed to serve all individuals regardless of gender identity. SOURCE GreenShield View original content to download multimedia: Sign in to access your portfolio
Zawya
17-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
‘Ovasave' raises $1.2mln pre-seed round to advance women's healthcare
ABU DHABI - Ovasave, a Hub71 FemTech startup focused on fertility and hormonal health, has successfully completed its pre-seed round, raising $1.2 million from a mix of regional and international investors. The round was led by PlusVC, Annex Investments, and New York-based 25 Madison, with additional backing from the UAE and Saudi-based strategic angel investors and prominent family offices. The $1.2 million capital raised will be used to support regional expansion across the GCC, scale corporate partnerships, and launch the next phase of Ovasave's mobile app, which will include menstrual cycle tracking, symptom monitoring, access to care, and AI-driven treatment protocols. The raise comes as the UAE accelerates national reforms in healthcare and women's rights, offering a timely window for FemTech innovation. Ovasave is registered with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and supported by Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem, Hub71, further aligning it with the nation's broader digital and preventive health strategies. Majd Abu Zant, Co-founder of Ovasave, said, 'Abu Dhabi's focus on innovation, healthcare, and entrepreneurship has created a competitive environment for founders and investors alike. As an Abu Dhabi-based startup supported by Hub71, Ovasave has benefited from a strong regulatory framework, access to capital, and proximity to regional decision-makers. It's the right environment to build and scale high-impact ventures, and from here, we are expanding into Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.' Torkia Mahloul, Co-founder and CEO of Ovasave, said, "There is a critical need for timely intervention in women's health, particularly around fertility and hormonal health. This funding marks a crucial step in our mission to disrupt women's health and expand access to fertility and hormonal care across the region.' Built with a clear purpose, Ovasave is shifting women's care from reactive to proactive. Its solutions are designed to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and make it easier for women to access support in an area that has long been considered taboo and under-discussed. Ovasave's fundraising comes amid growing investor interest in women's health and fertility innovation across the MENA region. With a $1.2 million pre-seed round now closed, Ovasave is expanding operations to Saudi Arabia this summer, with broader regional growth across MENA being part of their three-year expansion strategy. A recent report by FemTech Analytics (FTA) revealed that the FemTech market in the MENA region is projected to reach $3.8 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 15 percent during the forecast period from 2021 to 2031.
Wamda
17-07-2025
- Business
- Wamda
UAE femtech Ovasave secures $1.2 million to expand in Saudi, GCC
UAE-based femtech startup Ovasave, backed by Abu Dhabi's Hub71, has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding from regional and international investors. The round was led by PlusVC, Annex Investments, and 25 Madison, with participation from strategic angel investors and family offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2023 by Majd Abu Zant and Torkia Mahloul, Ovasave offers a digital-first platform for fertility and hormonal health, combining at-home hormone testing, virtual consultations, personalised supplement protocols, and egg freezing support. The company also partners with corporates to integrate fertility and hormone care into employee wellbeing benefits. The $1.2 million raise will fuel Ovasave's expansion into Saudi Arabia and across the GCC, support scaling of corporate partnerships, and fund the next phase of its mobile app. Press release: Ovasave, a Hub71 FemTech startup focused on fertility and hormonal health, has successfully completed its pre-seed round, raising $1.2 million from a mix of regional and international investors. The round was led by PlusVC, Annex Investments, and New York-based 25 Madison, with additional backing from UAE and Saudi-based strategic angel investors and prominent family offices. This reflects the strong investors' confidence and growing demand for innovation in women's health across the region. Founded in 2023, Ovasave offers women a seamless, digital-first experience for fertility testing, egg freezing, hormone management, and menopause care. The platform combines at-home hormone testing, virtual consultations, personalised supplement protocols, and access to top fertility clinics for fertility preservation (egg freezing). Positioned as disruptors in fertility and women's hormonal health, Ovasave has also established a growing corporate benefits scheme that helps organisations support employees' reproductive health as part of their workplace wellbeing programmes. The $1.2m capital raised will be used to support regional expansion across the GCC, scale corporate partnerships, and launch the next phase of Ovasave's mobile app, which will include menstrual cycle tracking, symptom monitoring, access to care, and AI-driven treatment protocols. Ovasave will also address a historically overlooked stage of women's health, offering a broader range of services targeting perimenopause and menopause. The raise comes as the UAE accelerates national reforms in healthcare and women's rights, offering a timely window for FemTech innovation. Ovasave is registered with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi and supported by Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem, Hub71, further aligning it with the nation's broader digital and preventive health strategies. Majd Abu Zant, Co-founder of Ovasave and global leader in fertility and women's healthcare, said, 'Abu Dhabi's focus on innovation, healthcare, and entrepreneurship has created a competitive environment for founders and investors alike. As an Abu Dhabi-based startup supported by Hub71, Ovasave has benefited from a strong regulatory framework, access to capital, and proximity to regional decision-makers. It's the right environment to build and scale high-impact ventures, and from here, we are expanding into Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.' A recent report by FemTech Analytics (FTA) revealed that the FemTech market in the MENA region is projected to reach $3.8 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 15% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2031. (source: FTA Study, 2021) 'Overall, FemTech in the UAE is still in its early stages, but the momentum is clear. With increasing investor interest and a strong national focus on women's health and innovation, the UAE is emerging as a regional hub for the growth of this sector,' Abu Zant added. Torkia Mahloul, Co-founder and CEO of Ovasave, said, "There is a critical need for timely intervention in women's health, particularly around fertility and hormonal health. This funding marks a crucial step in our mission to disrupt women's health and expand access to fertility and hormonal care across the region. We are grateful for the confidence shown by our investors, which allows us to scale a platform designed to deliver timely, personalised, and accessible fertility and hormonal care. By bringing together medical expertise, digital convenience, and emotional support, we are helping women take control of their health earlier and more effectively across different life stages.' Built with a clear purpose, Ovasave is shifting women's care from reactive to proactive. Its solutions are designed to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and make it easier for women to access support in an area that has long been considered taboo and under-discussed. Moreover, Ovasave has embedded public education into its core mission, organising awareness events and expert talks and collaborating with physicians to normalise fertility conversations. One of its standout initiatives was the 'Fertility Your Way' campaign with Merck Gulf, offering free AMH screenings across the UAE. More than 500 women were screened during the campaign. The startup also partnered with leading employers including Aldar, Boston Consulting Group, and WeWork to raise awareness of fertility in the workplace. Through these efforts, Ovasave is helping shift the narrative on reproductive health across the region. "With investor confidence and strong market demand, the conversation around women's health is changing, signalling that fertility and hormonal care are no longer peripheral issues. Women's health is now a priority for innovation and investment in the Middle East, and we are proud to be leading that change,' Mahloul concluded. Ovasave's fundraising comes amid growing investor interest in women's health and fertility innovation across the MENA region. With a $1.2M pre-seed round now closed, Ovasave is expanding operations to Saudi Arabia this summer, with broader regional growth across MENA being part of their 3-year expansion strategy.
Vogue
15-07-2025
- Health
- Vogue
This Veg Helps Regulate Hormonal Health
If the words fiber, florets, and sulforaphane don't already inspire thoughts of a hormonal superfood, well… they're about to. Because broccoli (which possesses all three) is one of the most underrated foods for better hormonal health. In fact, the unassuming (and if you're a child, maligned) green vegetable is so beneficial, I've scarcely gone a day without eating it for the past five years. Below, I've picked the brain of Hannah Alderson—registered nutritionist, hormone specialist, and author of Everything I Know About Hormones: Six Steps to Optimal Health & Happiness—to find out exactly how broccoli can help with everything from detoxing excess estrogen to supporting healthy liver function (the key, you'll discover, for almost everything hormonal), and helping better regulate hormone metabolism. Here are the three reasons why I incorporate it into my diet every single day. Broccoli helps get rid of excess estrogen Broccoli and broccoli sprouts are both part of the cruciferous vegetable family, meaning they contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol (or I3C). 'When digested, I3C converts into diindolylmethane (DIM), which helps support the liver's breakdown of estrogen into safer, more easily excreted metabolites,' Alderson explains. This metabolization of estrogen is incredibly important, as too much of the hormone can lead to heavy and painful periods, tender breasts during the luteal phase, bloating, PMS, mood swings, fatigue, and much more. The compound I3C helps to properly break it down, which makes it easier for the body to then get rid of it. There is a hierarchy of broccoli, though. Normal broccoli—chunky, with one stalk and lots of florets—has lots of benefits, including soluble and insoluble fiber, both highly beneficial for gut health and gut motility (digestion). Broccoli sprouts, on the other hand, contain much higher levels of sulforaphane, which is a powerful detoxifying compound that helps to support the liver. 'Think of sprouts as the concentrated version. They're great in small doses and can be a fantastic daily addition to salads or smoothies, or for anyone looking to give their detoxifying pathways a little extra love,' says Alderson. Available in most grocery stores, broccoli sprouts are also an easy grow-at-home job, too. Broccoli supports liver function The liver is the body's in-built filtration system, and good liver function is the key to better hormonal function, being able to fight infection, and to efficiently remove toxins. The compounds present in broccoli sprouts and broccoli help to maintain the healthy functioning of the liver. 'Raw or lightly steamed broccoli may also up-regulate an important liver enzyme known as CYP1A1,' Alderson tells me.
The Guardian
22-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
I was diagnosed with PCOS – and was soon drowning in misinformation
I suspected I had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) long before it was confirmed. The signs were there: the acne scars that littered my back, the irregular periods, the hair in places on my body that I didn't see on many of my friends. I suspected it from the moment that one of my best friends, who as a girl taught me about bleaching my body hair and waxing my legs, was diagnosed with it as a teenager. Admitting all this publicly feels like an unburdening, but also an invitation to more shame. But I write this because my experience is far from unique. As many as one in 10 women have PCOS, a condition associated with hormonal disturbances that can range from weight gain, 'unwanted' body hair and hair loss, to irregular periods and struggles to conceive children (including an increased risk of miscarriage). It can leave women more likely to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. It is not clear what causes PCOS, but it is known to be passed down generational lines and can be influenced by lifestyle. I was finally diagnosed with PCOS last year, at 30, and have been on a journey to understand what that means ever since. The thing that leaped out at me early on (and has since been uncovered by the BBC) is just how much information, and misinformation, exists around the condition. My Instagram feed is filled with medically unqualified influencers. Sorting through all that to figure out which nutritionists and health professionals to pay attention to, in the absence of adequate support from the doctors and nurses who gave me that initial assessment and diagnosis, has been a battle. I've been encouraged to adopt unrealistic diets (so-called 'PCOS nutritionists' often suggest cutting out gluten, dairy and carbohydrates, despite a lack of evidence to show this is sustainable or useful for the condition); take unregulated supplements that can have significant side-effects; and sign up to expensive health plans and apps. I've been told to stop doing cardio and focus instead on weights and walking, because of the misguided idea that high-intensity exercise will cause my cortisol levels to rise to the degree that it will worsen my symptoms. In reality, all types of exercise can be beneficial. Medical misogyny has been well documented, and women's healthcare is rarely taken seriously. I first asked my GP about symptoms during the pandemic, when, after a blood test, I was told that my hormone levels were normal and I didn't have the condition. Later, having an ultrasound for an unrelated matter, I was unceremoniously told that I had lots of follicles on my ovaries and probably had PCOS. When I mentioned the earlier blood test, the sonographer told me that this is not a good way to diagnose the condition, especially if you are using hormonal birth control. Confusingly, PCOS does not cause cysts on the ovaries. 'They're not actual true cysts,' says Helena Teede, an Australian endocrinologist and expert in PCOS at Monash University in Melbourne. 'They're follicles or eggs that are just developing along a pathway, but they stop developing normally because they don't like the hormones that they're floating around in.' There has long been chatter about renaming PCOS to something that is more representative of the breadth of symptoms it causes. The current name, Teede says, 'completely misses the fact that this is a hormonal condition; that it has long-term impacts; that it is psychological, dermatological, metabolic, reproductive and, beyond fertility, it goes into many other reproductive features. And it really has an impact on quality of life.' She says it's likely that the process to give it a new name will be completed this year – her organisation has opened a survey for anyone who wants to contribute. Another myth is that women with the condition have a significant 'excess' of testosterone. And PCOS does open up some interesting questions about gender. But, says Teede, the idea that testosterone is an exclusively male hormone is false. Plus, women with PCOS do not typically have elevated levels of testosterone; it's more that our bodies are not very good at dealing with it. We have much less of the hormone than most men. After my diagnosis at the ultrasound, I had a follow-up call with a nurse practitioner, where I was told simply that I should put up with my symptoms but come back when I wanted to get pregnant; because, of course, that is the only thing that young women aspire to. When I pushed, I was offered a drug named metformin, which is used to treat insulin resistance and diabetes. It wasn't explained to me how this drug works and why it would be useful for my specific case. But, I have since learned, insulin resistance – when your body struggles to regulate your blood sugar levels – is one of the hallmark symptoms of PCOS and triggers a lot of the other issues that people with the condition face. Teede, however, points out that 'every woman has a different problem and a different life stage that's most important to them, and it's about their interpretation'. Doctors should think holistically about treatment plans for women with PCOS and listen to their concerns. My own contrasting experience, though, is much more common, says Rachel Morman, the chair of the UK PCOS charity Verity: 'After 20 years of doing this work, I'm like: 'Why is this still happening?'' She had a similar conversation with doctors after she was diagnosed in the early 00s, with the added shock of being told that she wouldn't be able to have children at all. While it is true that about 70% of women with PCOS experience fertility struggles, after intervention that number drops significantly; the vast majority of women with the condition are able to get pregnant. Morman has three children now. It's also important for women to know that a lot of the risks associated with PCOS in pregnancy (such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia) are preventable. Before they start trying for a baby, women with the condition should have a full diabetes test and get their blood pressure checked, as well as aim for a healthy diet and active lifestyle. But when doctors tell us that PCOS is something we should be concerned about only if we want to get pregnant, that is extremely frustrating, considering the wide range of effects it has on our bodies. Morman says that while there is a lot more information available now than when she was diagnosed, some treatment options have become worse: hair removal treatments used to be offered on the NHS for women diagnosed with PCOS, but not any more. As Teede acknowledges: 'One of the reasons why people go to alternative sources of information is because they're not satisfied with what they get from the health practitioners.' Misinformation about PCOS abounds, and much of it is repeated by medical professionals. To help counteract this, Teede helped to develop the extensively researched international evidence-based guidelines for PCOS in 2023, which I now regard as the holy grail of information about the condition. Her team has also created an app called AskPCOS, which can help women to find the right treatment pathways. It doesn't cover everything, but it is thorough, uses up-to-date research and doesn't make bold claims about 'curing' PCOS, as some people do on social media. 'There are a whole lot of individual practitioners, most of whom are not actually practitioners, who are there for financial gain,' says Teede. 'The biggest challenge I have is the misinformation, and then associated with that, the harm that's done by denigrating actual evidence-based strategies. Which, in the end, does a disservice for women with the condition.' She is not wholly against what she terms 'complementary therapies' (ie supplements and diets), as long as women undertake them clear-eyed and unswayed by false claims. But she does not believe people will stop looking to these types of practitioners for support until there are more trustworthy medical repositories, alongside legal liability for people who provide misinformation. Having researched PCOS over the past year (though there's still much to learn), here's what I've tried: in terms of monitoring the metabolic symptoms, I've checked my blood pressure and had screenings for diabetes and high cholesterol. My levels were fine. I've come off my birth control (some types of pill can help with the symptoms of PCOS; this one didn't) and started taking a well-researched supplement called myo-inositol, which may help with insulin resistance. But I've since come off it because it made me dizzy, a known side-effect for some people. I get periods most months, though I did so before I was put on the pill in my teens, so this may not have affected my ovulation. In terms of cosmetic treatments, I have moved away from laser hair removal, which can cause women with PCOS to experience paradoxical hypertrichosis – the regrowth of darker hairs, seemingly stimulated by the laser. Instead, I have begun electrolysis, the only way to permanently remove hairs. I'm on a break from it as the treatment has been slow and moderately painful, causing breakouts that take weeks to heal. Thankfully, the acne on my face has never been severe, but I have got topical treatment for it from an online dermatologist and benzoyl peroxide from my GP. My body acne has taken longer to get under control; I had a private online consultation with a dermatologist, which cost me £100, and have found reasonably priced skincare products that mostly work for me (shout out to Cerave). The reason I am sharing this is not so that others with PCOS can attempt to mirror my journey. Everyone is different. For example, some women are comfortable with having visible facial hair. It is not inherently shameful and I hate that it is considered to be so. Instead, I am sharing because it shows how much time and energy I have had to put into dealing with PCOS. As it stands, all women with the condition need to go on a journey of evidence-based self-education, because it is unlikely that their primary care doctors will be able to adequately direct them, and there are very few accessible specialists. We have to test out treatments and cosmetic procedures – many unregulated – for ourselves, working through trial and error. Perhaps one of the biggest learnings I've taken from this year has been around mental expenditure. While we undoubtedly have to demand better treatment from our doctors, and ask them to seek out research, those of us with chronic conditions have personal choices to make. Even in an ideal system, where I could be supported on and off medication with all the necessary tests, I would still have to make a judgment call about how much time and energy to invest in 'managing' my PCOS. It is lifelong and incurable, and, for me at least, learning to live with it has become just as important as tackling some of the issues that it causes. That is not to say people with PCOS should give up – learn to embrace their facial hair or uncomfortable acne, or the more serious difficulties related to heart health or diabetes – but it does move it in my mind from a space of hopelessness to one of pragmatism. And it has allowed me to give myself a mental break. 'You do need to have at least four periods a year, because otherwise it's a higher risk of getting cancer of the womb, for example,' says Teede. She says that people with PCOS must go for an annual checkup, including blood pressure tests. 'But you don't need to carry that around permanently,' she adds. The other brilliant news is that, in the background, things are changing. A new study shows that awareness of the syndrome has grown massively in the past eight years. In the UK, there is collaborative work happening to make sure that the syndrome becomes a research priority, including an all-party parliamentary group. 'We'll actually have proper pathways for PCOS treatment, so hopefully that should improve standard of care,' says Morman. For me, I had my foray into the land of misinformation and I battled my way out of it. I have sought out community with other women who have the condition, and I'm taking steps to mitigate its potential effect on my fertility in the future. Most of all, I feel incredibly thankful that I have been diagnosed in an era where there are women like Teede and Morman who are fighting for the recognition and evidence-based treatment of PCOS. We are not at a loss. We are at the bright beginning.
