These FemTech Founders Are Ensuring Fertility Doesn't Remain An Isolated Conversation

Two months ago, I sat across a gynaecologist who warned me about my declining fertility. I was shamed for being 'slightly overweight', for having PCOS and running past my 'right age' to conceive. The fear I felt was staggering, how do I take it from here now and was I really to blame? For ages, the 'right age' has been seen as a watershed moment for female fertility. It has been said incessantly that before 35, most women will have little trouble conceiving, but after that point, fertility declines. But the reality is more nuanced, and while it is true conceiving before 35 has its advantages, we cannot rule out that fertility is different from one woman to the next.

Fear is also something that prompted Nidhi Panchmal and Dipalie Bajaj to launch Arva Health. The Bangalore-based start-up, focusing on women’s healthcare through data-driven insights, has introduced home fertility tests for women. The test will help women monitor and track their hormones, thus empowering them to make informed choices about their reproductive health. 

"There is such an overwhelming amount of shame, fear, and hopelessness within the area of fertility that it scares me. Women are shamed, judged, and even gaslit into thinking that there is something wrong with them. Arva was really fear-based to make sure that there is something for us, for the next generation of women who should never have to go through struggles," said Panchmal adding that Arva means fertile in Latin. 

"Fertility is this huge black hole. No one talks about it. You only really hear about it when there's good news. We talk about our gut health, we talk about our mental health, we talk about our skincare. We track our sleep, we track our steps, we track our finances, we track everything in our lives but not our biological clock. We wanted to normalise this conversation. We are trying to improve what care looks like so that every single person has the option to build a family on their own timeline," added Bajaj.

What is the Arva Health test?

"The test is essentially a diagnostic blood biomarker test. We also parse it through an algorithm that we've put together that can understand those results, but also multiple other biomarkers that give us an understanding of where someone's fertility stands. And these biomarkers are essentially family history, things like what age your mom conceived, what age your mom hit menopause if she had any trouble conceiving, etc.

Medical history could be things like PCOS, endometriosis or any other kind of medical conditions that might lead to fertility complications. Other biomarkers include stress levels and BMI. And all this because fertility is not a one-size-fits-all kind of problem," Panchmal elaborates adding they are a company of fertility optionality - 'where you come from, what your history is, we help you navigate through everything.'

Why fertility should never be an isolated conversation

Medical science and advancements have surely provided us with options but dealing with fertility should never be in isolation. We are a generation that is proactively addressing their reproductive health at a greater rate than previous generations. And to be concerned about fertility is a greater marker in understanding our lives and in turn future better.

Arva provides a fertility counsellor at their end who helps one navigate the stresses of dealing with fertility, "We would say that 50% of fertility is emotional. We carry so much baggage that doesn't really get addressed by a lot of the doctors. I think that is where a fertility counsellor comes in, who is a well-rounded, holistic person who's essentially like your care team throughout your fertility journey," added Bajaj. 

However, Bajaj also recognises that biases perpetuate, and sometimes these biases stem out of our own families.

"We recognise that families in India form a major part of decision-making. And sometimes a lot of people don't even have their family support. And so they rely on us to kind of guide them through that process. Because a lot of the time, the stigma does come from one's family. Hence, we make sure that everybody in the family understands the facts, and is well-informed of the situation. And so we are building Arva not just in the POV of just the woman herself, but also the extended family members who will need guidance, who will need counselling as they navigate this," Bajaj added. 

Panchmal stresses the importance of having a safe space, and prides on building a community to have these conversations. "It is a modern miracle the fact that we can do IVF today, but we also see the fear, the pressure, it all exists. We also have a lovely community of women who are trying to conceive, some are thinking about egg freezing, and others are dealing with PCOS and hormonal health issues. And they have these constant conversations, helping each other, destructing healthcare and building a safe space to rely on one another."

Recently, Dr Ajay Murdia, the man behind the country's one of the largest fertility chains, said India stands at a critical crossroads, facing an unprecedented infertility crisis that threatens not only millions of families but the country's future demographic balance. We asked Bajaj and Panchmal if the government should aid in more procedures like egg-freezing and IVF to make it more affordable.

Panchmal: "Absolutely. At least as a starting point, we just need more education around it, right? There's a lot of misconception even today when it comes to IVF, people don't really know who to trust, where to get the most reliable information and where to go. I think that the biggest thing that we need today is to dispel the shame and stigma that comes with the fertility ecosystem today.

Bajaj: The other aspect of normalising fertility and fertility treatment is getting employers involved in this conversation. We're seeing some of the larger international conglomerates, pick this up and offer this as a benefit within the system. But I think that if a lot more people offer this benefit as they do like parental leave, it might make a huge difference. Even within our country. And I think that the cost reduction, whether it's insurance or through your employer, or government making change will radically change the normalization conversation around it.

Three things you wish you could tell a young girl opting for egg-freezing:

Panchmal: I think that the first one I would say is do your homework. Egg freezing or IVF is not right for everybody. It's definitely a procedure that helps a lot of people, but something that we say across the board is, to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Ask every single question you have.

Bajaj: There are no stupid questions. At the end of the day, it's a procedure that's been done millions of times across the world and it's a very standardized procedure today. However, it's more so just knowing what you're getting yourself into. That's the part that a lot of women should know.

Bajaj: The third thing I would say is that remember that you're in control. Like this is your story. And this is your timeline. No matter what anybody says about the pressure, the fear; all of the cards are in your hand and you know what's best for you.