As a marketing lead for DaVita, a Fortune 500 kidney care company in Bengaluru, Achintha Jacob witnessed how women often neglected their own health to prioritise the well-being of others. She noticed that women with kidney issues sometimes opted for fewer dialysis sessions to avoid burdening their families with medical expenses.
She also became aware of other challenges women faced in accessing treatment for common menstrual, sexual and reproductive issues like urinary tract infection, terminating an unwanted pregnancy, PCOS and skin-related conditions due to pregnancy like stretch marks or melasma caused by hormonal changes. Jacob’s experiences here led her to found the femtech startup Proactive For Her (PFH)three years ago. The Bengaluru-based healthcare platform aims to offer “judgement-free and personalised solutions” to the unique health needs of women. Jacob says, “We have a team of 10 doctors who are trained in trauma-informed care. They understand that patients need time to open up and strive to create an atmosphere where women can freely share their clinical history and symptoms. The doctors split their time between private practice and PFH, following protocols like avoiding invasive or irrelevant questions.”
Stories like that of Delhi-based advocate Navneet Arora are testimony to the success of the platform. The 29-year-old felt hopeless when none of the medications provided her relief from pain in the pelvic floor muscles and spasms. The doctors often dismissed it as ancillary symptoms of anxiety. Arora’s life, however, took a turn when she discovered PFH. It was here that she came across the term vaginismus, a type of sexual dysfunction characterised by the body’s automatic response to the fear of some or all types of vaginal penetration.
“In September 2021, I enrolled in their Vaginismus programme and found solace in a community of women who were facing similar challenges. Group sessions like dilation and body acceptance brought me relief in just four to five weeks,” she says. The startup, which operated as a digital platform during the pandemic, evolved into an omnichannel care model with two clinics in Bengaluru. It also offers virtual consultations, diagnostic testing from the comfort of home, and a long-term support programme. “PFH also offers primary and preventive care across categories such as fertility, dermatology, nutrition and pelvic floor therapy,” says Jacob.
Another USP of PFH is that it addresses the challenge of understanding complex medical diagnoses by providing smart reports with insights in comprehensible language, along with actionable tips. To support its digital expansion and to reach women in rural areas, PFH also raised $5.5 million in a ‘series A’ funding round in 2022. The startup is now preparing to open five clinics in Bengaluru by the end of 2023.
