The stigma around female sexuality and wellness has long been persistent in society. It is omnipresent and impacts the everyday life of women. Women suffer from many health issues, yet they feel uncomfortable expressing their problems. There has been a lot of awkward silence when it comes to women’s sexual wellness. This harsh reality is not limited to the developing economies but is a concern for people in the developed nations as well – despite having all the medical facilities.
We are becoming a more health-conscious society than ever. We literally have become educated consumers of our bodies, but we are still far behind in overcoming potentially lethal stigmas in society. Hence to get rid of the awkwardness around women’s sexual health, some aware individuals started providing women’s sexual wellness services. One prominent name in that list is Lyndsey Harper, MD who created waves in women’s healthcare through her company – Rosy Wellness, Inc.
In an interview with Insights Care, Dr. Harper shares her experience in the women’s healthcare space, its importance, and the necessity of creating awareness about female sexual wellness. Below are the highlights of the interview:
Give us a brief overview of your journey as the Founder and CEO of Rosy Wellness, Inc., and tell us what inspired you to venture into the healthcare sector.
As an OB-GYN in private practice, women would ask me to help them with sexual problems every day. Sadly, even as a women’s health expert, I had not been trained to treat these conditions that 43% of women have. Instead, doctors are trained to tell their patients to ‘drink a glass of wine’ or ‘go on a vacation’.
We would never say these things to men with sexual problems. Out of this need came my desire to create an evidence-based resource where patients could find legitimate solutions to their problems and connect with one another in order to erase the shame and isolation that so many women are feeling.
Tell us more about Rosy Wellness, its vision, and the key aspects of its stronghold in women’s sexual health and wellness niche.
Rosy’s mission is to create solutions that empower women on their journey toward sexual health. We want to meet the 1.9 billion women in the world who have a sexual problem exactly where they are in their busy lives with solutions that make sense. Rosy’s platform is convenient, private, and accessible.
In addition, our users have been shown to find sexual health benefits after use of the platform, as outlined in an abstract in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2020. We exist to support women and their healthcare providers who now have a trusted resource to which they can refer their patients who need help. Currently, more than 6% of OB-GYN in the US are recommending Rosy to their patients.
From a leadership perspective, what is your opinion on the impact of the pandemic on the global healthcare sector, and how did you aid your organization to overcome the challenges rooting from the pandemic?
The pandemic had many effects on healthcare, and in my opinion, most of them have been for the best. We have moved forward what would have likely taken more than a decade in under a year. The need for more convenient, less centralized options for care was mandatory.
The options for remote and digital care that so many of us were already focused on were welcomed to center stage and forced both provider and patient adoption overnight. These changes have their challenges, but they also have many gifts that the healthcare system now realizes much earlier than we would have without the pandemic.
Rosy offered support to our users during the pandemic by offering them a safe, digital space to access evidence-based information during a time when they needed it the most. Many of us spent more time with our partners than ever before, often emphasizing potential relationship and sexual issues. We are proud to support women and their partners during this new phase of life.
What is your opinion on the necessity for healthcare companies to align their offerings with newer technological developments, especially when it comes to catering to the ever-evolving needs of the industry?
A healthcare company that ignores technology will definitely lose the long game in this current climate. Healthcare consumers expect easy transitions and access along the entire healthcare journey. Unfortunately, this is much easier said than done given current regulatory and technological challenges, but healthcare companies and systems must prioritize to compete.
What efforts did you and your team at Rosy Wellness take during the pandemic to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your employees at the same time?
During the pandemic and still, currently, our team went to a completely remote environment. We had to make adjustments in terms of communication and team building, but we knew that this was the safest thing for our employees.
Since that time, many people on our team have now taken advantage of that flexibility and have moved to other places in order to explore their dreams. At Rosy, we are completely invested in the personal and professional growth of each of our team members. We are proud to be able to show this in our new circumstances.
In your opinion, what could be the future of the healthcare sector post the pandemic? And how are you strategizing Rosy Wellness’ operations for that future?
The future of healthcare treats patients with the respect and independence that they deserve. With increased options for consumers, healthcare systems will be forced to rethink the entire patient experience. Every aspect of healthcare must evolve from the education of each individual, incentivizing wellness over pathology, pricing transparency, and the patient-provider relationship.
Rosy is a model for the future of healthcare because we focus on changing the baseline understanding of each of our members while also meeting them where they are in their busy lives. We have increased access to high-quality resources while also breaking down barriers such as high cost and geographical constraints. Rosy is changing the narrative by offering women an individualized experience in a community setting.
If given a chance, what is the one thing that you would change about the global healthcare industry?
Globally, access to healthcare is the biggest challenge we face. So many of us in resource-rich countries have no idea what it would be like to be a patient in a different setting. There are countless opportunities to raise the bar for people across the world through new technologies and strategies that have been developed in the last 18 months.
As an established leader, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the healthcare sector?
My advice would be to know your buyer. There are many healthcare innovations to be made, but in order to build a successful business, there must be someone willing to buy your solution. It is helpful to understand that what is needed isn’t always what is successful. The best healthcare companies figure out a way to accomplish both.
Pertaining to your role as Rosy Wellness’s CEO, how do you envision scaling your company’s ambitions in 2022 and beyond?
Rosy will continue to change the narrative about women’s sexual health amongst women, our partners, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and the media. We will not rest until women across the globe understand that they are not alone, and evidence-based therapies exist to solve their problems.
