Gaps in traditional women’s healthcare offer growth opportunities for spa and wellness operators
Women are seeking everything from menopause interventions and sexual wellbeing to mental health solutions
Innovative therapies include red light, microbiome testing and pelvic floor therapy
Demand for healthy ageing solutions for women is also growing
Gaps in women’s healthcare in the US are offering opportunities to support customers in improving their health outcomes while also reaping financial rewards, according to a new report.
Published by women’s health venture capitalist, Amboy Street Ventures, Unmet needs in women’s health and sexual health highlights innovative products and therapies that could be delivered in a wellness setting, as well as taking a broad look at women’s health care in the US.
Lack of access to menopause-specific care, for example, means some women are missing out on red light therapy and non-hormonal treatments for vaginal dryness – also known as vaginal atrophy.
The authors estimate that vaginal health is an untapped market of US$17.5 billion (€15.4 billion, £13.3billion) a year.
Hot flashes (flushes) are a common symptom of menopause, with solutions including personalised temperature controlled massage beds and wearable devices. The report says hot flash therapies represent a growth opportunity of US$18.8 billion (€16.5 billion, £14.3 billion) annually.
Solutions are also needed to sexual and maternal health problems. For example vaginal microbiome testing and care can prevent pre-term births, as well as enabling the treatment of infections and microbiome imbalances.
The report says vaginal microbiome testing is worth a potential US$5 billion (€4 billion, £3.8 billion) a year in the US.
A combination of massage, wellbeing classes and therapy could increasingly be offered to women dealing with mental health challenges as they suffer disproportionately from these issues when compared to men – representing an US$11 billion (€9.7 billion, £8.3 billion) per annum opportunity.
Urinary incontinence affects older women more than it does men, with treatment using pelvic floor therapy devices and suppression technique classes making the market worth an estimated US$9.5 billion (€8.4 billion, £7.2 billion) a year.
As the trend for merging medical and wellness services at spas continues to grow, women’s health interventions represent an investment opportunity as demand is proven and new solutions emerge.
Wellness settings can be less intimidating than traditional health clinics when it comes to getting tested and treated, driving growth in the market.
Overall, the report estimates that the untapped ‘ghost markets’ relating to different aspects of female health offer a combined US$360 billion-worth (€418 billion, £310 billion) of opportunities for innovation in the US each year.
You can read the report here.
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