Many women’s health companies start with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model because it lets them prove there’s real demand, build a brand, and keep control of their product vision. Unfortunately, the platforms they rely on to reach consumers make that critical market access much harder than it needs to be; 95% of women’s health creators surveyed in 2024-25 reported censorship on social media.
Why do women’s health companies choose a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model first?
This enables them to confirm product market fit, build momentum, and generate revenue. Being independent ensures the company retains control over the product vision and roadmap. It is typically more expensive to acquire consumers in a DTC model, but this path enables companies to establish brand awareness and build a sense of community around their product(s). It also enables the company to demonstrate traction and begin to collect insights, which paves the way for a B2B2C model (collaborating with employers or payers) later. Many companies choose this path from wellness to regulated product / device, gradually collecting a body of evidence that clinically validates the product and paves the way for regulatory approvals.
What are the challenges?
There are challenges, of course. The women’s health space is increasingly crowded, which makes it more challenging to acquire and keep customers. Furthermore, many solutions target a particular life event or stage (pregnancy / menopause), meaning that customer acquisition is a continuous challenge. Thus, it’s harder to reach a scale where acquisition or investment will be compelling. But the biggest challenge in starting with direct-to-consumer is that censorship is a massive problem. Ads for erectile dysfunction are considered related to a “health condition” and consistently approved, but content about female bodies faces scrutiny and impossible hurdles.
What are the implications for innovation in women’s health?
Social media censorship effectively cripples the DTC model; increases customer acquisition costs and may give investors the impression that market demand is weak. And of course, consumers have less visibility into products that might benefit them. More on that in my next post. Ultimately, both founders and customers pay the price.
What’s changing?
There are companies doing important work to make these challenges visible and challenge current norms. CensHERship is one of the most active and impactful at the moment. They are demanding more clear and non-discriminatory advertising guidelines and transparent review processes with the means to appeal.
Ultimately, if you care about women’s health – as a consumer, founder, investor, or policymaker – consider this: why are you struggling to find the answers you need, and who benefits from keeping you in the dark?
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