Who’s Who: Top Femtech Reporters Destigmatizing Women’s Health Taboos

The market for women’s health is massive and growing—and reporters are taking note.

The femcare market (think products such as pads and tampons), combined with fertility, contraceptive and menopause markets, is valued at more than $66 billion. Femtech, a term coined in 2016 by Danish entrepreneur Ida Tin, represents a new category within the health industry to address women’s health needs through technology.

Femtech companies are gaining significant national attention and media coverage, rightfully recognizing the importance of this emerging sector. To follow the top stories in femtech, check out the reporters who bring visibility to the field of women’s health. They’re covering the innovations and  companies driving change within the industry.

Marija Butkovic – Entrepreneurs in Femtech

Contributor for Forbes Women, X / LinkedIn

Marija Butkovic is an entrepreneur and founder of Women Wearables, an organization for women in emerging technologies. She has a unique perspective when it comes to femtech. Butkovic is a frequent contributor to Forbes Women where she shares topics about women’s health, the business sector of femtech companies, and other technologies and cutting-edge therapeutics impacting the space.

Butkovic originally started her career as a lawyer in her native country Croatia, and she moved into the health tech space 10 years ago. Since then, top-tier tech and business publications such as TechCrunch, The Next Web and HuffPost have featured her expertise. Butkovic also was named one of the Most Influential Women in the U.K. by Computer Weekly and listed as one of the Top 25 Health Tech influencers to Follow on Twitter by Sifted.

Alisha Haridasani Gupta – Corporate to Consumer

Reporter for The New York Times, X / LinkedIn

Alisha Haridasani Gupta is a reporter at The New York Times covering women’s health, gender and racial disparities. She also covers the femtech industry news for the Well desk. Her approachable tone helps readers understand topics such as over-the-counter birth control and the cost of menopause for working women.

During her start at The New York Times five years ago, Haridasani wrote the In Her Words newsletter, which discussed gender issues within businesses, technology and healthcare. She has a deep understanding of women’s health from multiple angles, which allows her to impact a larger audience.

Lisa Falco – The Intersection of Data in Femtech

Contributor at Forbes Women, X / LinkedIn

Lisa Falco has been reporting on femtech for over 20 years. During her time working at Ava, a Swiss femtech startup, she discovered a passion for using data to better understand the human body. Falco’s unique experience includes workingbehind the scenes developing AI technology to help women with their health, specifically around fertility.

It is clear from her work that she has a passion for educating women about their bodies. Falco explains various female issues including navigating menopause and understanding how to treat endometriosis further bridging the gap between educating and storytelling, one of our goals as public relations professionals.

Anna Medaris – Women’s Wellness Trends

Health & Lifestyle Freelance Journalist, X / LinkedIn

Anna Medaris has a holistic approach to her work built on more than a decade of reporting on health and wellness. She focuses on reproductive health, mental health and wellness, and medical misdiagnosis in women. Medaris’s reporting on addiction, infertility and maternal suicide destigmatizes these taboo topics.

Medaris also covers cultural health trends, from the most talked about topic, Ozempic, to health misinformation on TikTok. In her previous role at Insider, she drew on her background in psychology and gender studies to connect with her readers on a deep level.

Alex Janin – Health and Legislation

Reporter for The Wall Street Journal, X / LinkedIn

Alex Janin covers health and wellness for The Wall Street Journal,  with a focus on political and legislative impacts. Janin’s reporting on the Trump Administration’s effect on women’s healthcare funding earned significant recognition in 2017.

Through her work, Janin provides answers the public wants on healthcare trends and overall wellness, including the Adderall shortage, managing allergies and better sleep hygiene.

Rebecca Grant – Women’s Rights and the Bigger Picture

Health Freelance Journalist, X / LinkedIn

As a freelance journalist, Rebecca Grant covers a wide range of topics including reproductive rights, health and gender-based violence. Her work is most often long-form features and investigative reporting. It’s appeared in major media outlets, including New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Cosmopolitan, This American Life and Elle. She has a powerful voice and a clear passion for women’s rights. She shares women’s stories around sensitive topics such as abortion to help others feel less alone.

Within her freelance work, she also writes about fertility, freezing eggs, birth control pills and childbirth.

Erin Brodwin – Venture Capital in Healthcare

Health Tech Reporter at Axios, X / LinkedIn

Erin Brodwin reports on health and technology industry news and the companies behind it all. Brodwin’s reporting on the intersection of healthcare and venture capital allows leaders in the space to stay in the know about competitors, company acquisitions and industry trends.

She tackles misinformation and informs her readers on health tech companies, new health devices and wearables, and the growing role of digital health. Brodwin has reported on numerous femtech companies, including Premom and Mate Fertility, as well as telehealth and insurance companies.

The Opportunities Femtech Reporters Face

As the femtech industry grows, reporters are giving voice to the important stories and advancements in this space. It’s a departure from the historical norms of medical research and traditional reporting to focus primarily on men’s health.

There were challenges when looking into who was covering women’s health. It is scarcely discussed in general, unless it is in reference to sexual health or beauty tips. And, it is mostly written by women.

We applaud the reporters covering women’s health issues and their ongoing work to break down the cultural stigma surrounding this specific health topic. Still, women, providers and entrepreneurs face challenges and risk of potentially misdiagnosed health conditions, lack of funding in research or development, and delayed preventative screenings if the gaps in care that exist today aren’t closed.

***

RH Strategic is a Seattle and D.C.-based PR agency with a nationwide presence and additional global reach via membership in the Worldcom Public Relations Group. We provide strategic public relations for innovators in the technology, government, healthcare, and social and environmental impact markets.