Access to birth control is a highly contested issue in American politics. Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether it should be available to women, who should have access and why, and what options should be on the market. All that aside, some brilliant, disrupters are hoping to make birth control available, affordable, and innovative.
Meet Evofem, a startup with “innovative healthcare solutions that elevate the lives of women.” Saundra Pelletier, the CEO of Evofem, is looking to create a sustainable and attainable form of birth control for women all around the world. Options are limited and usually involve hormones, which many women find either undesirable or not recommended by their doctors due to other health conditions.
So what makes Evofem so revolutionary? Well, it developed a new form of birth control called Amphora that doesn’t require a doctor to administer it to you. Better yet, it’s hormone-free and can be used whenever you feel you need to take it — not every day. Even better yet, it may provide protection against chlamydia and gonorrhea. What’s not to love? Basically, Amphora is a gel that can be inserted (much like a tampon) up to an hour before intercourse to ensure proper protection.
Much of the genius behind Evofem comes from Pelletier. She’s been with the startup since 2013 and is leading Evofem on a path toward success. One of the largest hurdles Evofem must overcome is getting Amphora approved by the FDA. Did you know that it often takes drug companies anywhere from $648 million to $2.6 billion to get their drugs approved? That’s a boatload of cash, and as a fairly new startup, Evofem has a lot at stake if it wants Amphora approved by its goal of 2019.
Breaking the mold and offering new birth control options to women is revolutionary. It’s exciting to see a startup take a hot, pressing issue by the reigns and coming up with a solution.
Would you give Evofem’s Amphora a try? Tweet @StarterNoise.
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Katherine is a newbie to Denver. She recently completed her Masters in Peace and Justice Studies at the University of San Diego. When she isn’t trying to save the world, Katherine is all about trying any and all delicious foods, hitting up the beach but not actually swimming (deathly afraid of sharks), and taking as many hikes as humanly possible.