As we mark World Sexual Health Day, I’m reminded of why breaking down the taboo around sexual wellness is one of the most important conversations we need to have in healthcare today. The silence and stigma around sexual wellness formed the inspiration for our partnership with Dr Morton’s, which aims to bring compassionate and accessible women’s health services directly to our community and beyond.
The Weight of Silence
Let’s hop back in time to my pre-HANX career in NHS gynaecology and sexual health, where I witnessed firsthand the profound impact of sexual wellness stigma. Patients would arrive at appointments carrying months, sometimes years, of unexpressed concerns and embarrassment about their bodies. From unusual discharge to STI symptoms to pain during penetrative sex, many of them expressed the ‘awkwardness’ or pure shame they felt at ‘admitting’ there was something wrong. These moments became the foundation of everything my co-founder Farah and I would later build at HANX. Time and again, I saw how shame and silence prevented women from seeking the care they deserved. Women would whisper their questions, apologise for taking up time or avoid seeking help altogether, compromising their longer term health. The worst part? It’s not just a personal issue, it’s related to a systemic failure that affects millions.
The Medical Education Gap
During my medical training, I pursued my professional passion for gynaecology and obstetrics. However, I was shocked at how little emphasis was placed on women’s sexual health and vaginal wellness in our broader training. These topics are too often relegated to brief mentions or treated as separate, specialised areas rather than integral parts of overall health. This educational gap means that even well-intentioned healthcare providers sometimes lack the knowledge or comfort level to address these concerns properly. Heartbreakingly, our community at HANX has felt this across the board. This year, we hopped on the phone and spoke with hundreds of women about their lived experience with shortfalls in medical care. When patients did muster the courage to raise intimate health questions with their GP, they were often met with dismissive responses or referred elsewhere without proper exploration of their concerns. One injustice that always sticks in my mind? Multiple women experiencing vaginismus told us that they were advised by their GPs to ‘have a glass of wine and push through’ excruciating and/or near-impossible penetrative sex. This cycle of avoidance, lack of informed care and compassion only reinforces the message that sexual wellness is somehow less important than other aspects of health.
Why We Left Everything Behind
This realisation ultimately led Farah and me to make what our friends, families and bosses considered a radical decision…! We left our established careers to build HANX and truly revolutionise not just products, but attitudes, in the most taboo industry: sexual wellness. At first, people questioned our choice to enter such a stigmatised field, but we saw it differently. As most women will testify, there is an enormous unmet need for proper gynae-informed products, patient-first perspectives, and an opportunity to change the conversation entirely.
So, over the past eight years of growing HANX, we’ve made sure education is at the core of the business. Alongside adult-focused sex education classes that address the aspects that simply weren’t covered for most millennials (including consent and women’s pleasure!), we’ve campaigned tirelessly to tackle many taboos in sexual wellness. One of our proudest moments? Launching a campaign to bust myths and misinformation around women’s libido loss, including bringing our community together for intimate Q&As in real life. This wasn’t just a marketing initiative. Our educational efforts aim to normalise conversations that should never have been taboo in the first place. The power of being honest and open about traditionally taboo topics can’t be underestimated. When we share real stories from real women in our newsletter, blog and social media, the response is always overwhelming with thousands reaching out to say they finally felt seen and understood. To our fellow femtech brands: keep opening up the conversation: you are needed more than you know.
The Power of Open Dialogue
I’m a big believer that sexual wellness becomes far less taboo when healthcare providers create safe, non-judgmental spaces for these conversations. When we approach these topics with the same clinical professionalism we apply to discussing blood pressure or joint pain, patients respond with relief and openness. The key is treating sexual health as an integral part of overall wellness rather than something separate or embarrassing. Side note: a sense of humour can also help to break down barriers and shyness. A shared giggle (with, not at the patient), can be a wonderful thing – the British stiff upper lip is responsible for a lot of reticence!
Alongside a more collaborative, open relationship with medical providers, we need to encourage women to feel empowered to advocate for their own health. This means asking questions when you don’t understand/are unsatisfied with a response, seeking second opinions when necessary, and refusing to accept dismissive answers to legitimate health concerns. Your sexual wellness is your right, not a luxury or something to feel guilty about pursuing.
Creating Lasting Change
This World Sexual Health Day, my main message is that sexual wellness isn’t taboo because it’s simply healthcare. Full stop.
True change happens when we normalise these conversations at every level – in medical education, clinical practice and public discourse. When we stop treating sexual wellness as taboo, we create space for innovation, better treatments, and ultimately, better lives. I’m proud to say the partnership between HANX and Dr Morton’s represents exactly this kind of progress. The more women who can access specialist women’s medical care, delivered with kindness, the more we can dismantle taboos around sexual wellness. Ready to take control of your sexual and reproductive health? Explore how HANX x Dr Morton’s Women’s Health Service can support your health journey with confidential, expert care that addresses your unique needs.