Why men are a hidden growth channel in women’s health

There’s a lot more men can do to support women’s health. The menstrual cycle is our origin story. We should be involved and be aware of it – A C Kinghorn, husband of a PMDD sufferer

Every week, I interview people across the women’s health ecosystem, ears pricked for the nugget, the rich insight that explains ‘the why’ or brings fresh perspective. The gold.

In A C Kinghorn, I left our interview with a treasure chest.

Kinghorn published a self-help manual this year called ‘Hope: A Guide to PMDD for Partners and Caregivers’.

The companion guide mixes anecdotes with practical tips and laid-bare honesty about what it’s like to live with and love a woman with pre-menstrual dysphorric disorder (PMDD), a debilitating hormone-based mood disorder with symptoms ranging from mild irritation to rage to suicidal thoughts.

Kinghorn draws on personal experience of supporting his wife through 15 years of PMDD, and giving peer support to hundreds of partners.

Why partner insights complete the picture

His insights are relevant for many groups in women’s health – for women with PMDD, the menstrual sector, and femtech as a whole.

I am well-read on PMDD, and have interviewed dozens of women about the condition, but it’s only been half the story.

And now Kinghorn has written the other half – from the outside looking in – and it’s a tough tale to read.

  • How partners experience their own emotional rollercoaster
  • How some women resist PMDD diagnosis and treatment
  • How sufferers can verbally and physically abuse their partners

That last one is gut-wrenching, but a reality. Kinghorn surveyed 100 partners of women with PMDD and half had experienced physical abuse during the luteal phase.

This insight demands further research but the point I want to make is the value of an external perspective.

The value of an external perspective

I interviewed Kinghorn as part of my research for a new Femsights report – PMDD Audience Insights (register your interest for a free download).

The contrast between his observations and what women experience are stark – he sees PMDD for what it is – a condition that happens to a woman or AFAB person. The third party in a relationship. While women may struggle to make that distinction and that’s why it’s so valuable.

I asked him how important it is to view chronic conditions like PMDD as a separate entity to the women experiencing it, to your relationship, and to you? He replied:

In this scenario it’s You, Me and PMDD but what other conditions could this apply to – endometriosis? Early-onset menopause? Infertility?

Men are more than allies in women’s health

Kinghorn then shared a second significant insight, which is resonant for femtech innovators – how men want to be more than bystanders. He says:

Men often are painted as Homer Simpson-like caricatures where we can’t quite understand women’s health, and our role is just to fetch ice-cream. Chronic conditions like PMDD is a joint problem because it affects both women and partner.

He tells us:

From insights to action

So how can femtech innovators interpret these insights?

Apps are often designed to protect women’s data from partners – and with good reason – but these insights hint at new use cases and new audience segments to explore.

Accounting for partners’ unique needs and experiences produce more effective, inclusive solutions, and the potential for user growth.

3 strategic takeaways

Successful brands will find ways to empower partners as active participants, not passive bystanders by:

  1. Viewing women’s health conditions as a joint problem. It affects both partners, so solutions must acknowledge this shared experience.
  2. Recognising value of partners in the process. Ask partners for their perspective and ideas on how to support women, and feel supported themselves.
  3. Creating solutions that improve partner communication, and tailored emotional support.

More PMDD audience insights

Our full ‘PMDD Audience Insights for Femtech’ report is coming soon – be the first to access it here.