Don’t Suffer in Silence

March is endometriosis awareness month; to highlight endometriosis and more, we chat to Sibley Berty who has set up Femity – an online community for women experiencing health issues.

Tell us a bit about Femity.

Femity is an online community and reviewsbased platform for women experiencing female health issues. Our goal is to drive awareness around new technology, treatments and services that can help to improve women’s health.

Why did you decide to set this website up?

As someone who has suffered with PCOS and endometriosis for the past ten years, I understand first-hand how difficult it can be. It can take years to get a diagnosis, let alone the right treatment, and women are suffering as a result. Chronic pain, unwanted symptoms, infertility and mental health issues are just some of the things a large proportion of women are struggling with. One positive is that the femtech industry is finally getting more funding. There is so much exciting new technology that can help women to take control of their health. I want to help raise awareness around this new technology, whilst building a community where women can find support in one another.

For anyone who doesn’t know, what is PCOS and endometriosis?

Both are complex conditions that deserve further explanation, but, simply put, according to Verity, the leading charity for PCOS: “PCOS is an endocrine disorder whereby polycystic ovaries are one of an array of possible symptoms caused by an underlying hormone imbalance.”

The charity Endometriosis UK define endometriosis as, “the name given to the condition where cells similar to the ones in the lining of the womb (uterus) are found elsewhere in the body.”

Why is it important that women don’t suffer in silence?

There’s a huge gender health gap happening right now. In 2021, the UK government conducted research on women’s health outcomes, which revealed that the UK has the largest female health gap in the G20 and the 12th largest globally. As of 2022, there were over 600,000 women on the UK gynaecology waiting list. That’s over 600,00 women not getting the help they need. We deserve better.

www.femity.co.uk