Health IT, Startups

Fertility app to help women get pregnant taps new audience: the undecided

A mobile health startup launched by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and led by Mike Huang […]

A mobile health startup launched by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and led by Mike Huang to help women seeking to get pregnant monitor their fertility has updated its app to broaden its audience. It has added components to its Glow app to make it relevant to women who may want to have a child in the near future or a few years from now. It also added an app for Android users.

Among the new settings for Glow’s app are profiles for women who fit under the category “considering pregnancy” or “not trying.” A new interface in the app questions women’s fertility priorities and assigns them into the relevant group. Its tools help them track their menstrual cycle and risk of getting pregnant. It also flags potential problems women may want to check out such as endometriosis and PCOS.

The idea is to give women a better understanding of potential challenges to getting pregnant in the future and to help identify potential problems with their reproductive health. A data analysis component, Glow Genius, relies on information users’ log each day to track their health. It formed a partnership with MyFitnessPal to integrate user data on things like body mass index, nutrition and fitness data and analyze that with other user data. It adds to that insights gleaned from medical journals and medical advisers to better assess when a woman has the best chance of getting pregnant.

In response to the fact that IVF treatments aren’t covered by insurance in most states, Glow also has an opt-in fund to help users defer infertility treatment costs. Users contribute $50 a month to the fund for 10 months. The contribution pool is equally divided among any participants who aren’t able to conceive naturally during the 10 months.

The company added a community forum at the end of last year for women to share news about their pregnancy, share insights and ask questions. The company, which is part of HVF Labs, claims that more than 1,000 women have become pregnant using the app.

Some of the other app developers focused on the fertility market include Ovuline, Clue and Fertility Friend.

Another startup with a fertility focus, Sandstone Diagnostics, is looking at the issue from a man’s perspective. It developed a Trak Fertility device to monitor sperm count. It is in the process of testing its effectiveness with plans to submit it to the FDA for 510(k) clearance later this year. It also is looking to add an app to help users monitor their sperm count over time.

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