No more than two weeks before the November 2024 election, First Lady Jill Biden announced additional multi-million-dollar investments in women’s health: the Pentagon is committing $500 million to women’s health research while the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committing $200 million. These investments concluded about a year of federal initiatives dedicated to women’s health under President Biden, starting with the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, which launched in November 2023.
However, with the Biden Administration ending and the Trump Administration rapidly taking shape, the future of women’s health in the federal government is unclear - and may result in women’s health advocates, companies, and supporters expanding their roles as stewards of the space. Leaders from five of these companies - Cadence OTC, Evvy, Flora Fertility, G2G Consulting, and Winx Health - share their thoughts on just how much women’s health has changed over the past ten days, what the country can expect, and what their priorities are, post-election.
What do you think are the biggest opportunities in women’s health at the moment?
“We believe the most important opportunities in women’s health are 1) making the most popular prescription contraceptives available over-the-counter (OTC), and 2) to expand the retail distribution of affordable OTC reproductive health products. The OTC approach removes the gatekeeper and allows us to get reproductive health products and information directly into the hands of everyone everywhere. The major medical and public health associations have strongly endorsed moving birth control pills over-the-counter, included the American College of OB/GYN, the American Medical Association, as a safe and effective way to make these essential products more accessible to decrease the high rate of unintended pregnancy (currently about 42% of all pregnancies in the U.S.).” - Samantha Miller, Co-Founder and CEO, Cadence OTC
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“One critical opportunity in women’s health lies in building science-backed, women-led educational communities. For too long, issues like vaginal health, menopause, and fertility have been clouded by shame and silence, leaving countless women and people with vaginas feeling isolated and underserved. This silence only deepens in the face of an administration that deprioritizes women’s health and autonomy. We urgently need communities and platforms where women can openly share experiences, ask questions, and receive answers without judgment. At Evvy, we’re dedicated to creating these spaces in vaginal health, fertility, and menopause—because world-class healthcare starts with de-stigmatization and education.” - Laine Bruzek, Co-Founder and CMO, Evvy
“The fertility category is booming, currently valued at around $35 billion globally, and continuing to grow as infertility remains one of the largest health issues. In fact, The World Health Organization classified infertility as a global health issue, impacting nearly one in every five people globally.” - Laura McDonald, Co-Founder and CEO, Flora Fertility
“My expertise is government so the biggest opportunities I see are in the development of technologies with broad impact. I think those are the areas that government will look to invest in. That means big patient populations like heart disease, dementia, and cancer. With the changing of administrations, there will be a shift away from ARPA-H and toward DoD. I think there will be opportunities to address military service women’s health needs in this climate.” – Liz Powell, Founder and President, G2G Consulting
“The women’s health aisle hasn’t seen an update in almost half a century. Current legacy brands on the aisle are missing a major component: education. Products that exist are overwhelming, outdated, antiquated and often embarrassing packaging. Women need products that answer the questions they have around their health, and treat them in a timely, meaningful manner. Winx Health is bringing much needed innovation to this aisle with a digital-first, intel-backed, comprehensive approach that leaves no room for confusion to empower women with information to make confident decisions for their health.” - Cynthia Plotch, Co-Founder, Winx Health
2. What do you think are the biggest challenges that women’s health faces?
“The biggest challenges in women’s health include:
1. Navigating the regulatory landscape and collaborating with the FDA - regulatory barriers delay or limit access to contraceptive options
2. Establishing broad, reliable, and affordable retail distribution of OTC products to address the persistent disparities in access, especially in underserved and rural areas
Stigma around women’s health topics prevents some retailers from offering essential OTC products.” - Samantha Miller, Cadence OTC
“Women’s health remains vastly under researched and underfunded. Women weren’t required in U.S. clinical research until 1993, and the effects of that exclusion are still felt today. Conditions predominantly affecting women—like bacterial vaginosis, autoimmune diseases, endometriosis, and PCOS—are too often misdiagnosed or dismissed. For patients, this manifests as the gender health gap: delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatments, and, far too often, medical gaslighting. Now is the time to make women’s health research a true priority, dedicating the funding and resources needed to close this gap and build a healthcare system where women are fully seen, heard, and healed.”- Laine Bruzek, Evvy
“There’s a massive opportunity for innovation and support to help couples and individuals grow their families, however a major hurdle remains cost. Fertility treatments often exceed $50,000 per cycle. A majority of people pay with credit cards or high-interest loans. While some employers offer fertility coverage, more than 60% of people are without coverage - especially within gig workers or contract employees. For those that do have coverage through employers, it lacks portability and often doesn’t cover the full span of treatment needed. As the infertility crisis continues to grow, the urgent need for new funding mechanisms is clear. Flora Fertility is answering that demand with a first-of-its-kind insurance solution to this challenge. With plans starting as low as $15 a month, Flora provides affordable, portable coverage for various fertility treatments, reducing the need for large lump-sum expenses down the line.” - Laura McDonald, Flora Fertility
“There will no longer be the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, the Gender Policy Office and the 20+ directives from President Biden’s executive order in place. Also, some Republicans, including the powerful Chair of the Energy & Commerce Committee McMorris-Rodgers and Appropriations health funding Chair Aderholt, are pushing for ending ARPA-H, AHRQ and NICHHD through a proposal that would create NIH-wide consolidation. This plan would reduce NIH institutes/centers from 27 to 15 and combine National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, ARPA-H, and the Common Fund into a “National Institute on Innovation and Advanced Research” with other new research institutes focusing on body systems, neuroscience, disabilities, and substance abuse. It also would institute 5-year term limits for all NIH directors.” – Liz Powell, G2G Consulting
“There is a huge education and accessibility gap in women’s health. Currently, two thirds of states don’t have access to comprehensive sex ed, and 16 states require abstinence only education. The education pipeline is failing not only women, but everyone - as they grow up without answers and input on what is available to them. Beyond education, there is a larger accessibility gap. 50% of counties in the U.S. don’t have access to an OBGYN, meaning that more than 2.3 million women are without care. When women do have questions, 80% turn to the internet for critical answers for their health. Winx Health is closing these gaps with a fundamental mission to increase access and education for people everywhere through our free sex-ed platform, Real Talk and fighting for increased accessibility. Beyond offering Restart, our emergency contraception pill, we also have expanded our offerings by innovating in at-home diagnostics for vaginal and sexual health. Many women don’t know what is wrong down there when they do have an issue, leading them to improperly treat the issue or not treat it at all. Our UTI Test & Treat and Vaginal Health test provide at-home information to test, diagnose and treat urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections. These innovative tests provide solutions through digital results, connection with a doctor, all from the comfort of home for just $15 (less than the price of a co-pay), helping make treatment more accessible and affordable.” - Jamie Norwood, Co-Founder, Winx Health
What is your company’s top priority, post-election? Has that/how has that changed since the election results were announced?
“What we’re doing feels more important than ever - The OTC approach allows us to get reproductive health products into the hands of women everywhere while avoiding the purview of government or other gatekeepers.
Cadence OTC is on a mission to increase access to over-the-counter (OTC) contraceptives, including daily birth control pills and emergency contraception (ECs or morning after pills). We hold the rights to three of the most popular oral contraceptive formulations and have been working with the FDA to transition the most commonly used birth control pill to OTC status. In parallel with advancing the Rx-to-OTC switch process for the Pill, we are bringing ECs to convenience stores nationwide, especially in healthcare deserts.
2 out of 3 people living in small U.S. towns can’t find ECs in their local stores. With pharmacies closing and family planning clinics disappearing from many states, access to time-sensitive health products has become more critical than ever. Cadence OTC is tackling this issue directly by making our Morning After Pill available in thousands of convenience stores like Circle K and 7-Eleven across 40+ states. This isn’t just about offering a product—it’s about providing a vital solution in areas where pharmacies and family planning clinics sparse, creating contraceptive deserts.
Here’s why it matters: Emergency contraceptives need to be accessed quickly - the sooner you take them the better they work. The EC brands currently at pharmacy stores are expensive, ranging from $35-$65, while Cadence OTC’s Morning After Pill retails for $20-$26, Cadence OTC is part of a broader movement to educate consumers about reproductive health products; currently, as many as 73% of U.S adults don’t know the difference between the abortion pill and the morning-after pill; they incorrectly think the morning-after pill can end a pregnancy in its early stages. Cadence OTC is leading further innovations in reproductive health. The company will soon introduce Zena, our over-the-counter birth control pill. While OPill (the "mini-pill") recently moved OTC, Zena is "the Pill", which is used by 95% of birth control users, and not yet available OTC, making Cadence’s innovation a game changer.” - Samantha Miller, Cadence OTC
“Our top priority at Evvy is to transform the standard of care for vaginal health through comprehensive vaginal microbiome and STI testing, precision treatments, and destigmatized education. Our mission doesn’t change, but does take on new urgency in the face of an incoming administration that has loudly signaled it does not prioritize women’s health. As we work to fill the gaps left by a healthcare system that hasn’t historically prioritized women, the importance of patient-centered, science-backed care platforms like Evvy cannot be overstated.” - Laine Bruzek, Evvy
“The recent election brings a renewed focus on policies that could shape the future of reproductive rights, family planning, and fertility treatment access across the United States. Under a Trump administration, access to care will likely be decided on a state level, creating an even larger need for privately held insurance programs, like Flora’s, that are portable and can be used nationwide. By bringing coverage to the individual level, Flora is empowering women with the autonomy and financial resources to make decisions over their health on their own terms, and on their own timelines. Flora will continue to work alongside healthcare providers, advocacy groups, and policymakers to champion access to fertility treatments and reproductive care for all and that make care within reach.” - Dr. Christy Lane, Flora Fertility
“Many will still work to limit abortion access, but others will work on specific health issues, such as cancer, maternal health, Alzheimer’s or autoimmune conditions. Interestingly, the Republican-controlled House proposed more funding for the NCI in the FY25 appropriations bill than their Democrat controlled Senate counterpart did. While topline funding levels, the Affordable Care Act and other priorities will change, there are still opportunities to advance the health of women in 2025.” – Liz Powell, G2G Consulting
“In a Trump presidency, we’re committed to continue fighting for education and accessibility. 50% of women living in states with abortion bans think emergency contraception is illegal, and up to 73% of U.S adults think that the morning after pill is the same as the medical abortion pill (it’s not). We’re amplifying our efforts to ensure women know what options are available to them, in any state, no matter what age they are. We’ve donated more than 30,000 doses of Restart, our morning after pill, to those in need, and are continuing to support education efforts around these options. We’re also fighting to increase accessibility, to ensure our products are available anywhere young people shop. We’re currently available on GoPuff and Doordash, with discreet, quick shipping when people need these items most.” - Cynthia Plotch, Winx Health
The Trump Administration will bring changes to women’s health: some likely, most ambiguous. But, despite current unknowns, these leaders in women’s health –Samantha Miller of Cadence OTC, Laine Bruzek of Evvy, Dr. Christy Lane and Laura McDonald of Flora Fertility, Liz Powell of G2G Consulting, and Cynthia Plotch and Jamie Norwood of Winx Health – are continuing to advocate for this space and for keeping women’s health affordable, accessible, educational, and innovative, regardless of the president currently occupying the Oval Office.
Note: some answers have been lightly edited for clarity and consistency.
