Medically reviewed by Sophia Yen, MD, MPH – Written by Pandia Health Editorial Team
In case you missed it, Dr. Sophia Yen, CEO and co-founder of Pandia Health, was interviewed by Imagine Human earlier this year! As you loyal readers know, Pandia is a Stanford startup focused on improving women’s health through products and services, specifically birth control delivery.
For Dr. Yen, Pandia is more than just reproductive equality; it’s about helping women perform to their highest potential. As the wise co-founder notes, “We bring birth control to you wherever you have internet and a mailbox.”
Why don’t women take birth control?
Dr. Yen and her partner started Pandia because she was giving a talk at a conference to doctors on why women don’t take birth control. The reason? They don’t have it in their hands, they don’t have health insurance, and they don’t have the time to go to the pharmacy. The solution? Ship birth control to these women! Now, all customers have to do is fill out a 20 question telemedicine consult to receive their prescription and expert knowledge from doctors about contraception.
10.7 million women use the pill, patch, and ring and 70% more women would use them if they were available over the counter. “We’re all about care, convenience, and confidentiality,” Dr. Yen said. Pandia allows people who want to be on birth control to not feel ashamed about it by delivering it straight to customers’ doorsteps for free (with cool swag items, too)!
Pandia strives to cure women of “pill anxiety,” a term coined by Dr. Yen that refers to the fear of running out of birth control and the stress of having to rush to the pharmacy each month to get birth control. By providing safe, easy access to birth control, Pandia grows with women as they grow. Services like these are needed in both rural and urban areas, among folks who are educated, those who never finished college, and everywhere in between.
How does Pandia Health Address Period Problems?
The number one cause of absences at school and work for women under the age of 25 is menstruation, an issue Pandia helps solve through the Periods Optional campaign. With the inception of the pill, women can skip their periods and people are more accustomed to turning off their cycle; in fact, 70% of women lose their period on the IUD. Furthermore, birth control helps regulate periods, reduce acne, and prevent pregnancy.
What About Emergency Contraception?
In terms of emergency contraception, Ella is the superior option to Plan B and is free under the Affordable Care Act; unlike Pandia’s competitors, Dr. Yen stays on the cutting edge of medicine to ensure that her investors are getting the best treatment and knowledge in regards to reproductive health. “I live, eat, breathe, and prescribe birth control,” Dr. Yen states.
Pandia can deliver across the United States and its doctors can write prescriptions for people in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, MI, NV, TX, WA, and WY. Pandia’s most popular video with 150,000 views on its YouTube channel — with no paid promotion — is advice on birth control for first time users.
As a female doctor and a mother, Dr. Yen has faced many struggles in getting people to take her and Pandia seriously. But, she told Imagine Humans that for women entrepreneurs, it’s important to build your tribe and ask other women entrepreneurs for help and feedback.
The above information is for general informational purposes only and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor/primary care provider before starting or changing treatment.