YuLife is launching a new partnership with Hertility, an award winning service that offers at-home hormone and fertility testing, telemedicine and treatment.An exciting startup in the rapidly growing field of women’s health, Hertility was launched in 2019 by female scientists, Dr Helen O'Neill, Dr Natalie Getreu and Deirdre O'Neill, with the mission of reinventing healthcare for every woman. Whilst looking for answers about their own fertility and hormonal health, the founders found it convoluted, confusing and expensive, despite being experts in the field themselves. So, they gathered the best minds in female health and dedicated years to building an award-winning alternative clinical experience.The result? The most accurate diagnostic tool in female health that finally gives women clarity into what’s going on in their bodies. Currently, in just 10 days, Hertility’s test can provide advanced insights into reproductive health, fertility decline and the onset of menopause, as well as screening for 18 reproductive health conditions. Until now, people with ovaries have been underserved by the healthcare system but there are now over 100,000 women who have taken their first step towards demystifying their bodies with Hertility.Deirdre O'Neill, Hertility's Co-Founder, explains why their service is so in-demand. "Unbelievably, reproductive health is still seen as elective within the NHS," she points out. "You have to prove you've been trying to conceive for a number of years or, shockingly, that you've had a certain number of miscarriages, to move through the system. On the other hand, private clinics are very expensive, and medical insurance often doesn’t cover women’s health either." Deirdre goes on to say that, Hertility is seeking to democratise reproductive healthcare, by providing affordable, accessible and, crucially, proactive support whichever life stage you’re in or wherever you’re at in your reproductive journey. "So whether you’re just curious, planning for the future, symptomatic or struggling to conceive, Hertility can help you get to know your body and take control of your reproductive health."Why employers should careHertility is excited to be teaming up with YuLife to provide their services as an employee benefit in the YuLife employee app. But why should employers be concerned with employees' reproductive health, exactly?"It's still a hushed and taboo topic," responds Deirdre. "But almost one in every six heterosexual couples have fertility issues in the UK: that’s about 3.5 million in total. Many employees don’t feel like they can tell their managers about what they’re going through, often making excuses or even taking annual leave to attend multiple tests, appointments, consultations and procedures.." With fertility issues affecting so many lives and having such a huge impact on their work, it's no wonder that employees expect their employers to support them in this area. For example, in a recent Fertility Network UK survey, up to 59% of respondents felt their employer would benefit from education about fertility and treatment options, to help better understand and support the needs of someone undergoing treatment. The stress of infertility can actually lead to losing staff entirely with nine in ten employees who felt unsupported during IVF treatment having left or considered leaving their job. Deirdre points out, "Not only does reproductive health support aid talent retention, it also has an impact on attracting the best talent, with employee benefits becoming more and more important in the changing job decision-making process."But reproductive health is so much more than fertility alone. And the scale of this issue means it really can't be ignored by employers. "One in three women has a gynaecological condition and 100% of women will go through hormone-related symptoms and menopause," notes Deirdre. "So the workplace needs to cater for a supportive environment and prevent absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover and finally see gender equality at all levels."Importance for equalityThe other important aspect to bear in mind is that reproductive health is not just a woman’s issue. "At Hertility, we celebrate and support gender diversity and equality, and strive to make our language as inclusive as possible," says Deirdre. "Currently, the Hertility test can be used by anyone who is assigned female at birth, irrespective of their sexuality or current gender identity, to gain insight into their hormones and fertility. "We can help women in heterosexual relationships, women in same-sex relationships, single women, and people on their gender-affirming journey or those prior to transition," she adds. "Our partner clinics support our mission, with specialised routes to care and treatment pathways to help everyone on their individual reproductive health journeys."Hertility also recognises the inequalities that exist in the current healthcare system for ethnic minorities. "From medical racial bias to increased time to diagnosis and being disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes, something needs to change," Deirdre says. "And we believe that data is at the heart of the solution. "Our ethnicity data is already more comprehensive than the current healthcare system, collecting data on over 90 ethnicities. So, not only are we tackling the current discrimination in healthcare, but we’re also improving knowledge of women’s healthcare in ethnic minority groups that have been underserved for too long."More broadly, Hertility is working towards their vision of healthcare which is more inclusive than ever before. "Healthcare was built for the white, middle-aged, healthy man," says Deirdre. "We’re not trying to retrofit everyone else into that system. Instead, we’re building an entirely new version of healthcare from the ground up. One designed with every single person in mind. One that’s backed by relevant data and evidence-based. One that's constantly reaching more and more people, to provide the exact care that we know will work for them. "It’s not going to happen overnight," she adds. "But we’re committed to our long-term vision and won’t stop until there is nobody left behind."