Oura’s mission is to give every body a voice.
A top priority in fulfilling our mission is continuing to deliver meaningful products for our female members, including detailed insights and guidance about their unique bodies and overall health.
In addition, we’re continuing to collaborate with leading academic institutions on innovative women’s health research. And as we iterate on and develop health features, rest assured that Oura places the utmost importance on ensuring that our members’ data is protected.
Read on to learn more about what we’ve done — and where we’re going.
Built for Women, By Women
We are proud of the many innovators here at Oura leading the way in the development of women’s health products and features, including Holly Shelton, Chief Product Officer; Neta Gotlieb, PhD, Product Manager, Women’s Health; and Dorothy Kilroy, Chief Commercial Officer.
Here, meet some of the pioneers leading the way in women’s health at Oura:
A Global View of Women’s Healthcare
Did you know that women and people with menstrual cycles have historically been left out of healthcare research?
Or that female health conditions outside of oncology receive less than 2 percent of the current healthcare pipeline, despite women making up half of the world’s population?
These facts have created a significant knowledge gap with alarming implications, such as overprescribing of medication and misdiagnosing of serious health issues in women, Dr. Gotlieb notes.
To name just two eye-opening consequences: Women are twice as likely as men to experience adverse events from drugs, and are twice as likely as men to die after a heart attack.
What’s more, many women aren’t getting the help they need at the doctor’s office. In a 2023 poll of 4,500 women, a whopping 77% of women reported that they felt they were the only advocate for their health and well-being.
Why? A majority (57%) report they’ve “been dismissed or misdiagnosed by medical professionals,” and 59% said that they have seen doctors “who do not believe me, or who have ignored my needs.”
Oura’s Women’s Health Initiatives
Women’s health encompasses not only reproductive health — but a holistic approach to women’s overall well-being, no matter their stage of life.
“Oura can be a critical partner in body literacy for women as they navigate their own health journey, whatever that may be,” Dr. Gotlieb says.
“As women, we often find ourselves not only caring for ourselves, but others as well — and caring for ourselves first allows us to better take care of others,” Shelton notes. “Oura’s role is to give women the permission, knowledge, and tools to take care of their bodies.”
Our Women’s Health Features — So Far
In fall 2022, Oura launched our initial women’s health feature, Period Prediction, which used key biosignals to provide a five-day prediction window for the start of your next cycle and period onset.
In fall 2023, we released Cycle Insights, offering a more detailed way to track your menstrual cycle, learn more about each stage, and accurately predict menstruation based on temperature trends, not just a calendar.
In March 2024, we launched Pregnancy Insights, which supports women throughout their pregnancy with guidance and education.
Another area we’re working on is calibrating Readiness Scores with typical cycle changes. Historically, Readiness Score insight messages have not acknowledged the natural fluctuations in biometrics that a woman’s cycle can produce. Now, if you’ve opted into Cycle Insights, you may receive insight messages take into account which cycle phase you’re in. For example, one might note that it’s normal to have a higher-than-normal resting heart rate or body temperature trend during your luteal phase.
LEARN MORE: How Your Menstrual Impacts Your Entire Body
A Growing Ecosystem of Women’s Health Partners
Oura integrates with a growing number of top women’s health partner platforms. Our goal is to meet women where they are on their journey, as well as wherever they’re currently tracking their health. Our current partner list includes:
- Clue: Clue offers accurate predictions and insights into your reproductive health, helping you understand and manage your menstrual cycle with precision and ease.
- Flo: Flo is a female health app that provides period tracking, ovulation predictions and health insights tailored specifically to you.
- Glow: Glow is by your side in every step of your reproductive health journey, from conception to parenthood.
- Natural Cycles: Natural Cycles is the only FDA-cleared birth control app that helps you prevent and plan pregnancy naturally.
Reproductive Health Research
Our science team is continuing to invest in research across the full span of reproductive life stages.
“As we grow our knowledge of reproductive physiology and its relation to other systems in our body, we open a window to a better understanding of overall women’s health,” Dr. Gotlieb notes.
Learn more about a few recent research studies using Oura:
- Researchers Use Oura to Study Changes Driven By The Menstrual Cycle
- UCSF and Oura Launch Study to Learn More About Irregular Menstrual Cycles and PCOS
- Nonprofit Uses Oura in Study Aiming to Empower Women Through Their Pregnancy Journey
- Using Headspace & Oura, Study Explores How Meditation Impacts Stress & Sleep During Pregnancy
Data Protection at Oura
At Oura, we believe that empowerment begins with ownership – particularly when it involves your personal data. This principle takes on even greater significance in the realm of women’s health.
We are dedicated to the idea that you should be the definitive authority over your own health information. Our commitment extends to ensuring that you have control and transparency over your personal health data. We understand the sensitive nature of this information and the importance of maintaining its confidentiality and integrity. Our aim is to foster an environment where you feel secure and empowered, knowing that you are at the helm of your health journey.
In support of this aim, Oura adheres to some of the most stringent data protection standards globally, including the EU and UK’s GDPR and California’s CCPA/CPRA, among others. We’re committed to respecting your rights regarding your data, ensuring you have the freedom to erase, access, correct, transfer, object to, limit our processing of, and withdraw consent to process your information. Trust in Oura to safeguard your digital footprint with the utmost care and professionalism, giving you peace of mind and control over your personal data.
Oura also uses technical and organizational safeguards to keep your data safe and secure. These safeguards include measures such as anonymization or pseudonymization of personal data, strict access control, and the use of encryption to protect the data we process.
Learn more about how Oura protects your data in our privacy policy.
READ MORE: How Oura Protects Your Data