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The femtech companies taking on Big Tech over digital censorship
Campaigners say more femtech companies are taking a stand against major tech platforms such as Meta, Google, Amazon and LinkedIn, over digital censorship.
In March, six leading startups in the femtech space filed formal complaints with the European Commission over systemic bias and discrimination in content moderation by major online platforms.
Led by advocacy campaign CensHERship and blended-finance investment portfolio The Case For Her, the start-ups are invoking the Digital Services Act (DSA) to expose how platforms disproportionately restrict, shadow ban and remove health-related content aimed at women.
Now CensHERship has told Femtech World that since taking action, a number of other companies have come forward to file complaints related to similar challenges.
“The more we uncover about online censorship, the more we see how it disproportionately impacts FemTech businesses,” say co-founders, Anna O’Sullivan and Clio Wood.
“This issue extends far beyond the six complaints we’ve submitted. We’ve been contacted by a number of other businesses facing the same challenges, many of whom would now also like to file complaints. This is in addition to the 100+ businesses, charities, and creators we’ve engaged with in our research over the past year. It’s clear that the censorship and restrictions being faced are not isolated ‘mistakes’ but part of a broader, systemic issue that needs real attention and reform.”
Evidence collected by CensHERship has found multiple cases of medically accurate, expert-led content related to women’s health—including menopause, libido and reproductive health—being blocked, taken down and/or labeled as ‘political’ or ‘adult content’.
A 2025 report by Center for Intimacy Justice into the suppression of content on sexual and reproductive health for women and people of diverse genders, found that 84 per cent of businesses had ads rejected on Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and 64 per cent had product listings removed on Amazon, while 66 per cent of respondents had ads rejected on Google.
In a separate survey of 95 brands, creators, medical professionals, charities, consumers and professionals, carried out by CensHERship, 95 per cent of respondents reported at least one issue with the censorship of women’s health and/or sexual wellbeing content online, with 17% reporting up to 10. These were reported on platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube, X, LinkedIn and Google.
Among tose impacted are at-home fertility kits from Bea Fertility, vaginal health brand Aquafit Intimate, online sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing platform Geen, sexual health and wellbeing platform HANX, breastfeeding support app Lactapp, and gynaecological health platform Daye.
Bea Fertility ploughed months of work into becoming a Prime-rated seller on Amazon for its at-home fertility kit, building a bank of verified and positive customer reviews, and creating what’s known as ‘A+ content’ for its storefront.
But the Amazon reviews team rejected the page, taking issue with the use of the word ‘vagina’ and ‘vaginal canal’ within the description (there was no issue with the use of the word ‘semen’).
The company replaced the word ‘vagina’ with ‘birth canal’, despite feeling this was ‘insensitive’ and ‘crass’ given it is a fertility product, before pulling its products from Amazon at the end of January 2025.
Aquafit Intimate has faced wrongful restrictions on LinkedIn for a post related to World Menopause Day. Despite LinkedIn apologising for mistakenly identifying the content as nudity, a repost was again restricted and further posts about Endometriosis, Postpartum Recovery, and Vaginal Dysbiosis removed as “illegal products and services.”
“This creates financial barriers, restricts market access, and ultimately limits consumer access to science-based health information,” says CensHERship.
“There’s a clear link between this systemic digital suppression and the hindrance of progress in women’s healthcare.”
CensHERship co-founders, Anna O’Sullivan and Clio Wood.
“Vague and inconsistent explanations”
As well as content restriction, and removals which don’t appear to be in line with terms and conditions, brands say they have received ‘vague and inconsistent’ explanations for content takedowns, with little opportunity to appeal.
Daye, which has developed a HPV-screening tampon for detecting high-risk HPV infections, says an ad featuring a pregnant woman and referencing the word ‘vaginal’ was incorrectly flagged and removed under Google’s Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity policy. The company says this classification is both “inaccurate and discriminatory”.
“Daye has repeatedly reached out to both Meta and Google regarding misapplied content policies, seeking a proper resolution,” Valentina Milanova, founder & CEO of leading gynaecological health company and virtual women’s health clinic Daye, told Femtech World.
“The responses received have been generic, insufficient and lacking valid justification. These interactions reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of women’s and assigned female at birth health issues, evidenced by the inaccurate classification of relevant content.
“Throughout 2024 alone, Daye filed dozens of appeals but didn’t receive any meaningful explanations or corrective measures. This underscores the systemic failure of these platforms’ appeals processes and human review mechanisms.”
Valentina Milanova, Daye
Significant revenue losses
Some businesses report losing significant revenue due to blocked ads and suspensions, making it harder to compete and secure investment.
In the Center For Intimacy Justice report, survey respondents estimated annual revenue losses ranging from $10,000 to $1 million per company on Amazon alone, with Meta’s content restrictions causing potentially up to $5 million per entity in losses annually.
Female-focused condom brand, HANX, has had ads for its doctor-approved libido supplement for women, which is sold in major UK pharmacy retailers including Boots, rejected or heavily penalised. Its organic posts have also been repeatedly flagged as adult content, including a static post spotlighting the World Health Organisation’s report into decline of condom usage and rising STIs.
In December 2024, HANX’s Meta account was suspended for six-days, blocking its ability to reach followers and customers. It was only reinstated after a co-founder secured support from a senior Meta employee via a personal connection.
Speaking to Femtech World, HANX co-founder Dr Sarah Welsh, says: “Despite following Meta’s guidelines, HANX has faced repeated censorship – our educational posts flagged, our ads rejected, and even our entire account suspended without warning. At one point, our ad account was suspended entirely during a peak sales period, cutting off a vital revenue stream.
Meta’s own ad policy states that adverts can “promote sexual and reproductive health or wellness, as long as the focus is on health and not sexual pleasure or enhancement, and they target people aged 18 or older. This includes ads for: Birth control products, including condoms.”
However, despite being a common symptom of menopause, low libido in women is not considered to be a health condition under Meta’s guidelines. Meanwhile, male-focused erectile dysfunction ads are consistently approved.
“Meta’s restrictions have forced us to spend countless hours reworking content, appealing unfair rejections, and navigating unclear policies – only to see misleading health products and male-focused ads thrive,” continues Dr Welsh.
“This double standard doesn’t just hurt our business; it stops people from accessing safe, medically-backed information about their own health. Censorship like this isn’t just frustrating – it’s actively harming innovation in women’s health.”
“The silencing of women’s health must end”
With the support of CensHERship and The Case For Her, the startups are now urging the European Commission to investigate platform policies and hold tech giants accountable for applying content moderation rules fairly and transparently.
They are also calling on digital platforms to implement clear, non-discriminatory advertising guidelines that protect conversations about women’s health, and ensure there are accessible and effective appeal mechanisms.
Cristina Ljungberg, co-founder and partner at The Case for Her, commented: “When femtech companies and nonprofits providing critical health information are suppressed by Big Tech, they struggle to reach the people who need them most. This isn’t just about lost revenue—it’s about blocking access to essential care. The silencing of women’s health must end.”
Femtech World has contacted Meta, Amazon, LinkedIn and Google for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
A new Female Health Hub launched by the English FA will support women and girls in grassroots football in England with trusted advice on health issues affecting play.
The hub brings together expert-backed guidance, practical tools and player insights in one place, giving women and girls practical advice and reassurance on female health in football.
It has four core aims: to help women and girls better understand their bodies and how female health affects performance and participation, to educate players on key health topics and when to seek further advice or support, to provide practical strategies to help navigate common female health challenges, and to help break down taboos and normalise conversations around female health in football.
Users of the hub will also be able to hear directly from members of the England women’s national team, who share their own experiences of navigating female health matters while playing at the highest level of the game.
“Our ambition is to create a game where women and girls can thrive,” said Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football.
“To achieve that, it’s essential that players feel supported in environments that understand and respond to their female health needs.
“We’ve heard directly from grassroots players that they want better information and support around female health, but that they often don’t know where to find it.
“The launch of the Female Health Hub marks an important step in changing the landscape.
“We want every player to feel confident in her own skin and supported without judgment, so she can feel empowered by her body, rather than held back by it.”
The platform was launched following research conducted by the FA that highlighted the need for better education and support around female health in football.
According to the FA, 88 per cent of adult players surveyed said their menstrual cycle has an impact on their ability to train or play, but 86 per cent reported they had never received education about the menstrual cycle in relation to football performance and training.
The research also found 64 per cent of women experience issues related to sports bras or breast health while playing football, despite sports bras being considered one of the most important pieces of playing kit.
Players also expressed strong interest in learning more about injury prevention, at 87 per cent, nutrition, at 84 per cent, and mental health, at 77 per cent, in relation to female health.
The first phase of the Female Health Hub focuses on three of the most requested topics: menstrual health, breast health and injury resilience, with further content to follow, including nutrition and pelvic health guidance.
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has referred to the women’s health strategy as a ‘missed opportunity’ to address maternity services.
The renewed strategy was released by the government this week, with the aim of putting women’s experiences at the centre of care and ensuring they are “better heard and served”.
However, the government stated that because of ongoing investigations into maternity services across the country, the strategy “does not seek to address safety in maternity and neonatal services”.
The RCM described this as a “missed opportunity” and urged the government to ensure that, following the inquiries, maternity is placed “at the very heart” of the strategy.
Gill Walton, RCM chief executive, said the college was “deeply disappointed” that maternity services “do not feature as a headline priority” in the renewed strategy.
She said: “This is a significant missed opportunity and one that is very difficult to understand.
“Pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period are not a footnote in women’s health – they are one of the most significant and consequential phases of a woman’s life.
“A strategy that treats maternity as an afterthought is not truly a women’s health strategy at all. It is exactly the kind of thinking that has allowed maternity services to reach the point they are at today.”
Walton acknowledged that the strategy contained commitments on ensuring women’s voices shape their care, on supporting families through pregnancy loss and on the principle that services should be held accountable when they fail to listen to women.
She added: “But a strategy that addresses one part of women’s health while leaving maternity care behind is only doing half the job.”
Walton urged the government to ensure that this is addressed when the ongoing investigations into maternity care conclude, with any recommendations placed “at the very heart of this strategy with the seriousness and urgency that women, families and midwives deserve”.
In the foreword to the renewed plans, health and social care secretary Wes Streeting referred to the ongoing independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation as action being taken by the government to improve safety in maternity services.
The strategy also refers to the new National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by Streeting, which aims to help deliver “safer, more equitable care” for women, babies and families.
The foreword said that, because of ongoing initiatives, it was “important that this work continues without restriction and that the government can properly respond to the findings”.
It added: “This renewed women’s health strategy therefore does not seek to address safety in maternity and neonatal services other than that related to women’s health before and during pregnancy and the actions we are taking immediately to improve maternity and neonatal care.”
The strategy does, however, include plans to prioritise health education in schools, communities and healthcare settings to “empower women” with the “knowledge and tools they need to help control their fertility” and “prepare for the best pregnancy outcomes.
It also promises to provide women with access to “safe and high-quality contraception, abortion care, fertility services, preconception care and support after pregnancy loss in convenient settings.
Article produced in association with London Pregnancy Clinic and Jeen Health
For the majority of couples planning a pregnancy, genetic testing is not something they think about until a problem arises.
Pre-conception genetic carrier screening challenges this approach by identifying risk before pregnancy begins.
As panel sizes have grown and at-home testing options have become widely available, carrier screening is transitioning from a niche clinical referral into a mainstream component of reproductive planning.
What Carrier Screening Tests For
Being a carrier of a genetic condition means carrying one copy of a variant in a gene associated with that condition, without being affected by it.
In most cases, carriers are entirely unaware of their status.
The clinical significance of carrier status emerges when both members of a couple carry a variant in the same gene: in this scenario, each pregnancy carries a one in four chance of resulting in a child who inherits two copies of the variant and is affected by the condition.
The conditions most frequently included in expanded carrier screening panels include cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), fragile X syndrome, sickle cell disease, and a range of metabolic and enzyme deficiency disorders.
The Beacon 787 carrier test, offered by Jeen Health, screens for 787 conditions from a single sample, making it one of the most comprehensive panels currently available to UK families.
Who Is Most Likely to Benefit
Any couple planning a pregnancy can consider carrier screening. It is particularly relevant for:
- Couples with a family history of a known inherited condition
- Those from populations with higher carrier frequencies for specific conditions, including Ashkenazi Jewish, South Asian and African communities
- Couples pursuing fertility treatment, where genetic information informs treatment planning
- Those who wish to have the most complete picture of their reproductive health before conception
Importantly, being a carrier of a condition does not mean a child will be affected. It means there is a defined statistical risk that can be quantified, discussed and planned for with appropriate clinical support.
How the Test Is Performed
Carrier screening is typically carried out on a blood or saliva sample.
For at-home options such as the testing offered by Jeen Health, a cheek swab collection kit is dispatched to the patient, the sample is returned by post, and results are delivered digitally within a defined turnaround period.
In-clinic carrier testing may use a blood draw and provides the advantage of immediate access to a clinical consultation at the point of result delivery.
London Pregnancy Clinic offers genetics counselling through its partnership with Jeen Health, allowing couples to receive and contextualise carrier test results with expert support.
Genetic counselling before and after testing is recommended by Genomics England as a standard component of any genomic testing pathway.
What Happens If Both Partners Are Carriers
If both partners are identified as carriers for the same autosomal recessive condition, they are typically offered further counselling to discuss their options.
These may include proceeding naturally with an awareness of the risk, using prenatal diagnosis (CVS or amniocentesis) during pregnancy to test the fetus, or pursuing preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) in the context of IVF, which allows unaffected embryos to be selected before transfer.
The purpose of identifying carrier status before pregnancy is to give couples time to consider these options without the added pressure of an ongoing pregnancy.
Knowledge of carrier status does not remove reproductive choices; it expands the information available when making them.
The Role of Pre-Conception Services
Carrier screening sits within a broader category of pre-conception care that includes fertility assessments, general health optimisation and, where relevant, management of existing conditions before pregnancy begins.
London Pregnancy Clinic offers pre-conception services encompassing fertility investigations, genetics counselling and carrier testing as part of an integrated 0th trimester approach, allowing couples to address genetic and clinical risk factors before their pregnancy starts rather than after.
Disclaimer: This article is produced for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Clinical guidance referenced reflects published NHS, NICE and RCOG standards as at March 2026. Individual circumstances vary; readers are advised to consult a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any information in this article.
This piece was produced in association with London Pregnancy Clinic and Jeen Health, which provided background clinical information for editorial purposes.
Hyperlinks to external sources are included for reference only and do not represent an endorsement of any product, service or organisation.
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