{"id":76729,"date":"2025-03-08T10:29:13","date_gmt":"2025-03-08T02:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/?p=76729"},"modified":"2025-09-04T16:29:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T15:29:20","slug":"marina-gerner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/blog\/marina-gerner\/","title":{"rendered":"Marina Gerner\u2019s award-winning book on the billion-dollar femtech industry no one talks about"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vagina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A six-letter word with the power to leave even the bravest of braves speechless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It certainly caught <strong>Marina Gerner<\/strong>\u2019s attention\u2014just not for the reasons you\u2019d expect. As an award-winning journalist, she\u2019d covered everything from economics to technology, but nothing prepared her for the giant, blinking, neon-lit blind spot in women\u2019s healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It started with a simple discovery: a smart bra designed to detect heart disease in women. A groundbreaking innovation, yet no one wanted to publish her story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why? Because women\u2019s health, it seems, isn\u2019t <em>serious<\/em> business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>I have this quote from one [venture capitalist] investor who says, \u2018I don\u2019t want to talk about vaginas in my Monday morning partner meeting<\/em>,\u2019\u201d Marina shares with Kristina M\u04d3nd-Lakhiani in an interview on the Mindvalley Book Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s exactly the problem\u2014one that she\u2019s tearing apart, one ridiculous taboo at a time, in her book, <strong><em>The Vagina Business<\/em><\/strong>. And it\u2019s no wonder it won the Mindvalley Book of the Year Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Watch the full interview on Mindvalley Book Club\u2019s YouTube:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Mindvalley Book of the Week: Marina Gerner&#039;s &quot;The Vagina Business&quot;\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iPPXML_uXng?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mindvalley Book of the Week: Marina Gerner&#8217;s <em>The Vagina Business<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-marina-gerner-on-why-women-s-health-gets-left-behind\">Marina Gerner on why women\u2019s health gets left behind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women\u2019s health has spent centuries in the let\u2019s-not-talk-about-it pile. Not by choice, but because society still gets squeamish about the female body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Periods? Plug your ears and scream, \u201c<em>Lalalalala!<\/em>\u201d Menopause? Call her crazy and wait for it to \u201cpass.\u201d And heaven forbid discussing vaginal dryness, pelvic floor dysfunction, vaginal microbiome, libido changes, pleasure, or\u2014<em>gasp<\/em>\u2014say the word \u201cvagina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taboo topics are one thing. But the real issue? Women\u2019s healthcare is still stuck in the dark ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Medical research still defaults to the male body. <\/strong>Marina points out that <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ehjacc\/article-abstract\/7\/2\/139\/5932651\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack<\/a> because symptoms don\u2019t match the male standard. Even today, they\u2019re often excluded from drug trials because their hormones make research \u201ctoo complicated.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Venture capital ignores women\u2019s health.<\/strong> It\u2019s a multi-billion-dollar industry. But, as Marina highlights, <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2021\/02\/women-led-startups-received-just-2-3-of-vc-funding-in-2020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">female-led startups receive a pathetic 2% of VC funding<\/a>, and anything related to women\u2019s health is \u201cniche.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Medical gaslighting is real. <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC10937548\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Women\u2019s pain is consistently downplayed, misdiagnosed, or outright ignored<\/a>. For example, endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, yet it takes an average of 7-10 years to diagnose because doctors brush it off as stress. Meanwhile, erectile dysfunction gets more funding than PMS, endometriosis, and menopause combined.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Basic healthcare isn\u2019t so basic. <\/strong>Birth control, fertility treatments, and abortion care are tangled in red tape, stigma, and sky-high costs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/sites\/dolgov\/files\/OPA\/MenstruationAndMenopauseAtWork.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Workplaces rarely offer menstrual leave or menopause support<\/a>, leaving women to power through pain and life-altering changes in silence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/stories\/2022\/07\/what-is-the-pink-tax-and-how-does-it-hinder-women\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>pink tax<\/strong><\/a><strong> is a scam. <\/strong>If it\u2019s marketed to women, it costs more\u2014period. A blue razor? $1. A pink one? $1.50. Over a lifetime? That\u2019s a tax on simply existing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s just the beginning. But as Marina makes clear, this isn\u2019t just a healthcare problem; it\u2019s an economic one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-billion-dollar-femtech-revolution-no-one-talks-about\">The billion-dollar femtech revolution no one talks about<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fact: Women make up half the global population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also fact: Femtech (short for female technology) gets treated like a side project instead of a multi-billion-dollar industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marina saw this firsthand when she came across that smart bra. A breakthrough for women\u2019s heart health? Absolutely. Headline-worthy? No question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead? \u201c<em>Tumbleweeds in my inbox<\/em>,\u201d she says. Editors shrugged, investors looked away, and the whole thing was pushed aside like a tampon at the bottom of a shopping cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This is the femtech paradox: A booming market with real demand, real innovations, and real money at stake. Nevertheless, investors still hesitate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The irony? It\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/mhi\/our-insights\/closing-the-womens-health-gap-a-1-trillion-dollar-opportunity-to-improve-lives-and-economies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">projected to hit $1 trillion by 2040<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But some companies are proving there\u2019s money in female-focused technology. Like Flo Health, which raised $200 million in Series C funding. Or Elvie, which secured $11.7 million for intimate health tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funding is there, but the challenge is making these health innovations mainstream. And try convincing venture capitalists who squirm at the sound of \u201cvagina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No surprise then, as Marina points out, that \u201c<em>80% of femtech companies are led by women<\/em>\u201d\u2014because men keep passing on the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have this quote from one [venture capitalist] investor who says, \u2018I don\u2019t want to talk about vaginas in my Monday morning partner meeting.<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Marina Gerner, author of <em>The Vagina Business<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even when fem wellness startups break through, they face another hurdle: <em>censorship<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>There\u2019s a lot of censorship of anything aimed at women&#8217;s health, both in mainstream media and on social media<\/em>,\u201d Marina says. Menstrual cycle, menopause, and sexual health ads get blocked\u2014not for being explicit but for making people uncomfortable. (Meanwhile, erectile dysfunction ads? No problem.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result? Much-needed innovations struggle to reach the people who need them, a.k.a., women. From birth dilators that prevent childbirth injuries to wearables that track how <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/menopause-affects-your-brain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">menopause affects your brain<\/a>, these long-overdue solutions exist&#8230; but, the reality is, they still lack funding, visibility, and distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DGjDdhghvo5\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DGjDdhghvo5\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DGjDdhghvo5\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by Mindvalley (@mindvalley)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-you-can-do-to-push-the-vagina-business-forward-according-to-marina-gerner\">What you can do to push the vagina business forward, according to Marina Gerner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women\u2019s health won\u2019t fix itself. Marina lays out five ways anyone and everyone can help get the femtech market the attention (and funding) it deserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-educate-yourself\">1. Educate yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you think you know everything about your body, think again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medical research has spent decades pretending <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/female-body-types\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">female body types<\/a> are all the same\u2014or worse, that they\u2019re just smaller versions of men. That\u2019s why women\u2019s health is often understudied, oversimplified, and full of gaps that leave half the population guessing about their own biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/infradian-rhythm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">infradian rhythm<\/a>, for instance. It\u2019s the lesser-known, hormone-driven cycle that affects energy, metabolism, and cognitive function. Most health advice, though, is based on the 24-hour circadian rhythm (which primarily reflects male biology), and where does that leave women? Blindly following routines that don\u2019t even align with their bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No wonder Marina says, \u201c<em>You think you know your own body, but there\u2019s so much more to learn<\/em>.\u201d After all, the last major innovation in the standard of care? The epidural\u2014in <em>the 1950s<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, start by knowing what\u2019s missing. Read, question, and challenge the outdated narratives. As Marina points out, \u201c<em>The more you know, the more you can ask questions and advocate for yourself and know all the different options<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-talk-openly\">2. Talk openly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marina has a simple but powerful goal: \u201c<em>I want to change the way people think and talk about female bodies<\/em>.\u201d Because if we can\u2019t even say the words, how can we expect better solutions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When women\u2019s health isn\u2019t talked about, it isn\u2019t taken seriously. Painful periods get brushed off. <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/sex-after-menopause\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sex after menopause<\/a> is written off. Pelvic pain is \u201cjust stress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that attitude extends even to aspects of sexual health, which is often dismissed as less important or a luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/amy-killen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Amy Killen<\/a>, a leading anti-aging and regenerative physician (who also happens to be the trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s <em>The Science of Great Sex<\/em> program), points out, \u201c<em>Sex isn\u2019t just feel good. It\u2019s one of the main pillars of health that supports us in this quest for longevity<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result? Women wait years for diagnoses. Research goes unfunded. And investors chase the next big trend\u2026 just not in femtech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, talk about it. Because the more we do so, the more we demand. And the more we demand, the harder it is to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-invest-in-femtech\">3. Invest in femtech<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If women\u2019s health is such a massive, untapped market, why isn\u2019t it getting the money it deserves? Simple: investors are sitting on a goldmine, and they don\u2019t even know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>Businesses will often take something that has already been researched in the academic world and then they\u2019ll commercialize it<\/em>,\u201d Marina explains. But if the research hasn\u2019t been done, women\u2019s health companies are forced to do it themselves, and investors don\u2019t typically fund foundational research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s the problem. Venture capitalists hesitate to back women\u2019s health innovations, not because they\u2019re unprofitable but because there\u2019s little existing data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/industries\/healthcare\/our-insights\/unlocking-opportunities-in-womens-healthcare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">women drive 80% of healthcare purchasing decisions<\/a>. But their needs remain underfunded and overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How can you push femtech forward?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Investors: <\/strong>The next billion-dollar health startup won\u2019t be another artificial intelligence-driven protein shake. It\u2019ll be the startups like Elvie (smart breast pumps), Perifit (Kegel app), and Flo (PMS tracker), who are out to solve real issues for real women.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consumers: <\/strong>Every time you buy fem care products, choose brands that actually prioritize women\u2019s health instead of just slapping pink packaging on the same old formula.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Companies: <\/strong>Menstrual leave, menopause benefits, insurance coverage for femtech\u2014these are essentials, not luxuries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need to stop treating women\u2019s health like a charity case. It\u2019s big business. And the ones who see that now? They\u2019ll be the ones cashing in later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-get-men-involved\">4. Get men involved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>Women\u2019s health is called \u2018women\u2019s health,\u2019<\/em>\u201d Marina explains, \u201c<em>but in reality, it affects everybody<\/em>.\u201d It affects families, workplaces, and entire economies. Despite this, men are rarely part of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>I think men need to know about these things as well and have the language for it<\/em>,\u201d she adds. Men are partners, employers, policymakers, doctors, and investors. Their influence shapes who gets funded, what gets researched, and which health policies are prioritized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And some are already stepping up, like Kevin Eisenfratz, the CEO of Contraline. He\u2019s developing a non-hormonal, reversible vasectomy\u2014giving men a bigger role in contraception.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.contraline.com\/news\/ln9n0clkwzdecszhtcf16\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three-quarters of U.S. couples rely on the woman for long-term birth control<\/a>. A shift like this could ease the burden and create more equitable options for both partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what can men do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In relationships: <\/strong>Learn about menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause because pretending they don\u2019t exist doesn\u2019t help anyone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>At work: <\/strong>Advocate for menstrual leave, menopause support, and insurance coverage for femtech. It\u2019s good policy as well as productivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In business: <\/strong>Push for more investment in women\u2019s health. If you wouldn\u2019t want your mother, sister, or partner suffering in silence, why let outdated biases dictate funding?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The truth is, ignoring women\u2019s health is like ignoring half the customer base. It\u2019s bad business, bad policy, and a bad look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-challenge-the-stigma\">5. Challenge the stigma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Want to know why women\u2019s health is ignored, underfunded, and censored? Because people are too embarrassed to talk about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Case in point: the word \u201cvagina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For something half the population has, you\u2019d think people could say it without blushing\u2014but no. As journalist Caitlin Moran writes in her article, \u201cHoneypot, Flaps, Twat: Nicknaming a Vagina Is Tricky Business,\u201d women will call it anything but its actual name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFlower,\u201d \u201ctuppence,\u201d \u201cfoof,\u201d \u201cpum-pum\u201d&#8230; the list goes on. There\u2019s an entire Pandora\u2019s Box of Minge, as she so brilliantly puts it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marina knows exactly how deep this discomfort runs. In her business classes, the mere mention of her book sparks giggles. But give it a few minutes, and suddenly, the word \u201cvagina\u201d isn\u2019t so terrifying anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<em>The first step is the hardest<\/em>,\u201d she says. \u201c<em>Once you\u2019ve said the word \u2018vagina\u2019 the first time in a particular conversation, then saying it the second time is much easier<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, normalize it. Say the actual words. Skip the euphemisms. Talk to your kids, your partner, your friends. Buy your own damn period products without feeling weird about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Breaking the stigma takes practice. But the more we say it\u2014<em>vagina, period, menopause, discharge, sex<\/em>\u2014the less awkward it gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4fNmJcZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2001\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/08\/c575a937-marina-gerner.webp\" alt=\"Marina Gerner's The Vagina Business\" class=\"wp-image-78131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/08\/c575a937-marina-gerner.webp 2001w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/08\/c575a937-marina-gerner-768x282.webp 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/mv-prod-blog-en-assets\/2025\/08\/c575a937-marina-gerner-1536x565.webp 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2001px) 100vw, 2001px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">(<em>Disclosure: This is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through it, the Mindvalley Book Club may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fuel-your-mind\">Fuel your mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Newsflash: <strong>Marina Gerner\u2019s <em>The Vagina Business<\/em> won the Mindvalley Book of the Year Award 2024<\/strong>\u2014and for good reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Women\u2019s health isn\u2019t waiting for permission to be taken seriously. This book lays out exactly why the system is failing half the population and what needs to change. Because when healthcare leaves women behind, awareness alone isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This book is incredibly valuable because it starts a very important conversation for society. Unless we dare to talk about women\u2019s health&#8230; unless we\u2019re comfortable about that, there\u2019s going to be no development.<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Kristina M\u04d3nd-Lakhiani, co-founder of Mindvalley and host of the Mindvalley Book Club<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re inspired by bold ideas that challenge the status quo, <strong>Mindvalley Book Club<\/strong> is where you need to be. With Kristina at the helm, you\u2019ll get:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Exclusive author interviews (like this one with Marina)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Curated book recommendations that spark transformation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A community of like-minded thinkers ready to dive deeper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the best part? It\u2019s free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The thing is, the best books don\u2019t just inform. They spark movements. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/bookclub?utm_source=mv_blog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Join the Book Club<\/strong><\/a> now and see why authors like Marina Gerner are leading the charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Welcome in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marina Gerner calls out the stigma holding back life-changing women\u2019s health innovations. See how femtech is breaking barriers and why it matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":76730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[4161],"series":[3618,3613],"area-of-growth":[3404,3407],"outcome":[3451,3443],"featured":[],"coauthors":[329],"class_list":["post-76729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body","tag-mindvalley-book-club","series-book-recommendations","series-profiles","area-of-growth-biohacking","area-of-growth-health","outcome-making-a-difference","outcome-well-being"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Marina Gerner Unpacks the Future of Women\u2019s Health Tech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Marina Gerner calls out the stigma holding back life-changing women\u2019s health innovations. 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