For years, vaginal health has never been part of the public agenda. The deafening silence around the subject has cultivated a “culture of embarrassment” among both women and men – a culture in which discussions around intimate health are minimized. Schools do not provide structured lesson plans on the topic, public discourse is absent, and women are often left to search for information on their own – on the Internet or social media, relying on non-professional sources – or they try to ignore the issue and hope it will go away.
This silence is a product of conservative gender norms and a lack of representation. For example, female figures were almost entirely absent from biology classes, open discussions about menstruation or hormonal changes were deemed “crude,” and advertisements for feminine products were hidden away or reduced to soft, decontextualized language.
As a result, many women grow up feeling disconnected from their own bodies – not because they don’t want to understand them, but because they were never given the space, language, or legitimacy to do so. This gap, between real needs and what is “allowed” to be talked about, is the foundation of the culture of embarrassment.
Consequences of taboo surrounding women's intimate health
This sense of embarrassment and silence has real-world consequences. A recent survey initiated by Altman Health, conducted by the Geocartography Institute among 500 women in Israel, paints a clear picture: More than half of women feel uncomfortable talking about intimate health; 62% search for information on the topic online, 26% turn to social media, and around 21% use AI tools for information or guidance.
These figures highlight how the internalized embarrassment and social taboos force many women to rely on partial or unprofessional information – often leading to deterioration in their health.
Another concerning finding: Only about half of the women who report symptoms consult a gynecologist, and only 14% visit one at least once every three years or even less. This points to a broader issue – the shame associated with female anatomy and the discomfort ingrained from a young age result in systemic neglect of women’s health.
Women who avoid regular gynecological check-ups or delay seeking care even when they experience symptoms reflect the depth of the gap between social reluctance to discuss the female body and the real medical needs that demand attention. This gap not only perpetuates silence but may also lead to late diagnoses, worsening medical conditions, and a serious decline in quality of life. When public discourse is absent, private action is also pushed aside.
Surge of femtech industry
In response, the femtech industry – female-focused medical technologies – has emerged in recent years, placing the need for treatment equality and customized innovation at the forefront. This field is increasingly seen as part of the 21st-century feminist movement, alongside waves like #MeToo, a movement aimed not just at combating violence but also at restoring women’s control over their bodies, health, and medical choices.
The forecasts speak for themselves: The femtech market is expected to grow significantly over the next decade and become one of the most profitable and impactful areas in healthcare. Nevertheless, even in 2025, many tech companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups still struggle to break the taboo, preventing the field from realizing its full potential and offering real, life-saving solutions. Breaking through will require investment not only in technology but also in a deep cultural understanding of shame, embarrassment, and silencing.
Shifting the conversation surrounding women's health
As a company that promotes women’s health in Israel and leads change in the intimate health space, we at Altman believe vaginal health requires deep intervention: educational, medical, and cultural. If we want to shift the tone of conversation and make women’s intimate health a legitimate, open, and practical topic, we must harness hi-tech, medtech, and public institutions to a shared mission.
First, the state must support and encourage entrepreneurs to develop platforms, apps, products, and technologies tailored for women, tools that provide both knowledge and practical medical solutions. It’s not just about access to information; it’s about a deeper understanding of women’s needs, creating sensitive, personalized products, and fostering a sense of safety.
Alongside this, major corporations can play a meaningful role by adopting initiatives and start-ups in the field, whether through tech incubators, dedicated investment funds, or marketing collaborations. In doing so, they will not only improve women’s intimate health but also drive profound cultural change.
A case in point: Altman Health recently issued a public call to promote industry partnerships with start-ups in women’s health, based on the understanding that real change begins with solutions that are tailored, sensitive, and accessible, with a deep understanding of women.
Another game-changing move would be to promote more women into key positions within the tech and health industries. The embarrassment and silence surrounding women’s health continue partly because few women are in roles that shape policy or develop products.
Once women are the decision-makers, they can not only promote the development of solutions but also reshape the nature of the discourse, making it more empathetic, honest, and rooted in a personal understanding of emotional and social barriers.
Intimate health is not a niche; it is an inseparable part of women’s health. To normalize it, we need clear public policy: integration into education programs, regulatory support, and research funding.
For real change to take root, it must start at the foundation. Change will not happen if intimate health is not part of the national curriculum. Today, teens are not given basic tools to understand their bodies, talk about them, or approach them with sensitivity.
The Education Ministry must incorporate structured lesson plans on intimate health into the core curriculum: basic knowledge of male and female reproductive systems, encouragement of open dialogue about regular checkups, and removing the guilt or shame that shadows any discussion of the topic.
Such lesson plans can prevent medical issues, enable early detection, build confidence, and most importantly: reshape social attitudes. Transform the culture of embarrassment into a culture of responsibility – one that encourages knowledge, care, sensitivity, and openness.
We don’t need to wait for another generation of silence. If we place women’s intimate health on the public, medical, and educational agenda, we can build a healthier, more empathetic, and more innovative future for all of us. By connecting the education system, the hi-tech industry, decision-makers, and opinion leaders, we can create an ecosystem of change. One in which female entrepreneurship and medical innovation meet to generate solutions that don’t just meet needs but create true social healing.
This is not just a women’s issue, it is a collective responsibility. If we choose to recognize the challenge and opt for change, we can build a different future. A future where women’s intimate health is no longer taboo but the standard.
The writer is vice president of marketing and digital at Altman Health.