What can our hormones tell us, if we know how to listen? Exciting new developments in hormone testing are making it easier than ever to better attune our listening to what’s happening inside our bodies. Attn: Grace Co-Founder Alexandra Fennell sat down with one of the women putting hormone testing technologies in our hands: Proov Founder and PhD scientist, Dr. Amy Beckley.
Proov’s range of products includes hormone testing kits that can help determine fertility or menopausal status, as well as expert-formulated oral supplements and oils. Try them out with 15% off on Proov products with code ATTNPROOV. Behind Proov’s powerful technology is a personal story—here’s Alex with Dr. Beckley to hear more about both.
Alex: First, can you share a bit about your story? What inspired you to found Proov, and what led you on this journey to building the business?
Dr. Amy Beckley, Founder: I founded Proov after my personal battle with infertility and miscarriage. I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility and was told IVF was my only option. After I conceived my son with IVF and set out to understand why I could not conceive naturally, I discovered that I had a simple hormone imbalance. All I needed was a simple hormone supplement and I conceived my daughter. I then realized that we needed a better way to track hormones and hormone health in women, so I purchased a $50 logo off Upwork, launched a crowdfunding campaign, and raised $40,000 to start Proov. Women deserve to understand their bodies.
Alex: Perimenopause and menopause are still so shrouded in mystery for most women. How do Proov’s hormone testing products help combat the unknowns women face during this period in their lives?
Dr. Beckley: Hormones change daily, which makes it very hard to test with a single-point-in-time blood draw. This is a major reason why perimenopause and menopause are such a mystery. Women go to their doctor looking for answers to their symptoms, but are told “we can’t measure hormones” or “everything is normal” when they know it is not. Proov allows her to have access to her hormone information to let her start to take control of her menopause journey.
Alex: For a long time, the belief was that perimenopause/menopause can’t be detected with a test. How has Proov managed to change that?
Dr. Beckley: No single test can detect perimenopause/menopause but a combo of hormone testing, symptom tracking, and menstrual cycle changes can. Also, women don’t feel better just knowing it is perimenopause, they want a solution to their symptoms. So, Proov does more than just detect the peri stage; it also allows her to track her hormones as they change across the cycle. Proov testing works by tracking hormones four times throughout the menstrual cycle to see how the hormones change. These hormone changes can be correlated with symptoms to help guide personalized treatment for maximal symptom relief.
Alex: Both of our brands are passionate about amplifying the conversation around women’s health, and particularly in mid-life and beyond. What aspects of women’s health do you think present the richest opportunities over the next 5-10 years?
Dr. Beckley: Most definitely ovarian health. The ovaries are the only organs in the body that, when they die, we don’t care. The ovaries are the major source of hormones that feed every cell in the body and help all our organ systems function. We need to understand more about how to keep our ovaries healthy and functional as long as possible. I truly believe that the ovaries hold the power of longevity for women. If you support healthy ovarian function this helps lead to a healthy pelvic floor, urinary tract, and vagina.
Alex: How are at-home hormone testing products like Proov’s changing the dynamic between women and their doctors for the better?
Dr. Beckley: Healthcare is now “consumer healthcare” which means that medical professionals almost expect women to come in with data about their bodies. At-home testing allows women to get this data faster, even before major symptoms develop. I always say that the best results come from when a woman can have a conversation with her healthcare provider, this means she must know about her health and body before the visit.
Alex: Many women experience infertility and the vast majority will go through perimenopause. How did your work as a PhD scientist lead you to confront these experiences differently than you might have without your training and background?
Dr. Beckley: It’s actually funny (or maybe sad), I have 20 years of schooling, a BS in Biology, and a PhD in Pharmacology, and I basically learned nothing about my hormones. All my education came while I was battling infertility. I had to learn about hormones and reproductive biology firsthand. But I do know that my schooling helped me to understand it at a deeper level than non-scientists. I really wish they taught these life skills in school. I would have most definitely skipped shop class to learn about periods, fertility and menopause. As 85% of women have hormone issues and we deal with hormones daily, it should be taught more to women
Alex: If you weren’t running Proov, what do you think you would be doing?
Dr. Beckley: First, I can’t think of anything better to do than to help women be successful. I love teaching women and helping them advocate for themselves. I would not trade it for the world. But, if Proov didn’t exist, you’d probably find me on the beach of Florida somewhere owning a coffee shop. Not just any coffee shop, but a super cool one where I can talk with women about their hormones, hang out in the sun, and serve delicious coffee. I know, probably not what you expected to hear.
Our Medical advisory team does a great job of reminding us how hormones tie into the day-to-day concerns here at Attn: Grace, from pelvic floor strength to age-related skin changes, but this conversation is an important reminder of just how huge the world of hormone health is. With Proov and Dr. Amy Beckley on the front lines, women can continue to have greater insight into, and agency over, their bodies at any age or stage of life.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This content is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.