S C R U B B I N G U P
2018 and 2023 , over 800,000 people were admitted to NHS hospitals with UTIs , and these unplanned admissions cost the NHS nearly £ 400 million each year . In addition , late and misdiagnosed UTIs , and inappropriate antibiotic prescription , are a major contributor to the burden of antibiotic resistant infections globally .
Unnecessary or badly targeted antibiotics are being prescribed to between 34 %– 60 % of women presenting with UTI – between 5.1ml and 9ml women annually . Meanwhile , half of the bacteria that cause UTIs are resistant to at least one antibiotic , research suggests . Could this suggest that women are driven to the frontline of Antimicrobial Resistance ( AMR )?
Giovanna Forte , CEO of Forte Medical
It ’ s very clear that in order to improve female health outcomes , bring an end to UTI
misdiagnosis and turn the tide on AMR , women urgently need access to alternative urine sampling technologies .
This is a huge opportunity for FemTech innovators to make a difference , and one which the Forte Medical team has embraced . In line with our mission to make easy , clinically-reliable urine sample collection the norm for women , we have developed a precision technology that fits the female body and makes midstream urine sample collection cleaner and more accessible .
The Peezy Midstream is a clinically tested device for women ’ s UTI and prenatal health , relaunching in early 2025 . Designed by a GP , this technology aligns with the new vision for preventative medicine , delivering right-first-time samples suitable for the digital diagnostic platforms diagnosing UTI at home , reducing retests and saving money for healthcare providers . We ’ re proud to have worked with maternity and primary healthcare providers to pilot our product and demonstrate its efficacy in reducing false positives and retests .
Urine sampling , whilst rarely in the spotlight , is fundamental to women ’ s health . By solving some of the basic flaws in this process , FemTech innovators have the power to drive meaningful change for millions of women who suffer the consequences of awkward and outdated sampling methods and face the risks of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments .
Of course , innovation alone is not enough to fix the complex , global-scale problems that threaten female health outcomes . We must also seek to work collaboratively with healthcare providers , governments , global health organisations and other changemakers to push for the broader adoption of proven solutions in healthcare systems globally , and to implement sampling practices that are more effective and safer .
Being brave enough to disrupt established norms in healthcare systems , and advocating tirelessly for better care for women , FemTech innovators have a pivotal role to play in creating a healthier future for women . �
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