Why Menstrual Health Needs a Digital Reset

Each month, billions of people around the world menstruate. And yet, in 2025, we still haven’t solved the basics: access to accurate menstrual health education, early diagnosis for conditions like PCOS or endometriosis, and digital tools that are private, inclusive and clinically sound. It’s an unacceptable gap in global health, and it’s time for a reset.

My name is Amber Vodegel. I'm the founder of 28X, a new AI-powered menstrual health platform designed to reach girls and women who are often left behind: those in low-income settings, non-native speakers, neurodivergent users, and anyone who can't afford the £30–£80 yearly subscriptions charged by today’s dominant VC-backed period tracking apps.

Before 28X, I built the Pregnancy+ app, which grew to support over 150 million women globally, and was acquired by Philips. That experience showed me the transformative power of mobile health tools, and the deep responsibility we have to design them ethically, inclusively, and with long-term impact in mind.

What’s broken, and what needs to change

The menstrual health app market is large, fast-growing, and largely unregulated. Popular apps promise cycle tracking, symptom logging, and fertility prediction, but their business models often rely on sharing sensitive health data or locking basic features behind paywalls. Some of the most downloaded period apps have been fined for data breaches or misleading privacy policies, sparking lawsuits and public backlash.

This approach excludes the very people most in need of trusted, accessible support.

At 28X, we’re doing things differently. We believe menstrual health should be:

• Free at the point of use
• Private by design
• Culturally and neurodiversity aware
• Clinically backed and educational

We use on-device AI (rather than cloud processing), meaning no personal data ever leaves a user’s phone. Our Tiny Language Models allow us to deliver personalised content in over 33 languages, at varying reading levels. Our design replaces cold calendar interfaces with a more intuitive Digital Twin, which visually mirrors the user’s cycle, backed by rich, interactive insights.

We’re not just building an app. We’re reimagining how menstrual health is experienced, understood and respected.

Building the system we want to see

We’ve structured 28X as a mission-first business. That means:

• No venture capital prioritising exits over equity.
• No ads, no data sales.
• The majority of future profits reinvested in women’s health research, education, and free period product access.

We’re working closely with government, foundations, charities and leading universities all over the world. Their commitment to advancing health equity and digital innovation aligns closely with our vision to make trusted, accessible care available to all who menstruate, regardless of income, literacy, or location.

Our work also aligns with the latest research from Cambridge University, which highlights how digital exclusion, poor menstrual literacy, and data privacy concerns from commercial period trackers, affect girls and women worldwide. Together, with partners like the Philips Foundation, we are setting a new standard for women’s health equity worldwide.

Our architecture is also built to support clinical and ethical use of anonymous menstrual health data, whether for research, early intervention, or policy advocacy.

Why this matters at HETT

I’ll be speaking at HETT 2025 this October about how we’re embedding privacy-first design into AI-powered women's health apps, and why menstrual health must be a critical part of the digital health conversation.

I’ll also be sharing how we’re:

• Tackling health inequalities through design
• Ensuring safety and inclusion for young, neurodiverse and marginalised users
• Building NHS-ready systems that reduce demand and support early intervention

It’s my belief that digital innovation only matters if it reaches the people who need it most. At 28X, we are building for those users first.

Join the mission

Menstrual health shouldn’t be an afterthought in health innovation. It should be front and centre. By rethinking how we design, fund, and scale menstrual health tools, we have a chance to improve lives, reduce stigma, and finally deliver equitable care for all who menstruate.

If you’d like to connect before or after HETT, I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s shape the future of women’s health, driven by ethics, equity, and impact.

Amber Vodegel is the Founder and CEO of 28X Ltd, and previously founded the global pregnancy app Pregnancy+, used by over 150M users. She is a speaker, advisor and advocate for ethical, inclusive, and privacy-safe health innovation.

Join us at our upcoming event, HETT Show on 7-8th October at ExCeL London to be part of the conversation. Register below.