HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
It isn’t everyday that we can talk about vaginal rejuvenation. So I’m very aware that this lunch with OB-Gyne Dr. Jaycy Violago-Olivarez will either be an extremely memorable one and I shouldn’t miss out on any of the details, or it’ll be one that I’ll be uncomfortable and awkward with, and try to expunge from my memory banks. Fortunately, I’m not squeamish talking about these things, and I actually hate how society keeps so much of this in the dark, or presumes it shouldn’t be part of polite conversation.
Dr. Jaycy is the founder and CEO of Eluvo Health, an online platform/app that brings digital and physical (as in brick and mortar) healthcare for women under one ecosystem. It’s innovation and technology ramping up, to help bridge the wide gulf that still exists for Filipino women in getting quality healthcare. It’s a mission, an advocacy for Dr. Jaycy; and it’s borne out of the years she spent in the field, her residency and practice, and the desire to do something about the inadequacies that persist to this day.
The Eluvo mantra is Talk-Test-Treat; and it’s a fine starting point in appreciating why an Eluvo has to exist, and how it can be a catalyst for more like-minded service apps to exist. Let’s first establish that Dr. Jaycy is far from being territorial or preaching exclusivity. That gulf I mentioned is so deep and wide, that Dr. Jaycy acknowledges that the more players that exist, the better the chances for the Filipino woman to enjoy what she deserves from a healthcare perspective – and that is the ultimate end goal.
Within the Talk-Test-Treat Eluvo mantra is the reality that women today are busy, that time is precious, and that while health and wellness are often cited as priorities, so many factors get in the way for women to actually get the healthcare they need. The “Talk” element of the mantra involves teleconsulting, and having a team of doctors and specialists that Dr. Jaycy has assembled, ready to be the line of “first contact” with Eluvo.
The “Test” part translates to home diagnostics. The women availing of the app can now arrange for the required testing to be done at home, at a time that’s convenient for all concerned. When diagnostic machines of a higher order are needed, the physical clinics of Eluvo will help facilitate, or special arrangements with medical centers will be created. The physical clinics of Dr. Jaycy and Eluvo are in the works, and the first one at the Parqal Mall in Parañaque should be open in a few months. There’s also talk of a satellite clinic in Rockwell Makati. And for now, Dr. Jaycy holds clinic at Medical Center Parañaque.
The “Treat” is the doctor and patient now assessing the data, appreciating the baseline for treatment, and moving forward. From reproductive health and family planning, to menopause management, there is a plethora of women’s health issues that Eluvo is ready to tackle. Via this integrated digital and physical ecosystem, Dr. Jaycy and Eluvo hope to build a community of empowered and enabled women.
Most traditional hospitals and medical centers still run on an outdated fragmented system. A typical female patient will approach a doctor, and whatever is that doctor’s specialty or expertise is all said doctor will give an opinion on. Eluvo wants to break that mold, and offer a more comprehensive, integrated and holistic approach. Such that OB-Gyne, internal medicine, even nutrition issues are all addressed together, and it’s the patient’s overall health that is the most important thing in the discussion.
I query Dr. Jaycy on what sites abroad would be the benchmarks of what she’s trying to now achieve with Eluvo. She mentions asktia.com (Tia: Women’s Health Clinic), a New York start-up in 2017, that was co-founded by two college friends. As of 2021, Tia had raised $132 million, using a membership model that has turbo-charged women’s health; with the bulk of the revenues coming from the in-person and online visits, and not the membership fees.
Closer to our shores, she says there’s Ease Healthcare, a licensed outpatient medical services provider under the Singapore Healthcare Services Act. Don’t confuse this with EASE (Enhancement for Active Seniors), which is a subsidy for Singapore citizen households with at least one senior. In the case of Ease Healthcare, it’s subtitled Women’s Health Simplified; and talks of skipping clinic queues, and accessing quality, specialized care online. From contraception, to sexual health, fertility, weight loss, peri/menopause, and menstrual health.
If you’re still here and wondering when I’d go back to vaginal rejuvenation, your patience is now rewarded! It’s a service that Eluvo offers, and has to do with collagen stimulation; alleviating the dryness in that area. And from testimonials of those who’ve tried it, it has helped with sexual wellness, and orgasm. And even the men seem to enjoy the effects, Dr. Jayce says with a demure smile.
It’s here that Dr. Jaycy makes an important point – for women’s healthcare in the Philippines to drastically improve, the men also have to be part of the conversation, and be part of the solution. Otherwise, the system won’t change for the better.