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Who is OVUM?
OVUM is a female-founded business made up of myself as CEO, Kate Freeman as our COO and our chief medical officer Dr Kat Joseph.
As a team of doctors and fellow fertility warriors, we wanted access to high-quality, discreet, and reasonably priced conception products whilst navigating the pain of infertility.
We are focused on the trying to conceive community and put them at the forefront of all that we do. We help women during what can be the most vulnerable time of their lives, by providing them with the best possible fertility wellness products and most-up-to-date information, while also ensuring nothing we create ends up in landfill.
We are a B Corp (pending) and donate 20 per cent of our profits to fertility awareness campaigns and fertility research.
What is fertility wellness?
These are the products and services a woman who is trying to conceive needs throughout her journey, from trying to conceive to bringing a baby home. The journey is different for everyone and we’re here to support women at every stage. Currently we offer two products: our flagship preconception and ovulation support supplement that is now recommended on patient protocols in 12 IVF clinics, and the first fully recyclable pregnancy test.
Can you tell us more about the pregnancy test?
This was the culmination of 10 months of research and development by our team to ensure we created a high quality product that adhered to several of our core values: we wanted a higher standard of accuracy for those who prefer to test early, but also a test that ensured no more test waste ended up in landfill and was a product our customers enjoy using.
Our FDA and MHRA regulatory approvals reflect the high standards and thought put into our product.
What are the benefits to people and the planet?
The product is a first in class to offer mental health support to those who receive a negative test result when they are actively trying to conceive. Each box of four tests comes with immediate access to a guided meditation with fertility mindset coach, Alice Rose, to provide support in the event of a negative test result.
For the planet, customers using these tests can now ensure that none of the used product or its packaging will end up in landfill. Each box includes a prepaid envelope which allows customers to post the used tests, wrappers and desiccant to Enval, our UK recycling partner who recycle the product in full.
Are there any downsides to the product?
Ensuring our tests were fully recyclable was non-negotiable. Manufacturing was a real test – the balance between offering sound, affordable, and accessible products and making the best choices as a company that holds itself to the highest environmental responsibilities was tough. As a B Corp (pending), we strongly feel we’ve got the balance right.
We acknowledge that our tests, unfortunately, still introduce some new plastic. The product is therefore certified as Plastic Negative by rePurpose (repurpose.global), the world’s leading plastic action platform. For every box of tests purchased, OVUM funds the removal of twice as much plastic from the environment as is used in making them. In time we will stop using plastic entirely.
How can pharmacy teams raise awareness?
By spreading the word! Word of mouth is so powerful for a product like this, we’re committed to stopping all pregnancy test waste ending up in landfill and we plan to stop using plastic entirely in our future version of the product. We’d really love to have pharmacy teams along with us for the journey.
What are your future goals?
To knock Clearblue off the top spot. Our tests are a first-to-market recyclable and category-disruptor product. Our 99 per cent accurate FDA-approved tests offer a new alterative in a product category that has suffered a death of innovation.
How can readers find out more?
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