Sylvia Health: Tackling a Silent Crisis in Women’s Health with Innovation and Compassion
- ByStartupStory | October 22, 2025
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common and significantly underreported women’s health condition affecting an estimated 1 in 12 women worldwide, with the true number likely much higher. This condition, where pelvic organs descend into or out of the vagina causing pain, discomfort, and emotional distress, profoundly impacts women’s quality of life, restricting their ability to engage fully in personal and professional roles. Despite its prevalence, pelvic organ prolapse remains heavily stigmatized and misunderstood, leading to widespread neglect and inadequate solutions.
A Danish healthtech startup, Sylvia Health, is pioneering a new approach to address this overlooked crisis with a cutting-edge medical device designed to provide effective, comfortable, and accessible treatment for women suffering from POP. Born from deep clinical insights and a user-centered design philosophy, Sylvia Health’s innovation promises to restore dignity and improve the lives of millions of women globally.
The Journey Toward Understanding A Hidden Epidemic
Sylvia Health’s story begins with CEO Andrew Stretton, whose scientific background and clinical observations shaped the company’s mission. Having completed a PhD in biotechnology at the University of Cambridge before moving to Denmark, Stretton participated in the Novo Nordisk Foundation BioMedical Design Fellowship Programme at the University of Copenhagen. During four months of clinical immersion in obstetrics and gynecology departments of Slagelse Hospital, he witnessed firsthand the persistent challenges women faced related to pelvic organ prolapse.
“I’m not a doctor, and as a man, it was an unusual but incredible opportunity to observe and learn in that environment,” recalls Stretton. Yet this exposure revealed a profound need: many women suffered in silence from prolapse and related conditions, often ignored or dismissed by healthcare systems and society at large.
Interviews and clinical data underscored the staggering prevalence of POP and its associated stigma. Women frequently reported normalized suffering, with consultations lasting only a few minutes and lacking empathy or thorough understanding. Many faced dismissal of their symptoms as normal aging or consequences of childbirth. Such attitudes contributed to significant underreporting, emotional distress, and delays in seeking treatment.
The Legacy of Medical Missteps and the Role of Gender Stigma
Adding to the complexity of addressing pelvic prolapse is the medical landscape’s fraught history with surgical interventions such as transvaginal mesh implants. These implants, once positioned as revolutionary for treating prolapse and urinary incontinence, triggered a wave of serious complications including chronic pain, infections, and organ perforations for tens of thousands of women.
Disturbingly, internal documents uncovered during legal cases revealed early awareness among manufacturers of risks linked to mesh tension and material degradation. Yet, these concerns were not effectively communicated to regulatory bodies or patients, leading to a neglect of safety and informed consent.
This medical scandal, often explained away by societal gender biases, cast a long shadow over innovation in women’s pelvic health. The stigma surrounding vaginal prolapse, combined with minimization of women’s pain and discomfort, delayed development of better solutions and perpetuated a culture of silence and neglect.
Anatomy-Driven Innovation Rooted in Empathy
Determined to disrupt this cycle, Sylvia Health approached the challenge with a unique anatomy-first perspective combined with compassionate patient engagement. The team focused on rectocele, a subtype of prolapse where the rectum descends into the vagina, and recognized that existing devices such as pessaries often failed to provide appropriate anatomical support due to misplacement inside the vaginal canal.
Reflecting on menstrual cups and tampons as existing devices that occupy the lower vaginal anatomy, Sylvia Health engineers adapted these concepts to develop a medical support device designed not to collect fluid but to provide anatomical support precisely where needed.
The product development journey was intensely collaborative, involving continual feedback from gynecologists, pelvic health physiotherapists, and women with prolapse. Early broad interviews and surveys revealed the profound daily impact POP imposed on affected women, whose eagerness to participate in product testing reflected both the desperate need for solutions and appreciation for the company’s empathetic approach.
The team developed medical-grade silicone prototypes, progressing through rigorous functional testing with over 40 women. Astonishingly, many participants requested to keep the prototypes after trials, signaling a strong alignment with patient needs and comfort.
Clinical and Regulatory Roadmap
Sylvia Health has moved into clinical trials at Herlev Hospital in the Copenhagen region, recruiting 40 participants to evaluate quality of life improvements and safety. The study is designed as a simple, non-comparative trial, leveraging the known biocompatibility of silicone and existing standards of pessary use.
A key goal is to generate meaningful clinical evidence to support regulatory submission, positioning the device to become a prescribed medical device, ideally establishing itself as the preferred solution for rectocele prolapse.
Realistic about the challenges of scaling, Stretton acknowledges that while the founding team is dedicated to development and trials, partnering with strategic players or potentially raising a Series A or exploring an exit will be crucial to realize global ambitions.
Looking Ahead: Global Impact and Market Opportunities
Pelvic organ prolapse affects hundreds of millions, with numbers expected to rise sharply, especially in aging populations. Sylvia Health aims to expand availability beyond Denmark to the UK, EU, and worldwide markets, providing women everywhere access to a superior alternative to existing, often inadequate treatments.
Through its patient-centric design, evidence-based validation, and thoughtful regulatory strategy, Sylvia Health exemplifies how empathy-driven innovation can address both medical needs and entrenched societal stigmas.
The company’s vision extends beyond product success; it strives to transform conversations around women’s pelvic health, challenging normalization of suffering and advocating for dignity, awareness, and effective care.
Conclusion
Sylvia Health’s pioneering work addresses one of the most underrecognized women’s health crises with a novel, science-backed solution designed to meet anatomical needs and restore quality of life. By blending clinical insight with compassionate design and leveraging advanced materials, the startup stands poised to make a profound difference in lives worldwide.
Its journey is a testament to how breakthrough technology, when applied thoughtfully and empathetically, can reshape healthcare landscapes — overcoming stigma, providing hope, and ensuring women receive the care they deserve.
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