In Brazil, male carelessness with their own health is nothing new, so several researches have indicated that men traditionally go to the doctor less often than women. Na 2021 Blue November campaign, the Side by Side Institute reported a survey that out of every ten men, six only seek a doctor with unbearable symptoms. When it comes to male sexual health, the scenario doesn't change: according to a survey by Brazilian Society of Urology In 2022, adolescent boys between 12 and 18 years old go to a urologist 18 times less often than adolescent girls go to a gynecologist. This behavior makes it difficult, for example, to identify prostate cancer early in the disease. It is worth noting that, according to INCA 2023 estimate (Cancer Incidence in Brazil), prostate cancer is the fourth most common in the world and second most common in Brazil.
In addition to these more severe cases, male sexual health also encompasses issues such as sexual dysfunctions, which are viewed with a view of embarrassment by the male population, keeping men away from seeking treatments. Partly because of this male behavior in relation to their own sexual health, this market is very unexplored, even though there is a very significant demand.
Thus, seeking to establish itself in this segment of male sexual health and to meet these needs, combining health, information, education and discretion, Omens It's the first Healthtech of digital health focused on men's health and well-being. The startup emerged as a platform that connects doctors and patients. In an exclusive interview, Olivier Capoulade and Morgan Autret, founders of Omens, discuss their perceptions of the market.
When they began studying this market, Olivier reports that they saw several solutions focusing on men's health at the international level, but that the topic was still seen as a taboo in Brazil. He says that they conducted a study together with Datafilha, finding that sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction, as in other markets, are common in Brazil. “59% of Brazilians between 45 and 59 years old answered that they have had erection problems; and this also exists in younger audiences,” says Olivier.
Other relevant factors considered by the founders for the creation of Omens were the release of teleconsultation, the difficulty of this patient's journey in Brazil, and the issue of access. Olivier adds that “in general, there is little accessibility to urologists in Brazil; there are around 5 thousand doctors specialized in urology, the highest concentration of which is in São Paulo”.
The challenge of conviction and social stigma
Among the challenges of this male sexual health market, Morgan believes that one of the central points is the conviction of the male population that is used to not being treated and who view sexual health with a lot of stigma. “Often general practitioners are not trained to respond effectively to complaints related to sexual problems. Still, in smaller cities, this doctor often treats the whole family, so there's a certain shame in men who can't see sexual dysfunction naturally,” he adds.
Olivier points out that there is also the conviction that many of these problems can be treated quickly and that teleconsultation is efficient: “we need to convince people that through teleconsultation we can solve more or less 90% of the pathologies we treat, such as libido problems, premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction; we have efficient and affordable solutions”. Finally, in addition to efficiency, both highlight the importance of teleconsultation in the delivery of the service across Brazil in locations that lack specialist doctors.
International models and the integrated health journey
The founders explain that, in short, there are two models, one more focused on the clinic and the other on pharmacy. Omens proposes to unite these models with a more integrated vision of health, so that the entire journey takes place on a single platform. In addition, Morgan explains that to provide health, the use of medications is not always necessary, so the doctor can advise other treatments.
“The patient may want to purchase a manipulated medication on the Omens platform or at the pharmacy, but we have also developed, for example, a course on how to treat premature ejaculation naturally,” says Morgan.
They also highlight the access to psychologists on the platform as part of this care journey. The provision of this type of care is related to research conducted by Omens that indicated the incidence of sexual problems in younger people mainly due to anxiety, a growing condition in the world. “In 50% of the cases, the issue is mental and not physical,” adds Olivier.
Communication and education as central points of sexual health
Faced with a segment surrounded by taboos, Omens understands that a commitment to efficient and enlightening communication is necessary. For them, before people receive treatment, they need to know what these problems are and that they are more common than imagined. “Communication is education. For this reason, we have a blog with a movement of around one million users a month, and our intention is for us to become a media about men's health”, highlights Olivier.
The founders also raise an interesting point: 40% of accesses are made by women, who want to be informed to try to help their partners. They understand that this behavior is related to a man's tendency not to treat himself and not to talk about this type of problem. In this sense, women also became an important audience within this dialogue.
“Finally, I think it is important to emphasize that in addition to providing correct and scientifically based information, we also try to adopt a lighter language, which does not blame the man. We understand that blaming men for their carelessness with their health and using terms like 'toxic masculinity' talks with a more aware audience, but that doesn't resonate in Brazil. Carrying out a guilt campaign and 'giving him a slap one' can lead to alienation and will not necessarily bring about a change in behavior, which is our objective”, concludes Morgan.
