Maja: Breaking taboo around women’s health one prescription at a time
Note: In this article, we do not focus on gender, but rather the sex one were assigned at birth. In other words, looking at sex from a medical perspective. This interview was conducted in Norwegian, a language that does not traditionally differentiate between gender and sex. Keep in mind that we refer to women as anyone who has a vagina and/or female reproductive organs. If you want to learn more about gender expression from a social perspective, you can read this article.
Ever had an experience with a doctor who did not take your pain seriously or expressed a lack of understanding about the female body? Ever dreaded going to the doctor to get your birth control prescription? If you are a woman, chances are that you answered ‘yes’ to at least one of these questions. And if you, like many others, think the healthcare system could use some modernisation – well, it is time for you to meet Maja!
Maja.no is a Norwegian digital clinic that replaces your stuffy doctor’s office with online medical consulting, as well as access to treatment and prescriptions for UTIs, STDs, contraception and acne treatment. Aside from the advantage of affordable pricing, efficiency and flexible working hours, this service is dedicated to women’s health and breaking taboos, in a time where the rest of the medical industry seems accustomed to turning their backs on women. We had a chat with a couple of the Maja team members about the significance of this online service and the current issues relating to women’s health that they are challenging…
“I think it’s very disappointing that the man is still the standard norm when it comes to medical trials,” says 34-year-old Martine Flatlie. She is currently the marketing director for Maja and her greatest passion is working towards gender equality within the health sector. Unfortunately, it is a fact that medical research is often flawed due to its failure to examine women. The reaction to treatment can vary depending on the sex, and many diseases affect women differently compared to what the information accumulated by research based on the male body may suggest.
“We need to invest as much in women’s health as we invest in men’s health. As of now, that is not the case, and it results in malpractice when it comes to treating women,” Flatlie says. One example of the consequences is that women are being diagnosed later in life with conditions such as autism and Alzheimers. Another example is that symptoms of heart disease are not being recognised because they do not equal those that are common among men.
Doctor and co-founder of Maja, Harald M. Dobloug, 31, points out that women are statistically more affected by disease compared to men, as they are more likely to suffer from long-term sickness and having to rely on disability benefits. “This is due to mechanisms we are unfamiliar with, and it is incredibly important that we find the cause of these.” In other words, medical research does not only need to include women but take sex into account when drawing conclusions. He continues: “Women should not be punished for not being men.”
One of Maja’s main goals is to make medical care more accessible to women. This means understanding the female body, as well as considering the culture they exist in. For instance, around 80% of young women are reluctant to see their doctor for contraception. The reason? According to Flatlie, many women go to a family doctor who has followed them through adolescence and it leads to embarrassment when asking this person for something like contraception. “We don’t always want to share everything with anyone. That’s when Maja.no is useful. Instead of meeting your doctor face-to-face, you can fill out a digital form.” Flatlie also stresses that Maja is working towards breaking taboos that are the root of this type of embarrassment. “We believe that it is important to be open and dare to speak about everything that has to do with women’s health. We want to normalise and break taboos by paving the way and setting a good example.”
Dobloug agrees: “We see it as our mission to fight taboos while providing an accessible and quality-assured service to women.” He adds that a part of the problem is the lack of accessibility and quality in general. Health centres are only open a few days a week, and many GPs are not updated on health problems affecting women, nor do they follow up on women who use contraception. “Other industries have managed to create more user-focused services, but the healthcare system is falling behind. Maja is a very important offer that ensures that all women get fast, correct and affordable help.”
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