NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Health in Her HUE (“HIHH”), a company dedicated to connecting Black women and women of color to culturally competent and sensitive healthcare providers, announced an ongoing collaboration with Myovant Sciences Ltd. (“Myovant”), soon to be Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. (“SMPA”) as a result of the combination announced April 2023. The collaboration will kick-off with a fireside chat titled “Fighting Fibroids Together: A Candid Conversation Over Brunch,” in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 1 during the ESSENCE festival weekend. In acknowledgement of Fibroid Awareness Month, this event aims to support education and awareness efforts for historically underserved populations diagnosed with uterine fibroids.
The event will help launch HIHH’s new Fibroids-focused Care Squad, which focuses on guiding participants toward a better understanding of fibroids as a health relevant condition and the possible linkage between fibroids and other health diagnoses. The activities also include an intimate brunch discussion moderated by HIHH Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Ashlee Wisdom, featuring insights from Dr. Nyia Noel MD, MPH, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston University School of Medicine and Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Boston Medical Center. With a wealth of experience in fibroids, endometriosis, and disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality, Dr. Noel is a leading voice in women’s health and developed the content for the Fibroids-focused Care Squad.
“Black women with uterine fibroids have expressed that their experiences with the disease are not valued and they are not aware of the full scope of treatment options, particularly those that are minimally invasive,” said Dr. Noel. “Group education and support can help this population with their unmet needs: group prenatal care models have shown great benefits in reducing maternal morbidity and improving neonatal outcomes; group education is used nationally for weight management, nutritional counseling, support for patients with BRCA mutations, breast cancer survivors and other chronic conditions. I am proud to be a part of HIHH’s work to bring group education and resources to those with fibroids and other reproductive health conditions that disproportionately impact Black women.”
“We must take action to improve health equity and address the disproportionate impact of uterine fibroids on Black women and women of color,” said David Marek, chief executive officer of Myovant Sciences. “Part of our mission is to build partnerships that create specific and culturally competent resources that enable the women most impacted by uterine fibroids to move forward on their health journey with confidence.”
The Fibroids-focused Care Squad offers a virtual curriculum to not only share information about symptoms and treatment options, but also to provide community, peer support, and empowerment for people dealing with uterine fibroids alone.
“We are thrilled to partner with Myovant Sciences and Dr. Noel on this important initiative to create an affirming space and have a genuine conversation about disparities and fibroids awareness. At HIHH, we are committed to supporting the community through our dedicated Fibroids-focused Care Squad program, and we strongly believe that this partnership will have a lasting impact on those in need,” said Ashlee Wisdom, co-founder and CEO of HIHH.
As announced on April 3, Myovant will become part of SMPA upon start of operations effective July 2023. The formation of SMPA combines Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd., Myovant, Urovant Sciences, Inc., Enzyvant Therapeutics, Inc., Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc., Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc., and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
WHAT: Fighting Fibroids Together: A Candid Conversation over Brunch
WHEN: Saturday, July 1 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. CT
WHERE: Copper Vine, 1001 Poydras Street New Orleans, LA 70112
WHY: It is estimated that 19 million women in the U.S. have uterine fibroids; an estimated five million women suffer from symptoms and require treatment. Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at an earlier age with uterine fibroids and are more likely to experience life-impacting symptoms. This event will support education and awareness efforts for historically underserved populations diagnosed with the condition.
