Feminine Hygiene 101 with pH-D Founder Deeannah Seymour

In this episode of Hormone Harmony, host Brittany sits down with Deeannah Seymour, the visionary behind pH-D Feminine Health. Deeannah shares how a personal health journey and industry gap led her to launch the first commercially available boric acid vaginal suppository. Together, they explore stigma in vaginal health, hormone education, and the cultural shifts needed to empower women at every life stage. Tune in for honest, eye-opening conversation—and find out how brands like pH-D and Thrivelab are changing the game. 

Head to www.thrivelab.com for the full video version of this episode! Find us on Instagram @thrivelab_women to learn more about the benefits of BHRT and women's hormone health.

Transcript

Brittany (00:00)

Hi there, welcome back to Hormone Harmony Podcast where we explore conversations that help women take charge. Today's guest is the lovely Dee, founder of pHD Feminine Health. Dee is a trailblazer in the women's health space, launching the first commercially available boric acid vaginal suppository and working to challenge long held stigmas around vaginal and hormonal health. Dee, your work has transformed the landscape of women's health. Can you share what led you to found pHD feminine health and why this mission is so personal for you.

Deeannah Seymour (00:39)

Brittany, yes, thank you so much for having me. You know, that saying necessity is the mother of invention, I guess that has never been more true in my case. I had spent 20 years working in the pharmaceutical industry and during that time I had a lot of sinus infections which caused me to be on a lot of antibiotics. As women, we know what happens when we're on a lot of antibiotics. It completely disrupts our flora. I was looking for a holistic alternative for my own vaginal infections. I came across this ingredient, and it was important for me too for it to be backed by published clinical data. And I found robust studies that had been done on boric acid in the form of vaginal suppositories. And I tried it myself and it worked wonders for me. I was just so perplexed as to why no one was making these commercially because you could only get them compounded in a compounding pharmacy. Spoke with dozens of OBGYNs and healthcare providers and they're like, yes, we love this, but we can only get it compounded. So I really felt morally obligated to try and find a way to bring it to market. As fate would have it, my daughter's coach. She played ice hockey. Her coach had a manufacturing facility that made holistic products. So I went to coach with the idea and he's kind of a science nerd like me. We launched it in early 2014 on Amazon and within six months it was a bestseller in its category. We knew we were onto something not only because of the velocity, but mainly because of the evangelical reviews of the women who had used it. It's such a unique ingredient in that in the US, we're required to market for vaginal odor as a cosmetic, but in Canada, we're required to market it as a yeast infection treatment. But it does work for both, and particularly those women who suffer with recurrent issues. It's been a lifesaver for them. So that's how it started and actually, it was my side hustle for about three years and because I was a single mom with two kids and really thought I needed that security of that corporate wonderful job that I had but I knew finally it was time for me to come run pHD and so our mission since that day has been to improve the lives of women and now we have a complete line of products to care for them throughout all stages.

Brittany (03:11)

Wow, so it sounds like the platform has definitely ridden a lot of stigmas and there's probably a lot of taboo out there and myths and what do you do to dismantle that because clearly this is highly effective for women.

Deeannah Seymour (03:26)

Yeah, you know, it's interesting. Prior to us coming on the scene, I don't know that there was really any brand providing a platform for women to have conversations around vaginal odor.

Talk about shame and stigma. There is so much shame and stigma associated with that issue. And as you know, it's common. Throughout the thousands of conversations I've had with women and health care providers, they always think that it's something they've done to cause this, that it's their fault. Maybe they're not clean enough or insert whatever reason. So it's for us to create that safe space for women to have these discussions. It's been amazing to see the women who are tagging their friends or sharing educational material or sharing product information. And it's, we've really helped foster this community of women where it's a safe place to have these conversations, which has been incredible. We even have commercials that are running, on TV discussing vaginal odor. And it really has helped to let women know, because most women feel like they're alone when this happens to them, so much so that they're even fearful of going to their health care provider to have these discussions. So it really is to let women know that it's common and there are things that can be done to help them through these issues.

Brittany (04:58)

I love that your website mentions hush-hush energy for how women are feeling because it is something that you feel that you're doing wrong. Nobody else has this issue going on and it's unfortunate because in a world of healthcare where we want to improve outcomes and help with patients with these issues, the industry has been really slow to catch this and so I'm wondering when you're addressing vaginal health and hormone balance and midlife care, why is the industry so slow to this solution when it's so common in such a problem?

Deeannah Seymour (05:34)

Yeah, that's a great question. And I was perplexed when I came across this miraculous ingredient. Why no one had brought it to market? When it's been used for over 100 years in feminine care. As a matter of fact, to show you something. I just got home yesterday from Mississippi where I'm from.

Brittany (05:52)

Yes.

Deeannah Seymour (05:56)

Family farm. We have a family reunion every year. It's over 100 years old. And in every bathroom there is a boric acid that it says for a wash. So you know my great grandmother and grandmother were using it as a douche because that was the only way that they could use it. They didn't have a suppository. But I really think you know we came onto the scene in feminine care in the aisle at Walmart and Target and everywhere else, that it was those legacy brands that had been around forever. And we were really a disruptor, huge disruptor in that category. And I think that the reason that no one had brought it to market prior to us was that there's no intellectual property protection which means that anyone can make a boric acid suppository. But you know what, that wasn't my motivation. I did have a lot of naysayers when I was leaving this wonderful job to go start this company. Like, are you crazy? You're starting this company and anybody can rip you off. But I didn't care. Our reason for being was to improve the lives of women and knowing that millions, tens of millions of women could benefit from this ingredient.

I think that that's mainly the reason it was that corporate mentality of, we can't put something out there that's not unique to us. But like I said, it didn't matter to me. But there is a saying in the retail market that there's no replacement for first to market. And so we were the first to market. And now nearly every major brand has a boric acid suppository because they have seen our success and how much there is a demand for these types of products. I really felt it took someone with a different mindset and a different motivation really. Those brands too, I have to say, are run by men. So we are actually woman run, owned, lead company making products for women, by women. Our pharmaceutical, our scientist that we have is a woman and our motivations are a little different than most.

Brittany (08:09)

Right. 100%. And I think too with your mission being the front line of things is going to obviously, you know, march where you're going to go when it comes to outcomes for women. And you know, with Thrivelab too, we have a lot of women. A lot of our care providers are women in marketing. The list goes on. So we have a lot of feminine history here at Thrive, but I think it's important to know too when we're treating patients like myself, of misdiagnoses, hormone fluctuations, energy, intimacy. I mean, the list goes on that it's so overlooked, but I think what you mentioned too is focusing on women, hearing women out, and treating accordingly has a big, big P to this. And also too, I think it's interesting looking at the raising your vagina IQ campaign has been huge. I mean, what inspired that, and what do you believe has been relevant right now because of that.

Deeannah Seymour (09:08)

Yeah, you know, this started because of conversations with healthcare providers like yourself, which has been the way we've marketed the products since day one. Because we know how important you all are in product recommendations and if we don't have your support, we want your support. We want you all to be the ones recommending our products. We have found in our conversations with healthcare providers and with women that there is so much body illiteracy that happens. Women learn more about the anatomy of a frog then they do their own bodies when they finish up high school. And the difference between our vaginas and our vulvas, huge percentage of women, over 70% don't know the difference between the two. So in these conversations with healthcare providers, they were telling us like the patients can't even describe accurately what's happening with their bodies, let alone the body parts. So therefore they can't be advocates for their healthcare. We saw that being a huge part of the equation. And then also, when we were going to making these commercials to help educate women on our products, we weren't allowed to use the word vagina. We couldn't even say vaginal moisturizing gel on some stations, which is the name of one of our products. So we were forced to use euphemisms, which we made light of it in our campaign of flower, taco, cootie cat, different funny names that we use for our vaginas. And then we weren't even allowed to use the euphemisms. So it's like, what is wrong with this world that we can't use the accurate terminology of our body part to describe, if you have an issue with this appendage, you say it's your arm, right? So it was born out of frustration and also the need for education for women and young women alike so that we can accurately describe our bodies so that we can be advocates for our health when we come to providers like yourselves that we can have conversations and not be ashamed of saying of calling our vagina, what it is, the anatomically correct words to use it. So it's been so enlightening and we've had such positive feedback and we've learned that women are really hungry for this information and it's letting women know that it's okay that you don't know. You know, we're here to help and we've gotten great feedback from the healthcare providers that we've shared this with. We've been at the American College of Sector Schotokology and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners sharing so far this year, sharing this information and they've all been so receptive and so grateful that we are really leaning into helping educate women about their bodies and their body parts so that they can be advocates for themselves and also their loved ones, their mothers, their daughters, and so they can also have these discussions with their partners as well.

Brittany (12:20)

You know, you made a good point. It's already so confusing for someone who's not in the clinical space that adding these words to not use the term makes it that much more confusing, which then makes you feel almost even more ashamed of possibly even asking, well, which one are we talking about here? That's even more of a larger gap that we're causing in healthcare. And I would say you're clearly, with this initiative, sparking a national conversation, which is amazing. I can't say many do that. That's kind of a very brave piece of care that you're covering there. But what language or cultural norms are you hoping to shift when it comes to terminology and what that looks like in the future?

Deeannah Seymour (13:07)

Yeah, so we hope and we actually, it was really, really cool, Brittany, we had a billboard in Times Square when we launched the campaign several, was probably over a month ago, and we had Raise Your Vagina IQ on this massive, like, five-story billboard that wrapped around a building. And it did, it got a lot of attention, and I think it may have been the first time the word vagina was on a billboard in Times Square. And it's just that, like, let's just normalize that language and that conversation. You know, how many times do you turn on the television and you hear an ad for ED erectile dysfunction. You that's kind of commonplace now but yet we can't even have you know talking about vaginal moisturizing gel this was an actual instance that happened to us. We had the station in LA that wanted to highlight women-owned brands, women-founded brands. So they had Kate Somerville Cosmetics, and then they were gonna highlight our vaginal moisturizing gel. it's literally, PhD, it's the name of the product, vaginal moisturizing gel for women in menopause. Minutes before the segment was gonna air, the producers told the hosts, they're like, we're gonna come back from commercial break, but you cannot say the name of this product on air. And they're like, what are you talking about? Like, it's the name of the product. And so they couldn't even say the name of our product and then they wouldn't even pan in to show the product. They had to do it from a distance. I mean it was so ridiculous that the hosts were like, here's a product that, well if you're a menopause, if you know, you know. Well no, you don't know. Are we supposed to, I mean, these are normal things that happen. Every single one of us will go through menopause. And is it we spend close to a third of our lives here, is that correct? And women shouldn't have to suffer through any stage, but my gosh, we should at least be able to talk about what's happening to our bodies during that time. So hoping to normalize the conversation. Like my mom suffered, my grandmother suffered through those stages. And she never talked about it because there was so much shame and stigma. And I'm so grateful in this day and age that menopause is having its moment finally, due large part to a lot of celebrities, as you know, like Oprah had her special. A lot of Halle Berry and Naomi Watts now have their own lines of products, which is fabulous. The more people to the menopause party, the better. So that we can have conversations to let each other know that we're not alone. Because I do feel like my mom and all of her friends suffered in silence through these stages without really about what was happening with their bodies and the changes that are occurring. You know, as part of this Raise Your Vagina IQ is normalizing conversations around feminine health and our vaginas, which vaginal health, it's constantly evolving throughout every stage of our lives and letting women know that changes happen and it's okay and there are solutions and we just need to talk about it.

Brittany (16:25)

I love that. I think it's, you know, for women, clinically, we are not in menopause, which means you have no hormone production until you do not bleed for one full year. We're already finding out a year later that this has happened. So while we go through this phase of perimenopause, it's going on for 10 years for some, and there's women so confused about what's going on that they lean on, you know, a company like Thrivelab, for example, about the education and awareness and what to look for, knowing that this is common. It's just knowing that, again, like you mentioned, suffering in silence what is happening. It's not talked about. And I think too it's good to note that when women are noticing their cycles changing by months or days, they have these symptoms with it. And it's usually my job to connect. This isn't a coincidence. This is your hormone dysregulation that's happening, which is very common. And the way their face looks is something that just fuels my mission further because they feel heard and they don't feel. And I think that's a huge piece of this is again, like with the terms, you feel ashamed of even acknowledging it or witnessing it or going through it, except, you know, mom never said anything, grandma never said anything. And it's just so unfortunate as women in 2025 that we are still kind of tiptoeing around the idea that we're all going through this.

Deeannah Seymour (17:44)

Yeah, I love, love, love what you all are doing. I just can't, I just got goosebumps. That statistic of 83%, of women who are nearing menopause who go to their provider to discuss their problems don't feel heard. How sad is that. I mean, it's just, it's absolutely awful. So I'm constantly telling women to be advocates. And if you don't feel heard, go somewhere else, please, find that provider like you all who actually listens to their patients and rather than being discounted. I have dozens of friends and I've had hundreds of conversations with people who feel like they've been dismissed. A lot of it has to do with education and the misinformation that had been perpetuated for what, two to three decades based on the study that had come out. And I feel like a lot of healthcare providers have been slow to adopt the new guidelines now at menopause. So I just, I absolutely love what you're doing. Another thing too that I was thinking of when you were talking about the 10 years prior and perimenopause, I'm hoping there's more awareness that comes to healthcare providers about that. I had frozen shoulder when I was 44 and it was debilitating. I had no idea that that was possibly a menopausal symptom. You know arthritis in our hands, obscure changes that are happening in our bodies that no one has really made us aware that oh my goodness this could be because of menopause, so that we're not thinking that we're crazy. So I love what you all are doing and you see the need for this and are really leaning into that. It just makes me very, very happy.

Brittany (19:51)

Well, you have a very solid point and it's an accurate point. It has a lot to do with education. So I love our primary care providers. We do primary care on ThriveLab. It's a lot of prevention and that's the same aspect with hormones, prevention, but through hormones, not so much primary care. Of course, if we need to look at blood pressure and cholesterol and all of those things, we will. But it's good to note that with primary care, we're seeking disease processes and you're getting labs looked at to see what that range is to diagnose the disease process. Hormones, you can be within range, but again when you're getting your hormones drawn, it's not a black and white same level the whole month. There's phases of your menstrual cycle. There's a phase of your cycle where you're fixing to ovulate and hormones do a very drastic shift to help that egg, you know, get released for, you know, having a baby. And I think one thing we need to know is we have hormones for women to reproduce. That is why we have them. And as we get older. And we are told that we don't really need them anymore. We don't need to reproduce much longer, which is why we face all the issues we face. So when I have a patient come to me, they've already been seen by another provider, which I think is good. You want to check off your boxes and make sure that you're finding more information from other providers, kind of collecting your data, if you will, which is great. But I also want to note that when you're getting placed on a birth control and you're getting told that this is something birth control can help. What you're really clinically doing is most of the time putting yourself in a medication-induced menopause because you're not cycling really and you're using synthetic hormones which statistically have worsened your outcomes because your body is meant to bleed and cycle and regulate and most birth controls are not allowing you bleed, allowing the uterus lining to thicken and you're not bleeding for months and months and months and you're telling me, well, I don't have a libido and I'm gaining weight and I'm really tired. Well, it's all because of synthetic hormones. But the goal too is that at least we can kind of lay this all out and you have a clear lens on why versus this isn't going to kill you. Take this pill. This is common. It's going to transition through and you're fine. And I think the biggest piece is a little bit of handholding and saying, I got you. This is common, this is the science behind it versus putting either a synthetic medication on the platform or telling a patient, which has been told to me dozens of times, this is common, you're not going to die from it, so just hang in there, which is absurd, absolutely absurd, and dismisses a patient appointment to begin with. You make an appointment to be heard, not to be dismissed, right?

Deeannah Seymour (22:53)

Yeah, that's huge and the way that you're describing that is like you're letting women know that it's okay, like you can breathe a sigh of relief, like it's I hear you, I've got you, yeah it's just it really is remarkable. I love that you all, it sounds like it's in your DNA, that it's part of your culture there, is really, really a wonderful thing for women. So thank you.

Brittany (23:21)

Well, I mean, you know, and not going further, how can we reframe this midlife, not as a decline, but of empowerment, vitality, like a deep body awareness? we're taking that shift, but what comes to mind on how we can begin to reframe this phase?

Deeannah Seymour (23:38)

Yeah, well, you think about women my age, I'm 53. My kids are grown and finally out of college. Woohoo! Yes, we now have this, financial independence. You've got independence from a lot of our responsibilities.

Brittany (23:58)

Woo, congrats, yes, that's great.

Deeannah Seymour (24:08)

People taking care of aging parents is one thing. It should be a time in our lives when we're kind of reclaiming our lives for us. And it's important for us to have our health and to feel good. You know, because this is, this is our time now, right? That we've dedicated our entire lives to raising kids and families. And now it's kind of like, okay, now I get to really focus on me. So in order for us to do that, we need to be in a good spot with our health and feel good and not, going through the brain fog and wondering why you walked into a room and you can't remember why you walked into that room. Or what did I do with my car keys? Or what's that person's name? All the things. So yeah, it really should be a shift that this is our time and we need to make sure that we're optimal in our health to ensure that we can enjoy this time that we've earned.

Brittany (24:48)

100%. And I think even going from just the spectrum of age, mean, even those young teens who had a couple of erratic menses getting placed on these synthetic birth controls for 10 to 20 years, there is so much research out there showing the fact that at that young age, those young girls develop frequency and urgency with their bladder. And it's showing that the synthetic hormones, and this is just one example, is not allowing the elasticity of their bladder with their development because of the synthetic hormones. I mean, we're talking it affecting their bone density and their muscle mass and all of that because of this blanket of synthetic birth controls, which is unfortunate. And it starts so young, but it's, you know, this is what I was placed on. I'm going to be a good patient and follow the rules and kind of stay on this until we discuss fertility in the future, which can make a drastic outcome if you're left on it for that long. I'm wondering, too, with the gender health divide and this, reoccurring framework that that's going on, how do you see it showing up in clinical practice and with everyday conversations?

Deeannah Seymour (25:58)

Yeah, it's interesting. I have seen from the sidelines women's health be underfunded forever. And I even heard not too long ago that, you know how the different recommendations for the number of hours of sleep per night, that those studies were actually done on men.

and not women and women actually need more sleep to function at their optimal level. And I'm like, my goodness. So all of these, guidelines and statistics that are out there that are just a blanket statement for our health, how many other ones are not correct when it comes to those recommendations? I don't know. But, I have seen, I've witnessed firsthand, because we are doing clinical studies, which I'm very proud of. We have a few going on. Things that should have been studied a long time ago that, I'm not privy to say everything, but that should have been. And we're also to the point where we've been approached by thought leaders in the women's health space for ideas for products that were dismissed by other really large pharmaceutical corporations and other corporations. So and the reason why I think is because there weren't the billion dollar price tax, I'm sorry, sources of income for these products like other products that are on the market. I knew that they, I've seen these products and I know that they could benefit women, millions of women. So we're really leaning into that, again, because our motivations are different. We want to bring products to market that really help improve the lives of women. We're not worried about the amount of income that it'll generate for our company. Of course, we have to be profitable in order to keep producing the products. But again, I think when your motivations are different, you can help knock down some of those barriers and those disparities that occur. And I think that it's going to take women demanding more for their health and better outcomes and also to have innovative companies like PhD who are disrupting the space, who have different motivations. But yeah, it has been something that I've witnessed for a long time and I really hope that the curtains be pulled back so that gradually we can break down these disparities.

Brittany (28:51)

100% and even going further into that, think in a world of healthcare, it's all about labs. What do the labs say? Let's treat the labs. You're within an expected range and I tell all patients, again with hormones in general, it's gonna fluctuate throughout the month. When you got these labs done, do you recall what day of the cycle you're on? Wait, what? Yeah, it's gonna be a different answer the day you bleed and get labs done versus day 13 when you're around your ovulation. The labs will be much different. They're not even aware. That is huge piece missing. And if we go further into that layer of results and outcomes, we're looking at the lab ranges. Well, Brittany, I'm having all of these symptoms. My doctor said I'm fine. And I looked at my labs and well, they're all within range. So I guess I'm fine. But I'm having X, Y, Z. And I'm there to say, are you aware that your lab results are based off of the age and the expected range. Mind you, cycle, no cycle, put that aside. Your lab results are based off of expected ranges for your age. So expectedly you're supposed to land there versus what would be optimized and ideal would be a totally different discussion with those patients. And I don't think a lot of people are aware of that. I mean, God forbid, vitamin D, they don't want it less than 30. Now vitamin D is a type of hormone mind you, but it's in the vitamin category and to not take up too much time for listeners, it has a huge effect on our system. And so they have a primary care doctor again, which is loving and willing to review results and say your vitamin D is a 30, you're within range, you're good. And I'm going, you want to have it over 70 to have a full decrease in certain cancers and all these things, right? So I think the divide is huge not only with gender, but with just care for hormones in general. And I think for ThriveLab women, I mean, we want to aim to bridge that divide and help with personalized care and providers who really listen. But what can women do now to start closing that gap and taking charge of their health? You mentioned advocating for themselves, which I love. I've had some women say, my doctor said this and I said, nope, I'm not doing that. And I'll never talk to that provider again. And that’s unfortunate but I'm already kind of hearing the tone for some getting raised a little bit which is amazing.

Deeannah Seymour (31:21)

Well, you know, it's something you just, think part of responsibility that we have as a company is education. And I just wrote down vitamin D. Yes, yes. I mean, I know the importance and I supplement because I'm low. 

Brittany (31:28)

Yes, vitamin D!

Deeannah Seymour (31:39)

And all the implications, health implications that that can have. to your point, it's women really leaning into someone who specializes in hormone health. You can peel back those layers and dig a little deeper to where not just what's on the surface like you had said. So I think that we have a responsibility as a brand in women's health to make sure that we're educating on all these things. to your point, to making sure that our, the people who are coming to our website have this information. So the more we can do to help each other in this community the better. So I'm actually going to take that back to our team and have them do some education on vitamin D.

Brittany (32:20)

Vitamin D K2 helps with the absorption of it. So you're not getting calcium levels increasing. It's just a very potent hormone, although it's in the vitamin family that can be huge for men and women. Okay, and I think to a lot of patients are deficient because we get a lot of it from the Sun My goodness, if you're up north or you're up south, that's like whoo either too cold or too hot And if you do go outside you're covered up you're wearing sunscreen you're protecting yourself from skin cancer. It's like, which direction do I go? So supplementation is very powerful. For those women who feel shame or confusion about their vaginal health in general, what are some fundamental truths that you wish every woman right now in this moment knew?

Deeannah Seymour (33:11)

There are changes that happen with our vaginal health throughout all stages of our lives. you're talking about your patients who are menstruating, who are younger, and who might have heavy flow or irregular periods. The fact that women aren't aware that just changes in their hormone levels throughout their month, even during menopause or perimenopause, can also disrupt their pH balance. And oftentimes that can lead to vaginal odor. You know, it's through nothing they have done. It's just through being a woman and going throughout the stages of womanhood. Particularly a lot of women in menopause who will all of a sudden suffer from vaginal odor who've never had it before in their lives. I've had people tell me, like, I went to the doctor terrified to go to their nurse practitioner, healthcare provider to talk about vaginal odor because they thought that they had done something wrong, like left a tampon inside of them or something. Because they can't imagine why this odor would be coming from inside of them. So to let them know that changes happen and that it's okay, they're common, but there are things that can be done about it. And the stigmas that are associated with them should need to be removed. Also, I've had a lot of women, if they have a new partner, that maybe they are getting vaginal odor for the first time, which is also very common. And we've actually recently found out through it was an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine that actually BV, which is the cause of some vaginal odor, can be sexually transmitted. So it's not your fault. Again, it's not your fault. So for women to understand that changes are going to happen, like myself in my early 40s, I started bleeding so heavily that I had an ablation done and it actually worked well for me and that changes are normal, they're going to happen and to please discuss everything with your healthcare provider first, but that it's okay to embrace these changes, know that there are solutions out there that exist and that don't be afraid of having these conversations too with your girlfriends because I will tell you once you do it's like this veil has been lifted and everyone will be surprised how many other people are also going through similar issues.

Brittany (35:47)

You know, that's powerful, especially bridging that with the vaginal IQ mission on learning our body and the literacy and the hormones and the confidence. I mean how can even improving our vaginal IQ really spark this further?

Deeannah Seymour (36:02)

Yeah, it's hugely important for having those conversations and being educated about what type of discharge is normal. You know, for you to have discharge is normal, some is abnormal. But learning the cues for your body, and we're all made differently, of course, but learning what's normal for you versus what may be abnormal for you. So the more we're in tune with our bodies and the more that we're educated on that, the better we can advocate for our health and again for our loved ones. To have those conversations with our healthcare providers. It's very important.

Brittany (36:40)

I went through your site and all of it and it just felt so welcoming and inviting. I'm wondering with that empowering message you've had of just vaginal IQ and this suppository for women who are still curious about this. Do you find that they're going to have to be using it consistently? Is it painful? What could you answer on this suppository for them to better understand, hey, it's going to be okay, this can help you and it's not going to hurt or things like that?

Deeannah Seymour (37:09)

Yeah, great question. We have our boric acid suppository then we also have a moisturizing suppository. For our boric acid suppository that we first brought to market, our first product, many women, it depends, like in Canada where we're marketed as a yeast infection treatment they for itch or odor and certain nightly until their symptoms are gone. I know the CDC for yeast infections recommends one suppository each night until for 14 nights. I can tell you that you do not have to use it that long. Every woman is different and you can use it until, like I said, you're asymptomatic or your symptoms are gone. A real game changer for women, particularly those that suffer from vaginal odor, it's debilitating in that it's recurrent 50% of the time in women who have it. So it is something that many, many women deal with, for sometimes over a decade. there have been long-term use studies done on boric acid depositories to indicate its safety. So a lot of women find it beneficial to insert it after things that might cause a disruption, such as their period or intercourse. A lot of women will insert one once a week or twice a week if they're one of the recurrent gals. So it really just depends on the person to find the rhythm, if you will, that works for them in order to prevent the odor from occurring. But by all means, we always say consult with your healthcare provider first because they are the expert and there may be some serious underlying condition of which you're not aware that they can test for. So by all means, consult with your provider first. We're fortunate in that we have this robust sampling program. I think we've sampled now to over 30,000 providers. So part of the recommendations of the CDC, Bork Acid Suppositories, as well as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recommends the use of Boric Acid Suppositories for both itch and odor. So it is a trusted, verified, really great ingredient that can help. It's easy to use. We don't put an applicator in our product to spare the plastic, but you can just insert it with your finger as far back as it will go into the vagina, kind of like if you were inserting a tampon the same way. It's best to do it at night because some women might have a little bit of discharge when they wake up in the morning. Some women don't, some women do. Some women might want to wear a panty liner. Yeah, insert it nightly until you feel better or after anything that might be a trigger for you.

Brittany (39:50)

I'm thankful for the details on the insertion because I thought, you know, here we are talking about something so sensitive about vaginas and then suppository. It's kind of probably for some listeners.

Deeannah Seymour (40:02)

Like, what is that?

Brittany (40:02)

What is that and how do you do it? And ideally you are perfectly correct, right? With your finger into the vagina as far as it goes and the body absorbs the medication where it's placed so you don't have to worry about it having to remove it, but the body takes over from there. That's super, super helpful. You know, with listeners being empowered, I hope, what is a message that you would want to share with them about their bodies and their health? If you could leave them with one thing, what would it be?

Deeannah Seymour (40:18)

Oh, with one thing, that you are beautiful and you are perfect just the way you are made. 

Brittany (40:38)

I love that. I second that.

Deeannah Seymour (40:43)

Yeah, and there's this quote about comparison and just what a trap you can fall into when you're trying to compare yourself to others. We won't be distracted by comparison when we're captivated by purpose. So remember your purpose for you and because the world needs you just as much as they need everyone else, we need your gifts and talents. So don't compare yourself to what others are bringing to the world because you're uniquely you and your gifts and talents are treasured.

Brittany (41:13)

I love that Dee, it was an absolute pleasure speaking with you on this really important topic that I do feel is very much overlooked. I want to thank you everyone for listening and Dee, for those who get curious about you and where to find you, what information can you provide on that?

Deeannah Seymour (41:30)

Yeah, phdfemininehealth.com is our website and you can also find us on social, TikTok, Instagram. And if you're looking to connect with me, I'm Deannaah on Instagram and Deeannah Seymour on LinkedIn. Would love to connect with you all.

Brittany (41:47)

Amazing. Thank you.

Deeannah Seymour (41:48)

Thank you.