Vol. 3 Modern Fertility | The Option of "Knowing Yourself" Before Trying to Conceive

You can view the Modern Fertility official website introduced today here.

1 | Before being rushed by the term "fertility treatment"

Recently, I've often come across the term "fertility treatment."

Age, egg count, ovarian age, AMH.
Type it into a search bar, and information floods in.

But much of it,
"You should hurry"
"You should act now"
Sometimes feels like it carries a sense of urgency.

When I was 27, I had just finished my PhD in London and started working at a VC fund.
My head was full of career thoughts, and pregnancy and childbirth were "someday" topics.

Yet, deep down, I felt it.

How much time do I have left?

That's when I encountered Modern Fertility, an at-home hormone testing kit.

Today, I want to write not about fertility treatment or infertility,
but about the option of "getting to know yourself before fertility treatment."

2 | What is Modern Fertility? | At-home hormone testing

Modern Fertility is a femtech company from the United States.

You collect a small blood sample from your fingertip at home and mail it in.
Then, hormone levels like AMH can be checked online.

In short,

It's not a diagnostic tool to determine "if you can get pregnant,"
but an at-home hormone test to understand "the current state of your body."

It's not just for people undergoing fertility treatment.

• People who haven't yet decided if they want to get pregnant in the future
• People considering egg freezing
• People who have started thinking about the timing of their career and childbirth

I felt that the essence of this service is that it's not "just for those who want to get pregnant immediately."

3 | What is AMH testing for? — A new perspective on pre-pregnancy hormone testing

AMH testing itself is not new technology.
It's also available at clinics in Japan.

However, traditionally, it was often discussed in the context of:

• Part of infertility treatment
• Pre-marital check-ups
• Confirming "whether one's body can get pregnant"

Modern Fertility presented a completely different question:

"Whose data is this for?"

Not for a partner, not for family,
but "data for women themselves to make future decisions."

This perspective was shocking to me at the time.

4 | What's new? | Three transformations

1. Testing outside the clinic

Discussions about pregnancy and infertility are strongly linked to the hospital setting.
But Modern Fertility brought testing "into everyday life."
This not only offered convenience but also significantly lowered psychological barriers.

2. Design for "active interpretation" of data

Results can be viewed online, and comprehensive explanatory content is provided.
It's not just about providing numbers;
the "process of understanding" is also designed.

3. Presenting "options" instead of "diagnoses"

This test doesn't determine the future. But,
it can transform "the anxiety of imagining without knowing"
into "material for thought."
This philosophy was revolutionary.

5 | Dr. Amina's perspective | Why I was so drawn to it

At the time, I strongly wanted to invest in this company.

But many of the investment team were men, and
the question "Why is it necessary?" was repeatedly asked.

That question is valid.
However, there was a slight disconnect from the feelings of those who, as women, possess a female body.

I felt this:

This isn't about "can I get pregnant?"
It's about "how do I want to live?" and making that decision myself.

There's the option to prioritize a career at 25,
the option to consider freezing at 30,
and the option to do nothing.

But all of these,
might offer a bit more freedom than a state of "not knowing."

This experience became one of the origins for launching fermata.

6 | Considering at-home hormone testing in Japan?

In Japan, the number of hormone testing kits has also been increasing recently.

However,

• Sample management and medical collaboration
• The manner of expression
• Counseling support for accepting results

etc., require careful planning.

And above all, in Japan, there is still a cultural atmosphere where
"discussions about pregnancy are somewhat taboo"
"thinking too much leads to anxiety."

That's why I believe this isn't a question of "whether it will become popular," but rather,

"whether it's a society where thinking is permitted."

7 | Towards the future | Measuring is not about being bound

Words like hormone testing and AMH can sometimes be associated with pressure.

But I view it this way:

Measuring is not about being evaluated.
Measuring is about having "material to think about your own future, in your own words."

Modern Fertility does not guarantee pregnancy.

However,
I felt the power of knowing "that options exist" at that time.

Before being rushed by the term "fertility treatment."
Before feeling anxious.

The choice to quietly understand your own body, just once.

Perhaps that's not about rushing the future,
but about carefully considering the future.

Next time, I'd like to delve a bit deeper into the new trend of "non-invasive hormone measurement."