Who is Parla?
Parla is a digital women’s health platform. Driven by a desire to break taboos and end misinformation, Parla aims to empower women with the knowledge they need to make informed choices that will help them lead happier and healthier lives.
Through their expert-led programmes, Parla supports women through every reproductive life stage – from endometriosis and infertility to pregnancy loss and menopause – with a focus on nourishing the mind, as well as the body.
Parla works with endometriosis charities to support endometriosis education, research, and patient care.
Q.) When did you start Parla and what was the inspiration behind it?
A.) I founded Parla in 2019. My personal fertility struggle and pregnancy loss is what inspired me to start the business. I struggled for over 3 years to have my family – I experienced trouble conceiving and several pregnancy losses. That journey made me acutely aware of how isolating it can be when you struggle with fertility, how reactive our health care system can be and how very little support is given to women’s wellbeing.
I founded Parla with the mission to improve women’s access to trusted support so that they can feel more empowered and in control so they can be pro-active about their reproductive health and wellbeing.
Q.) How did the term Parla get coined?
A.) Parla is a play on “speaking”. We want to break taboos and change the narrative around reproductive health so that it’s more inclusive, empowering, and empathetic.
Q.) What do you find people come to you the most for?
A.) For trusted health and wellness support to improve their reproductive health journey across all reproductive life stages, from period, fertility to the menopause. We connect women with experts in nutrition, fertility, and mental health so they can get holistic support as they navigate their journey in an empathetic and empowering way.
Q.) What does empowerment mean to you?
A.) Feeling knowledgeable, confident and happy with yourself!
Q.) What advice would you give to a person who identifies as a woman struggling with their health?
A.) Trust that you know your body best, seek the knowledge from experts and arm yourself with as much information so that you feel confident in making choices. Know you’re not alone, many women struggle with reproductive health challenges but because it’s so taboo, we usually suffer in silence. Don’t be afraid to share your experience as you’ll be surprised how many people will speak up and support you!
What you need to know about Parla and H&B
Parla is on a mission to improve women’s health and wellness, along with access to care and support. Here at H&B, our vision is to be the trusted wellness partner for 100m people by 2025, helping them achieve their personal wellness goals. To do this, we want to shine a light and raise awareness for areas of healthcare that are underserved and need support, which unfortunately includes women’s health.
From the first period, through to conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), fertility, pregnancy, or loss we’re building on our 50-year to help women achieve better wellness and access to the advice, information, and products that they need. That’s why in 2022 H&B acquired Parla.
Parla is the first-ever virtual support system to improve women’s health and wellbeing across the reproductive lifespan. It provides a safe and trusted space supporting ongoing informed conversation and scientific insights around women’s health and fertility experiences. Parla offers holistic, personalised care for a range of challenges including endometriosis, PCOS and pregnancy loss. Participants join cohort-based learning programmes, which help bring together women who may have been through similar experiences and connect them with experts in fertility, psychology, nutrition, and wellbeing.
Parla aims to tackle major underserved wellness needs that impact tens of millions of women around the world. Women who have experienced endometriosis, PCOS or pregnancy loss often struggle with where to turn. One in ten women in the UK currently suffer with endometriosis and PCOS, and one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage. Holland & Barrett and Parla have a shared mission to make these topics more socialised, through their novel cohort-based model to address mental wellness through conversation, community, and expert support.
Find out more about Parla today or you can download their app.
