Friends in the best terms With a background in women’s fashion and whose family runs Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics in Taiwan, Sara Jane Ho (you might know her as Mind Your Manners etiquette expert) and Annie Ho wanted to empower women by bringing the wisdom of TCM to an underrepresented market: feminine health. The personal wellness sector as well as Chinese medicine saw rising consumer interest, thus they intended to develop items that would appeal to this growing demand.
Annie and I have been friends for ten years, explains Sara Jane. They got together after Sara Jane was hired by Shanghai Tang, the women’s apparel company Annie was then general manager of, to conduct corporate VIPs manners courses. Annie then served five years as CEO of Stella McCartney for Asia Pacific and then Diesel Jeans for Asia Pacific. Before I emerged with a Netflix show, I was still finishing up my education.
Over TCM, Sara Jane notes, the two really bonded. Annie’s grandpa started TCM clinics in Taiwan during the 1940s, still running today. And I grew up in Hong Kong with herbal remedies following my parents about in pursuit of the greatest TCM doctor. Annie and I still do weekly cupping everything including acupuncture. We wanted to communicate with women in the modern world what makes us happy and healthy using our own business as a vehicle.
We wanted to innovate inside tradition, she explains. We want to respect tradition, not to change it, and apply it to modern life to be part of this movement towards understanding women’s health in a new way. Combining their knowledge of health and lifestyle with their Asian ancestry, they developed a core range of items that are gynecologist-approved and specially designed for the bodies of women.
They introduced Antevorta, the first intimate wellness brand that blends traditional Chinese medicine, feminine empowerment, and intimate care, in the winter of 2024. Their first lineup consisted of four major products: wipes, a washing gel, and a spray. All of them were made with premium, natural ingredients to address issues like irritation, dryness, and odor while also addressing other issues associated to practicing proper feminine hygiene.
Women’s health is sometimes disregarded or undervalued, particularly when it comes to intimacy and sexual health. However, as they become weary of suffering in silence, traditional Chinese medicine’s age-old knowledge can be a potent addition to any care they may already be thinking about.
Women’s Health Care can Benefit from the Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
what is TCM?
For about 2,000 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to diagnose and cure diseases. It approaches holistically instead of considering each organ system or body portion alone. It stems from opposing energies yin and yang as well as from the notion of qi pronounced “chee the energy life force. You feel good when they are in balance; negative health issues are evident when they are out of balance. It is believed that qi either negatively affects the yin and yang and causes disease when it is unable to travel freely or is not balanced across the body.
Usually using acupuncture, herbs, conscious movement like tai chi or qigong, cupping, moxa, or a mix of these, TCM also incorporates Changing our diet and way of life as the seasons change is also an element of promoting health since every one of the five seasons identified in TCM also have their own energies (the fifth season is late summer).
Sara Jane says, “We view TCM as more of a system than a philosophy in life.” Unlike medicine, which you use to treat a condition, it is not truly like that. It truly comes down to prevention. Sometimes these small events in life accumulate and finally cause physical problems that you have to deal with. TCM, then, is more about handling these minor daily tasks before they gather into that major event requiring doctor’s visits.
More women are including these techniques into their self-care regimen as consumer interest in TCM rises and these methods are being employed more frequently in concert with Western medicine treatments.
Viewing women’s health through a TCM perspective
Apart from looking for treatment for health issues that could affect any individual, including stress management, sleep support, immune system optimisation and musculo-skeletal conditions, some of the most frequent reasons women visit a TCM practitioner are pregnancy support, supporting fertility and a healthy menstrual cycle and menopause symptom management.
A licensed naturopathic doctor and hypnotist in Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Katie Rose incorporates acupuncture into her practice. In addition, she founded and serves as CEO of the Brilliant Fertility Program. The speaker explains that TCM rejects Western diagnoses like “menopause” and “infertility,” emphasizing instead that it examines patterns of symptoms in relation to qi obstruction and how qi travels along meridians, which are like channels that span the length of the body.
Three individuals may have been diagnosed with infertility in the West, but a TCM perspective may reveal that each of the three may have a distinct underlying pattern, such as kidney jing deficiency, blood and qi stasis, or spleen qi deficiency. Are infertility, menstrual cycle irregularities and perimenopausal symptoms, says Dr Rose, the most often occurring problems she sees in her clinic.
The most prevalent physical ailments to affect intimacy in the women I encounter in my clinic are painful sex, irregular periods with heavy bleeding or spotting between cycles and vaginal dryness. Still, closeness is more complicated than it seems on first glance. Couples experiencing infertility may find intimacy affected by the urge to have sex at a specific time each month.
Menopause and the natural changes of ageing might lead some people to feel self conscious. Emotions like shame and anxiety can also affect the want to be close. TCM is lovely in that it addresses the entire person—in mind, body, and spirit. Furthermore worth highlighting is that using a TCM approach might provide far more than the five minutes of face-time she spends with her overbooked primary care or gynaecologist.
Five Seasons Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in New York City was founded by acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Sharon Yeung. According to the speaker, Traditional Chinese medicine adopts a holistic approach to health. As such, during a woman’s one-on-one consultation, we will not only address physiological symptoms related to her gynecological history, hormones, and stage of life, but also mental and emotional factors, such as anxiety and depression, past experiences or traumas, relationship circumstances, and the like.
She continues, We also often have cases where we connect the dots between completely various systems of the body i.e. respiratory, digestive, immunological—and observe how symptoms from these areas may be related to a woman’s sexual health. This is a more effective approach to assessment and treatment than treating just one portion of the body. Our perspective on Chinese medicine is very inclusive.
Although it covers every aspect of health, it is sufficiently focused to handle individual issues. To address intimate difficulties, a comprehensive health intake and a clear diagnosis are the best approaches. The most frequent problems with intimacy that we encounter are libido, dry vagina, and orgasm. Physiological difficulties might sometimes be the source of the issue, necessitating the relaxation of tense pelvic floor muscles, hydration of the tissues, enhancement of sexual function, and/or increased vitality.
In other situations, we might use acupuncture and medicines to remove emotional or mental barriers. During our consultation, we may discuss relationship patterns, eating habits, or lifestyle choices that are impairing intimacy. In these cases, we combine Chinese medicine treatment with investigating options for dietary and lifestyle modifications, as well as for seeking out further therapy or support.
According to Yeung, usually, we identify multiple variables to address and together, we come up with a short- and long-term plan to make incremental but sustainable changes in these areas, as opposed to the “one and done” strategy. We also handle gynecological disorders and viral infections because they can significantly impact intimacy.
The majority of presentations are rather subtle, and our goal is to put the puzzle pieces together in order to create a successful treatment strategy. To help in a good energy balance, traditional Chinese medicine might incorporate acupuncture, herbal medicines, conscious movement, and rituals
Identifying Appropriate Materials
Look for well crafted goods and resources and skilled practitioners in this field instead of fearing to be open to healthcare providers or search for solutions to solve problems pertaining to women’s sexual health and intimacy.
Annie advises, “You should use both Western and TCM since both may coexist in your life. For us, it is actually helping you to feel rather positive about your body. Within a TCM system, the sensory component—that is, the preparation of the ingredients—is just as important as the actual intake. There are some customs around how you boil the herbs, how you take it. Therefore, what we are aiming to produce with Antevorta is about the overall experience whereby the way you are using this product is as crucial as the aftermath of the result.
Sara Jane and Annie were heavily involved in the creation of Antevorta’s goods. For instance, they really valued their free from alcohol, parabens, phthalates, artificial perfumes, dyes, sulphates, silicones, mineral oils. Annie notes, “Antevorta really comes from our hearts.” It is flavoured with actual love and desire. I suppose that carries on our consumers as well, and maybe they will experience love using our items.
Yeung advises looking for a TCM practitioner “you might want to seek a practitioner who specialises in women’s health if gynaecological symptoms involved.” Many practitioners may provide a brief complementary phone consultation to help you decide whether or not you connect and feel at ease with the clinician. You might wish to find out how they would approach your presentation and whether they have handled your situation before. While some practitioners are also educated in herbal medicine, others utilise acupuncture by itself. You might choose to specify the instruments at your disposal.
Dr. Rose says, “Always be sure you are dealing with a credentialed provider.” Investigating their website will assist you find out whether they focus on the problem you are worried about. Look up internet reviews and don’t hesitate to probe inquiries like, “How long have you been in practice?” Do you provide treatment to a lot of folks experiencing what I am? In a treatment, what should I anticipate? How feasible would a timetable be to see changes? See how you feel when you have a provider around. I want to leave patients feeling powerful and safe. If you feel rushed, gaslit, or uncomfortable with your interaction, keep searching for someone who will listen and support you in standing in your power.