Ovira launches a natural device that tackles period pain 

Say goodbye to period and endometriosis pain with Ovira.

Meet Ovira, a female-led, Australian start-up that’s here to try and solve your period pain problems. It’s natural, drug-free, non-invasive and discreet. Lean in, sweet uterus-owner, lean in. 

Ovira’s name is a portmanteau of the words ovaries and Eirene, the Greek God of peace. And that’s what it is – a symbol for peaceful ovaries.

Ovira is a pocket-sized device that is designed to be worn under clothing. Using transcutaneous electrical nerve therapy (TENS), commonly known as pulse therapy, it vows to instantly rid the wearer of pain caused by menstruation and endometriosis. 

The treatment works by stimulating the nerves it comes into contact with. Low-level pulses of electric vibrations then overload the brain’s pain receptors, providing pain relief. Your body won’t build up a tolerance to it either, meaning you can use it long-term. While revolutionary in the uterus space, it’s been commonly used for women in labour, cancer patients and in aiding muscle recovery.  

In 2018, endometriosis was the most googled women’s health term. This debilitating disease in which the tissues that normally line the uterus grow on the outside of the organ affects one in 10 women globally.  

Ovira’s founder, Alice Williams, is no stranger to this. The-27-year-old is an endometriosis sufferer. After years of searching for appropriate pain management options, Williams grew tired of the answers she was receiving from doctors and specialists. 

“I was constantly met with the same stock-standard responses: it was either the contraceptive pill, strong painkillers or surgery. But all of these treatment methods carry with them their own risks,” explains Alice.

“I felt isolated, unheard and fed up… So, after trying [TENS] out and finding out that it works, there was this huge sense of, obviously euphoria, but also this massive sense of betrayal that this option was out there but it really hadn’t been brought to light.” 

Now, Alice isn’t alone. Ovira has just successfully closed a $1.5 million backing from Blackbird, an Australian and New Zealand venture capital fund. 

“Ovira leverages an existing therapy in a new and innovative way and is building a community around the historical lack of focus placed on this very important element of women’s health and wellbeing,” says Blackbird partner Rick Baker.

The lack of funding for women’s health is not new information. Neither is the way menstruation is viewed and talked about. But the issue that underlies these attitudes is something more sinister – it’s the minimisation of women and their pain. 

“For too long, there’s just been this quiet assumption that period pain is a part of life. Ovira isn’t just a pain-relief product, it’s a community where women can be empowered, both physically and emotionally,” Alice says. 

“Last week we got a message from a customer who said we saved her from going to the hospital once a month. Nothing gives you energy more than hearing that. It kind of becomes addictive – you just want to do that for more and more women.” 

Ovira has been CE Marked (Certification Europe), TGA registered (Therapeutic Goods Australia) and FDA Approved (Food and Drug Administration), meaning it is safe across Australia, Europe and the United States. It’s available for $149 and if you have private health insurance, you can claim the product cost back. Ovira offer free shipping and free 100-day returns.

ovira.com/