Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Sex Tech Crowds Played It Coy at CES 2021 Virtual Summit

  • The Hottest Parody Sex Games of 2021

  • That Time I Saw Moaning Sexbots at an Adult Expo [VIDEO]

  • Sex Tech Hackers Will Get ‘Touchy-Feely’ at Virtual Event This Weekend

  • How Learning from 2020 Can Give Us Sexier, Healthier Sex Lives in 2021

  • Designers Unveil Wildly Creative Fashions for Pandemic Living

  • This Stroker Gives Female-like Orgasms to Trans People and Men

  • Lora DiCarlo Responds to WOW Tech Group’s ‘Pleasure Air Technology’ Patent Claims

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Sex Tech > Q & A: How Estrella Jaramillo Is Taking Women’s Sexual Health Out of the Shadows

Sex Tech
Home›Sex Tech›Q & A: How Estrella Jaramillo Is Taking Women’s Sexual Health Out of the Shadows

Q & A: How Estrella Jaramillo Is Taking Women’s Sexual Health Out of the Shadows

By Jenna Owsianik, Editor-in-Chief of FutureofSex.net
August 18, 2018
3131
1

The sex tech expert gets candid about her journey in the industry.

Research shows 30% of women experience pain during sexual intercourse. What's worse is that many of them don't tell their partners when it hurts, making it nearly impossible to fix any underlying problems.

The state of medical research and its unbalanced focus on male sexual pleasure over female sexual pain doesn't help either. A recent review of PubMed revealed there are nearly five times more clinical studies on erectile dysfunction than painful conditions affecting women's sex lives. It's about time the health community started taking women's sexual health more seriously.

But where it has failed, sex tech expert Estrella Jaramillo has stepped in. After growing up in the south of Spain, she eventually moved to Madrid and began working in the field of women's health, maternity, and social entrepreneurship. Upon meeting likeminded friends similarly concerned about the lack of focus on women's sexual health, together they launched the B-wom app.

I spoke with Estrella over email to learn more about what's inspired her to take this entrepreneurial journey, as well as the personal and outside challenges she's battled along the way.

If you are comfortable doing so, can you share more about the trauma you experienced in the health system and how that has informed your work now?

Estrella: The truth is that it was a series of disappointing intimate and sexual health-related experiences that made it very clear to me that: (1) Our approach to health needs to change drastically, and (2) Women's health, particularly sexual health, has been neglected for far too long.

Also, I found it extremely frustrating to experience how women’s sexuality is suppressed and judged negatively by society, while it is encouraged in men. So approaching gender equality from the perspective of helping women feel healthy and comfortable in their bodies and sexual health just fuels my passion every day.

What does B-wom do and when did you start the company?

Estrella: B-wom is a digital coach that offers personalized programs for women’s intimate and sexual health. Our users take a test and receive an evaluation and a personalized care program with habits, guided pelvic floor exercises, tips, actionable recommendations, educational contents addressing their needs, and a tracking tool to see the evolution.

For instance, if you are experiencing discomfort during sex, besides suggesting seeing a specialist, we would provide you with daily tips and exercises to improve your symptoms, and you can track whether sex is painful or pleasurable and when. You can learn a lot about yourself by tracking and understanding your symptoms.

We launched in the summer of 2015 in Spain, then expanded to South America, then to North America because we saw a great response from the market. And then I came to the US!

What's been the biggest challenge you've faced starting a sex tech company?

Estrella: As with any startup venture, there’s no shortage of challenges! There’s still a lot of awareness raising to be done about these women’s health issues, their causes and how to prevent. But especially we need to understand that they matter. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” mentality around sex is not working, so we need to have a conversation.

We want all women to be in charge of their health and to feel good. We want sexual health to be taken seriously: better sex ed from an earlier age, better support for the woman during her postpartum recovery so that she can have a fulfilling sexual life after having babies, and better solutions for the menopause period.

I constantly have to explain that we don’t work with a niche public, that all women experience some of the problems we help with at different points of their lives, they just don’t feel invited to discuss them or are told that there aren’t solutions.

What is the most important lesson you've learned and do you have any advice for others trying to get into sex tech?

Estrella: First, don’t let anyone try to convince you that what you are doing is not solving a pain that people are waiting to get a solution for. I’ve heard this even 200k users in.

Secondly, become comfortable with the fact that your discourse will make others uncomfortable—that is ok.
And last, but not least, fasten your seatbelts!

What keeps you up at night?

Estrella: Currently, too many things. First of all, I’m getting more involved in doing advocacy for better maternal and birth care, because women are still dying during childbirth (especially women of color), when most deaths could be prevented.

Secondly, pushing the conversation of gender equality: There is still too much to do. Women are still judged negatively by society if they are assertive. They are still judged based on their expressing their sexuality. The fact that people don’t say certain things out loud anymore, doesn’t mean that we are being evaluated by the same standard. And also, just offering people better preventive and continued care that is affordable.

What has been the biggest surprise you've encountered working in sex tech? Or did any preconceptions you may have held about the space get shattered?

Estrella: Honestly, the biggest surprise was probably to discover my own limiting beliefs. It’s been a journey, and it’s been overwhelming at times but one of the most enriching experiences I’ve had. I didn’t have any pre-existing beliefs about the sex tech community, but I definitely was happy to discover that is full of pretty special people.

Every founder of a sex tech company, from Mia Davis (TalkTabú), Suzanne Sinatra (Private Packs), Alex Fine (Dame Products), Polly Claire (Unbound) …They all are trying to help people, and specifically many women, feel sexually empowered, and ultimately this means feeling included, supported and accepted, independently of how you chose to experience your sexuality.

Image sources: Estrella Jaramillio/B-wom

Jenna Owsianik

Jenna Owsianik is a Canadian journalist and sex tech expert. Since 2014 she has been Editor-in-Chief of FutureofSex.net, the world’s leading publication on how technology is changing human sexuality, today and tomorrow.

Jenna is the primary author of the Future of Sex Report (2016).

Her expertise covers state-of-the-art sex technologies and the major fields driving innovations in intimacy: robotics, virtual reality, remote sex (teledildonics), immersive adult entertainment, human augmentation, virtual sex, and sexual health.

A trained journalist with a Masters of Journalism from The University of British Columbia, Jenna’s reporting has appeared on Futurism.com, Al Jazeera English, CTV British Columbia online, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS 60 Minutes, Global News, and CKNW Radio in Canada and the United States.

As a sex tech industry consultant, she is especially passionate about helping companies deliver accessible services and products to people with disabilities and other underserved communities.

Jenna also runs the sites SexforEveryBody.com, a sex-positive, body-positive online magazine that promotes inclusive sex education; and DisabledSexGuide.com, an adult resource on sex, disability, and erotica.

In 2013, Jenna won two Canadian Online Publishing Awards for her work on The Pain Project, a multimedia site on global access to palliative care.

She won second place at the 2011 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism’s Public Health category for her participation in the documentary Freedom From Pain.

Jenna has an Honors BA in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research as well as a French minor from The University of Western Ontario. She spent a year studying at L’Université Lumière Lyon 2 in Lyon, France.
Previous Article

The Hidden World of Online Kink Communities

Next Article

Money, Sex and Power: Can Sex Tech ...

Related articles More from author

  • Sex Tech

    Introducing Fin: Kickstarter’s First Sex Toy

    November 8, 2016
    By M. Christian
  • Sex Tech

    Brexit: An Uncertain Future for Sex Tech in Britain

    December 9, 2016
    By Future of Sex
  • Sex Tech

    Tantra Punk Podcast: Exploring the Future of Sex Tech with Jenna Owsianik

    June 4, 2018
    By Future of Sex
  • Sex Tech

    STD Rates Quietly Spiking as Fewer People Are Tested, Warn Health Officials

    June 12, 2020
    By Sponsored Post
  • Lora DiCarlo
    RobotsSex Tech

    Female-led Sex Tech Company, Once Banned from CES, Wins 2 Awards at 2020 Show

    February 2, 2020
    By Sarah Paigee
  • Remote SexSex Tech

    Stripchat Partners with Psychologist to Crush Anti-Masturbation Shame

    December 2, 2019
    By Marcus K. Dowling

  • Immersive EntertainmentVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    Virtual Sex Game Red Light Center Launches VR World

  • Sex Tech

    Larkin Love Explains How the Adult Clip Industry is ‘Female-friendly’ [VIDEO]

  • Virtual Sex & EntertainmentVR Porn

    VR Sex Expo Causes Massive Crowd and Chaos in Tokyo

  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Most Realistic Sex Games You Can Play [UPDATED]

    0
  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    Review of the Best Massively Multiplayer Online Sex Games

    0
  • Sex Games for Mac

    The Best Sex Games for Mac

    0
  • Best Sex Game Apps for Couples

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples for 2020 [Updated]

    0
  • The Best RPG Sex Games of 2020

    0

Like Us on Facebook

Latest Tweets

  • “CES is getting more comfortable with seeing that sex tech companies are not trying to display vulgar images or pro… https://t.co/BPszgA8D6r

    Jan 26, 2021
  • It's time to dive into these parody sex games and become a sexual legend. #cyberpunk #GrandTheftAuto… https://t.co/J5owQWPph5

    Jan 24, 2021
  • Reminiscing about seeing love doll technology in person via Future of Sex footage. https://t.co/XJXSxJdJLg #sexbots

    Jan 23, 2021
  • Who knew face shields and helmets could be so erotic? 😉 Be safe and stylish in these wonderfully outlandish outfit… https://t.co/4JbTZjq5QC

    Jan 22, 2021
  • “Talking about sex toys and how they are designed is a great example of how (digital) technologies are not neutral.… https://t.co/pZWxMKAgU6

    Jan 21, 2021
Follow @futureofsex

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas?
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2020 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary