Meet May Allen | CEO of a women’s healthcare company

We had the good fortune of connecting with May Allen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi May, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
It’s tempting to build a business that addresses a problem that you personally identify with. As a 41 year old woman, I understand firsthand the challenges around seeking healthcare that’s tailored to my needs as a woman. But I think it’s important to continuously expand my vision. I’m always asking myself, how can expand my vision? How can I help more women in the United States? How can I help more women across the globe?

What should our readers know about your business?
Interlude was founded in 2022 with the mission of making sexual health accessible so that more women can live pain-free. Since then, Interlude has treated thousands of women across all 50 US states. Our caring MDs and GYNs are trained to provide care for the more than 60 million women in the United States who are affected by postmenopausal vaginal atrophy (also known as the genitourinary syndrome of menopause). Patients can access effective treatment for their health goals, whether they’re dealing with vaginal dryness, incontinence, frequent UTIs, or painful sex.

When asking my mom about life as a post-menopausal woman, I was frustrated to learn how difficult and costly it was to access care for common vaginal and urinary concerns. Over-the-counter treatments deliver inadequate results. Prescription treatments like topical estrogen are highly effective—but involve long waits to see a GYN, poor understanding of treatment options, high copay fees, and astronomical markup at the pharmacy.

I knew this was a problem that I wanted to solve – not just for my mom, but for my friends who are entering the perimenopause years when menopause symptoms begin. One of the challenges when starting our healthcare company was that many investors thought that menopause was too niche. I think we’re starting to see that this attitude is just a reflection of the status quo, and the status quo isn’t addressing the needs of women in this life stage.

We built our healthcare service because menopause is a real, physical, and biological event experienced by women across every culture and background. It is not a mere psychological or individualized issue. Symptoms can begin in your 30s or 40s in the perimenopause years, and can disrupt your work life, intimate life, everyday comfort, and overall health.

Despite the huge need for menopause care, only 31% of OBGYN training programs offer formal menopause education. That means nearly 70% of OBGYNs are not receiving training on how to support women in menopause.

I got to where I am because I believed the anecdotes from people like my mom, and I believed the research that points to large gaps in healthcare for women in this stage of life. Through anecdotes and data, I knew it was a huge problem and a huge opportunity. In building the company, we ignored the feedback from investors that menopause was too niche. We even went more niche within menopause. We focused on just a narrow range of menopause symptoms to start. This allowed us to really perfect the patient experience before expanding in 2024 to other menopause concerns like hot flashes and weight gain.

I want women to know that menopause is coming, but the senseless suffering is ending. The medical system can be built to serve women and their unique needs in perimenopause, menopause, and what comes after. Women should be proactive about their health, advocate for the care they deserve, and seek out evidence-based resources. As the medical system evolves and recognizes the unique healthcare needs of women, we can look forward to a future where gender disparities in healthcare become a thing of the past.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1: Explore Downtown LA near our offices. Breakfast at Zinc Cafe followed by a visit to The Broad. Pop into art galleries in the Arts District. Dinner at Bestia.

Day 2: Visit the Getty Center and have a picnic snack with friends on the lawn. Head to Santa Monica for dinner at Shahrzad Persian Cuisine

Day 3: Morning surf at Topanga Beach. Lunch at Cholada Thai. Dodger’s game in the evening.

Day 4: San Jacinto Day Trip
Wake up at sunrise and drive to Palm Springs to hike the breathtaking Cactus to Clouds trail.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my friend Tatiana Taylor Salisbury. Tatiana grew up in Los Angeles, and we met while students at Stanford. Her work focuses on improving mental health outcomes for young women during pregnancy and the first year after birth. In the realm of global challenges, there are few challenges greater than women’s health, and Tatiana’s work is inspiring to me because her research is not only about co-designing solutions with local communities, she’s also looking at how to scale this approach globally.

Website: https://getinterlude.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getinterlude/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayallen/