The at-home test helping women take control of menopause
Health05.05.2025
When Marion Ulmann moved to Canada, she was struck by what was missing.
After two decades working in women’s health, pharmaceuticals, and abortion care in the U.S., the Paris-born executive was surprised by the limited selection of healthcare products available to women in Canada – especially when it came to managing their own health.
“I feel like we’re missing a lot in terms of care, and women are often the ones underserved,” she said. “We deserve to have tools that help us advocate for ourselves better.”
That belief led her to launch 49Care, a Canadian pharmaceutical company focused on improving women’s health by introducing innovative, easy-to-access products to market.
Its latest release is helping change how women navigate one of the most misunderstood stages of their lives: menopause.
Getting women answers
Ask any woman who has dealt with menopause or perimenopause, and they’ll likely tell you a similar story: the feeling that their concerns are minimized, their symptoms waved away, and their understanding of their own bodies dismissed.
“For me and so many of my friends, it started with fatigue,” she explains. “You’re exhausted, something feels off, and you start to wonder – is this menopause? Is this normal? Am I just tired?”
But when women turn to their doctors for answers, they are often met with indifference.
“The reaction was almost always the same: ‘You’re fine. It’s natural. Don’t worry.’ But it didn’t feel fine,” said Ulmann.
That was the motivation behind bringing SELF Menopause to Canada, the country’s first Health Canada-approved at-home menopause test.
Similar to a pregnancy test, the SELF kit can be used in the privacy of your own home and includes three urine tests to measure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), a key biomarker in menopause. With a 99 per cent accuracy rate, the test is now hitting pharmacy shelves nationwide.
“With the test, it gives you that reassurance that no, you’re not crazy!” explained Ulmann, adding that the test is, of course, not meant to replace medical care or advice.
“It’s then easier to start a conversation with your doctor about next steps because you feel like you have something to advocate with.”
Helping is the mandate
Beyond menopause, 49Care is also behind a growing list of products that empower people to manage sensitive health issues on their own terms – from a pelvic pain TENS machine to an at-home fertility test for men and women, and a pain-free IUD.
“So many of these issues can be difficult for people to address or talk about, even at the doctor’s office,” said Ulmaan. “We’re looking to give everyone the privacy and opportunity to explore their health on their own terms.”
Now two years old, 49Care remains a small but determined team with big plans to keep filling the gaps in women’s care.
“We’re really hoping to grow and to continue to find products that can really help people,” she said. “The goal is to make the products available and help women because that’s what matters the most for us.”
