Meet The Female Founders Revolutionising the Condom Industry

We interview Hanx founders Sarah and Farah on their journey into the sexual health industry, and how they’re making condoms chic with their digital first and subscription based approach

What was your inspiration to start Hanx?

Sarah: “There’s definitely still awkwardness around open, honest chats about sex. Sexual health, STIs, intimate health and reproduction: all too often, they’re approached in a way that leaves everyone involved feeling embarrassed or none the wiser. This perpetuates taboos, stereotypes and myths, making people less likely to access help or improve their sexual health. Walking down the aisles in chemists – it was labelled as ‘family planning’, the products were garish, penis-focused and really didn’t speak to contemporary attitude towards sex and our bodies. We knew there was a gap in the market for condoms and lubricant designed for women’s bodies and pleasure.”

Why do you think condoms have been male focused for so long?

Farah: “The lack of female-focused products is partially down to mainstream brands holding market share for so long that they haven’t needed to innovate. Alongside that, there are still lingering attitudes around women’s sexual desire and behaviour that pigeonhole buying condoms as something a man does, but contemporary women are hugely engaged with their sexual and intimate health. Whether for protection against pregnancy, STIs or both, women are buying condoms – we just aren’t being considered in the product development or marketing departments. That creates a huge opportunity for female-focused brand to give women what they really want.”

You started with your signature vegan condoms, and now you have branched out into all areas of sexual wellness. What has been the toughest product to develop?

Sarah: “Initially, the condom was the trickiest product to develop. When we started Hanx, we were experts in our respective fields of finance and medicine, but had never developed condoms before (like most people). As a medical device, there are strict regulations involved, so we learnt a lot from the outset! Not only this, but we had a strict criterion we needed the product to meet, so many, manufacturers were unable to fulfill our request. We turned up to our first factory visit in heels and quickly were given lab coats! It took a long time to even get our foot in the door to speak to manufacturers, as most just didn’t understand what we were going for with our product or weren’t willing to work with two women looking for a relatively small volume of stock versus the usual orders they’d take. Finally, we found a brilliant partner who totally bought into Hanx from the beginning and from there, it’s been mostly plain sailing.”

What challenges have you faced?

Farah: “Trust is central to people’s relationship with sexual health essentials. From the start, we focused on getting our foot in the door with major UK retailers to reach customers, build brand awareness and cement our authority in the market. Many have long buying windows, so the chance to meet with buyers and sell in your product comes around just once a year. It’s especially difficult in sexual health and wellness as you’re working to shift preconceptions around a ‘taboo’ category. However, with the help of amazing buyers who have seen the opportunity and want to bring something new and exciting to their customers, we’re now proudly stocked in 2.5k retail doors throughout the UK with Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and WHSmith.”

It was a bold move to introduce a subscription for condoms… What was your thought behind this?

Farah: “No one likes being caught out without a condom on a date and dashing to the corner shop at 11pm kills the mood slightly… Our customers want convenience – they have their pet food delivered by Butternut Box, their deodorant refills scheduled in with Fussy – and they love our brand! It made total sense to launch a subscription for our condoms and lube, as it’s totally customised to your sex life.”

Sarah, you have a background as a gynaecologist. How did that aid you in knowing what a great condom is!?

“It might seem unlikely, but it was really useful when we were in production stages. Before Hanx, I worked in the NHS specialising in gynaecology and saw firsthand the rise in hard-to-treat STIs in women, and soreness from inadequate condoms and lube. This experience really helped us to develop Hanx condoms as I was able to nix unnecessary ingredients which can cause irritation or contribute to UTIs, such as glycerin which can cause thrush.”

Sarah, what facts do you think women (mainly) in particular should be aware of with their intimate health?

“Many products formulated for vaginal health actually play into negative misconceptions and stigma about women’s bodies. Vaginal deodorant (sounds like a joke, but it really exists!), douches and highly perfumed washes can all irritate the vagina and disrupt the delicate natural balance. You don’t need to soap up your vagina, as it’s essentially self-cleaning. Fresh water is really all you need, but if you do want a little extra help, go for non-scented, hypoallergenic, sensitive soap and use it externally only.”

As female founders, I’m super Interested to know how you both met and came to form the idea of Hanx?

Farah: “Sarah and I have actually been friends since school – we met over a bunsen burner! We’ve always got together to vent about the things we want to change in the world. One afternoon over a glass of wine, we were bemoaning our personal experiences with condoms and some of the horror stories from Sarah’s time in the NHS. We realised that the standard product offering on the shelves just wasn’t speaking to women. For a start, it featured garish, stereotypically ‘masculine,’ penis-centric messaging that made us feel like an afterthought in the equation (and embarrassed to be seen slipping them into our shopping basket). The product itself wasn’t working for us either, with many of the mainstream brands using ingredients including glycerin as a lubricant, which can cause vaginal yeast infections. We decided it was time for sexual wellness products designed with women’s needs in mind, with the ultimate aim of empowering people to own their sexuality.”

Farah, your background is in investment banking. What spoke to you with this investment opportunity?

“Femcare is a $30bn opportunity – and within that, there are so many areas that are ripe for innovation and investment. Alongside sexual wellness, we know that vast sections of the population are experiencing major life phases such as pregnancy and menopause, and have specific needs which the products on market simply don’t address. There’s a huge opportunity for a brand which can meet women on that journey, speak to them in a real and relatable way (as we’re going through many of the same things!) and provide innovative, considered products that outstrip old school products on shelf.”

In your 2017 interview with Insider, you noted that Hanx has a ‘stylish design that you’re proud to purchase, carry and use’. Why was this important to you?

Farah: “Why should sexual wellness products look so different from cult beauty and lifestyle products? We know that whilst 73% of singles use condoms as their choice of contraception, 54% admit having had sex without one as they didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up beforehand. We wanted to tackle every single aspect of the condom experience that makes it shameful, and packaging is a big part of that. Our outer boxes are deliberately minimalist, refined and beautiful enough to sit on your bathroom shelf or bedside table (rather than being stuffed in a drawer of the bottom of your bag). When The Guardian said our products wouldn’t look out of place next to Charlotte Tilbury and Glossier, we knew our job was done!”

I’ve seen that Hanx now offer contraceptive pills. That is such a milestone! Why was it important to have these available and easily accessible?

Sarah: “We launched Hanx Fix: Pill in response to our customers’ contraceptive journey, many of whom transition from condoms to the pill when moving into a committed relationship. Demand on sexual health and GP services was high even pre-COVID, and with the current backlog, it makes it incredibly difficult to access appointments for hormonal contraception when you need it. We saw the need for a digital service that focuses on convenience, with no need to struggle to get a GP appointment, same-day-dispatch and delivery straight to your door. It’s a game-changing moment for Hanx, and a real signifier of our intentions to holistically address women’s healthcare journey on a broader scale.

Whilst working in NHS sexual health clinics, I saw first-hand the difficulties people face trying to access or change their pill. We wanted to create an accessible service that offers control, knowledge and choice to those who want to use the pill. Many people struggle to navigate jargon involved in dispensing hormonal contraception, so cannot vouch for what they really need from their pill. For instance, the emergency contraceptive pill has a long shelf life of up to three years.

Traditionally, it’s been been marketed as a product with a very tight timeline (up to 72 hours) to obtain and use following unprotected sex. We felt that the ability to order the morning after pill and have it on hand in case of future use, helps remove last minute panic. Many people face very real stigma when attempting to access it in person in pharmacies, so additional choice and discretion in this area is a hugely positive step forward for the contraceptive landscape.”

What was the decision process in making the condoms vegan?

Sarah: “We were determined to formulate our condoms without unnecessary chemicals, and for the ingredients to be as sustainable as possible. We know that many of our customers, if not fully vegan, are keen to pursue plant-based options where possible and it made total sense to us that we should use an animal-friendly alternative to the commonly used ingredient, casein. Lots of people don’t realise that there are animal byproducts in sexcare products – there’s even beeswax in some lubricants (not ours!). It’s all part of a journey towards greater transparency and empowering our community to know exactly what’s going on/in their bodies.”

What is a random fact about condoms you found out through your development process?

Sarah: “Contraception was a class issue when they became popular in the 18th century here in the UK. The prohibitive cost meant only available the middle and upper classes could afford them, but there was also a lack of education around sexual health for the lower classes, too. For sex workers of the time, the cost of a condom could be 3 months worth of work – which just wasn’t accessible for all.”