Maura Health: Breaking Hormone Health Taboos in Mexico | Blush & Bloom Podcast | Ep. 56

On this week's Blush & Bloom, Gigi Kenneth sits down with Adriane Carriola, CEO of Maura Health, a hormone health coach and former clinical naturopath based in Mexico. Adriane is also the host of the Poder Real podcast and part of Femtech Mexico. Her case is clear: hormonal health education in Latin America should be everyday, accessible and free of shame, starting in schools and reaching all the way into boardrooms.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why Adriane moved from one-to-one practice as a clinical naturopath to building Maura Health
• Her own hormonal journey through PCOS, infertility and menopause-like symptoms
• How the Poder Real podcast takes the conversation out of the coaching room
• The most common hormone health myths she hears
• How cultural attitudes in Mexico shape the way women learn about their bodies
• Why hormonal health is an issue of productivity and equity at work
• How femtech in Mexico and Latin America differs from Europe and the US
• Her vision for hormonal education in schools, and what she would tell her 15-year-old self

From one-to-one care to Maura Health

In her practice, Adriane met hundreds of women who arrived with the same feeling: no one understood them, they had been told it was all in their head, and they felt broken. She realised this was the reality for millions of women, not one patient's problem. Her question became how to go from helping dozens to helping thousands, and the answer was technology. Maura Health grew out of that wish to multiply both the voice and the support.

Her motivation is also personal. Adriane went through major hormonal changes and a difficult journey with infertility due to PCOS, including treatments and surgeries that gave her symptoms very similar to menopause. It showed her how little she had been taught about her own body.

What is Maura Health?

Maura Health offers conversational hormonal health support for women in Latin America, with or without a diagnosis. It works through WhatsApp, so there is no separate app to download: women describe what they are experiencing, and Maura helps them track their signals, understand patterns, learn about their bodies and arrive better prepared for medical appointments. Maura offers education and observational support; it does not diagnose, prescribe treatment or replace healthcare professionals. Beyond the chat, Maura brings the conversation to schools, companies and public spaces through workshops and campaigns, and builds community through voice on the Poder Real podcast.

What are the most common hormone health myths?

The first myth Adriane hears is that being a woman means suffering. Pain, exhaustion and mood swings get normalised as inevitable, and women grow up hearing "that's just how it is." The second is that hormonal health is only about reproduction, menstruation, fertility and desire. In reality, hormones affect energy, sleep, memory, skin, digestion and emotions.

How do cultural attitudes shape women's health in Mexico?

Adriane says Mexican and Latin American culture is full of myths and misinformation about the female body, and there is still shame around talking about menstruation, menopause and hormones. Girls often learn more from friends or the internet than from their mothers or school, and many women reach menopause with no idea what is happening. That is why Maura is careful with language, avoiding anything that shames, labels or discriminates.

Why is hormonal health a workplace issue?

When Adriane raises hormonal health in national forums and business spaces, the first reaction is surprise. Most people have never seen it as a matter of productivity or equity. Once she shows how unmanaged menopause affects productivity, the conversation shifts from personal to social and economic. She argues that employers need flexible policies, wellbeing programmes that include hormonal health, and educational spaces, because today's work model was designed for a world where women stayed at home. As she puts it, "It's not a perk, it's equity."

Femtech in Mexico and Latin America

Adriane sees femtech in Latin America as born out of community and urgency, in a region facing big gaps in education and access to healthcare. "We don't just build apps to sell, we build movements to transform." Through Femtech Mexico, she is part of an effort to position women's health as a key axis of innovation and public policy, bringing together startups, institutions, governments and civil society.

Starting with schools

If she could change one thing first, Adriane would start with hormonal education in schools: not only periods and fertility, but the full picture, including telling girls that one day they will go through menopause too. Next for Maura is launching its MVP, building partnerships with companies and schools, and research on the economic impact of women's hormonal health in Mexico. Her message to her 15-year-old self: trust yourself and your body, you are not broken.

FAQ

Who is Adriane Carriola? Adriane Carriola is the CEO of Maura Health, a hormone health coach and former clinical naturopath based in Mexico. She hosts the Poder Real podcast and is part of Femtech Mexico.

What does Maura Health do? Maura Health helps women in Latin America understand their hormonal health through conversational support on WhatsApp: tracking signals, understanding patterns and preparing for medical appointments. It does not diagnose or prescribe. Maura also runs workshops and campaigns in schools and companies.

What is the biggest hormone health myth? According to Adriane, it is the idea that being a woman means suffering, which leads women to normalise pain, exhaustion and mood swings as inevitable.

What can employers do to support women through hormonal transitions? Adriane recommends flexible policies, wellbeing programmes that include hormonal health, and educational spaces at work, treating support as a matter of equity rather than a perk.

Listen and connect

Listen to the full conversation on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Follow Adriane's work at Maura Health, on Instagram and on LinkedIn. Explore more conversations on the Blush and Bloom podcast hub, including Ep. 55 on building a femtech venture studio, and at Asele.

This episode is for general informational purposes and does not constitute medical, legal, or regulatory advice.