Crystal Adesanya used her own personal experience of self-diagnosing herself to launch Kiira Health, a 24-7 virtual health clinic for women.
After Adesanya self-diagnosed herself with over-the-counter drugs and ended up in the ER, she realized that something needed to change. Now, the 27-year-old Nigerian American is motivated to prevent other women from experiencing the horrors she faced.
“I passed out. I know now that it was because I was trying to fix something that should’ve been handled by a medical professional, but didn’t feel comfortable going to a doctor,” she told Essence of her horrific medical experience while she was still in college.
Adesanya admitted to being clueless at the time about seeking out medical treatment and sexual health resources.
“As a young woman raised in a conservative household, those conversations about my reproductive health just didn’t happen,” she said. “This can lead to serious issues for many young people down the line.”
Now teamed up with Kiira Health co-founder Candice Fraser M.D., FACOG, the business partners are working to break down barriers many women, especially women of color, face when seeking medical treatment or reproduction assistance.
“Black and Brown women historically have had a lot of barriers to healthcare, some of which are costs or access to care or even access to providers of color,” Fraser said.
“A lot of times, students, in particular, don’t feel comfortable going in because they do not see a provider who looks like them. Being able to see someone who you can relate with, and to be able to talk to a provider from the comfort of your home, is one of the things we’ve needed to take better advantage of for a long time.”
Kiira’s user-friendly app and web platform make accessing healthcare professionals much easier for women of all backgrounds.
“Our goal is to completely dismantle all the hurdles Black women have when seeking quality care,” Adesanya said.