Seed Health: Inclusive Communication in the ‘Women’s Health’ Category
Language plays a crucial role in shaping health access and fostering trust. In vaginal health, however, traditional, gendered language often excludes diverse identities, limiting care for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals. Leading efforts to close this gap, Seed Health, a leader in microbiome science, partnered with Eidos to create Transforming Health Discourse: A Primer on Gender Identity and Inclusive Language—a comprehensive internal guide designed to align Seed’s research, product development, and marketing with best practices in inclusive, anatomy-based, and affirming communication. By embedding inclusive language into its brand voice, Seed not only strengthens consumer trust but also sets a new standard for effective communication int he health and wellness industry.
The Challenge
Health ecosystems have historically been built on binary, exclusionary narratives, leaving transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals marginalized. This issue is especially pronounced in the fields of women’s and vaginal health, where thoughtful inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities and needs is vital.
The absence of inclusive language and representation can lead to disengagement from care, contributing to poorer health outcomes. According to data from the Center for American Progress, 23% of transgender individuals reported that a healthcare provider intentionally misgendered them or used the wrong name.
As Seed seeks to expand its impact, fostering inclusivity across consumer, clinician, and stakeholder touchpoints has become a focus. In partnership with Eidos, Seed set out to build a foundation for inclusive engagement throughout its product development and communications of its first vaginal health innovation.
The Client
Seed was founded to realize the potential of the microbiome to advance human and planetary health. With a product portfolio of gut-directed innovations for whole-body wellbeing, Seed is committed to making health solutions that set new standards for scientific rigor, efficacy, and consumer trust. In collaboration with Eidos, Seed developed a language playbook for its internal team focused on gender, identity, and vaginal health—ensuring their communications are inclusive, accurate, and human-centered.
The Work
Eidos worked closely with Seed to support their expansion beyond the gut into the vaginal health category. Our first step was developing Transforming Health Discourse, a foundational tool designed to align Seed’s product development, research, and marketing with inclusive communication best practices. We began by drawing from a variety of sources: LGBTQ+ health research, clinical language standards, and consumer engagement strategies. This approach grounded our work in both evidence and empathy.
To ensure the playbook truly resonated with Seed’s core values and audience needs, we facilitated collaborative feedback sessions with internal teams. This iterative process ensured the final playbook not only reflected the brand’s voice but also addressed the diverse needs of their audience. The result is a practical guide with actionable strategies on gender identity, anatomy-first language, and inclusive messaging.
Additionally, Eidos played an active role in two internal Seed events, providing employees with opportunities to engage with experts, ask questions, and dive deeper into the inclusive language framework. This ensured that Seed’s team was fully aligned and equipped to engage a diverse consumer base thoughtfully and effectively.
The Results
By prioritizing inclusivity from the beginning, the collaborative development and implementation of Transforming Health Discourse: A Primer on Gender Identity and Inclusive Language created a solid foundation for more accessible, affirming, and effective engagement with consumers and stakeholders—ensuring that no one is left behind. By considering the needs of transgender, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, this work paves the way for long-term positive impact in the women’s and vaginal health space, where all individuals can feel safe and empowered to seek the care, services, and products they need.
“Our goal in partnering with Eidos was to create a resource that would offer essential context and guidance for using inclusive language in consumer health marketing and product development. The content and ethos of the work have already influenced how our team approaches gender identity, as well as the language we use around sex, sexual orientation, and gender. Eidos’ real-time counsel validated our instincts and provided the perspective needed to communicate more thoughtfully about our products and the people who use them.”