Show up thoughtful, not first—understand the problem before solving it
In a moment when wearable technology is pressing deeper into the intimate rhythms of human health, Oura has announced new tools to help people navigate birth control and menopause — two experiences long undersupported by mainstream medicine — while also securing a five-year partnership with the US Open. The Finnish ring-maker is not racing to be first, but rather staking a claim to being thorough, pairing biometric data with clinical questionnaires and telehealth access. This dual move — toward the underserved and toward the elite — reflects a wider reckoning in digital health: that legitimacy is built both by whom you serve and where you are seen.
- Women managing hormonal transitions have historically lacked tools that reflect their specific biology, and Oura is stepping into that gap with birth control integration and a 22-item menopause quality-of-life scale.
- The company's clinical director openly acknowledges the menopause space is crowded with noise, making the pressure to enter carefully — with research and provider partnerships — both a risk and a differentiator.
- Partnerships with Twentyeight Health and Maven Clinic mean users aren't left alone with their data; licensed providers are a tap away, bridging the distance between self-tracking and actual care.
- The US Open deal — five years, every player receiving a ring — plants Oura firmly in the world of elite athletic recovery, where performance data and brand credibility reinforce each other.
- The convergence of women's health features and a major sports sponsorship in a single week signals that Oura is no longer positioning itself as a niche device, but as infrastructure for understanding how human bodies work across contexts.
Oura, the Finnish health-tracking ring company, announced two new features this week aimed at people managing birth control and menopause — and simultaneously signed a five-year deal to become the official wearable partner of the US Open and the United States Tennis Association.
The birth control feature builds on Oura's existing Cycle Insights tool, allowing users to log their contraceptive method so that biometric data — temperature, heart rate, sleep — can be interpreted through that hormonal lens. Users can consult Oura's AI advisor or connect directly with a licensed provider through Twentyeight Health. The menopause feature takes a different approach: a 22-item Menopause Impact Scale questionnaire, fed by the ring's continuous biometric data, gives users a personalized picture of how the transition is affecting them across symptoms like hot flashes, mood shifts, and sleep disruption.
Dr. Chris Curry, Oura's clinical director of women's health, described the company's philosophy as deliberately measured — not first, not fastest, but most thoughtful. Oura has already partnered with Maven Clinic for pregnancy tracking, and approached the menopause space only after building research backing and provider relationships.
The US Open partnership extends that ambition in a different direction. Every tournament player will receive an Oura Ring through the player gifting suite, with the deal also covering USTA coaching programs and league championships. It follows earlier partnerships with the WNBA and NBA, reflecting a broader digital health trend in which sports sponsorships serve dual purposes: generating real-world performance data and building brand credibility by association.
Taken together, the two announcements suggest a company thinking about reach and legitimacy at once — addressing a specific gap in women's care while planting its flag at one of tennis's most visible stages.
Oura, the Finnish health-tracking ring company, is making a deliberate push into women's hormonal health. This week it announced two new features aimed at people managing birth control and menopause, while simultaneously signing a five-year deal to become the official wearable device partner of the US Open and United States Tennis Association.
The birth control feature integrates into Oura's existing Cycle Insights tool, which already tracks fertility signals and cycle phases. Once a user logs their preferred contraceptive method, the ring's biometric data—heart rate, temperature, sleep patterns—becomes legible through that lens. The company is betting that seeing how hormones influence your body's measurable signals might help you understand what's normal for you. Users can ask Oura's AI chatbot, Advisor, to interpret their data, or they can connect with a licensed provider through Twentyeight Health, a reproductive healthcare platform.
The menopause offering works differently. Oura developed a 22-item questionnaire called the Menopause Impact Scale that measures quality of life across symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes, and sleep disruption. The ring's biometric data feeds into this assessment, giving users a personalized picture of how menopause is affecting them. It's a recognition that menopause isn't a single event but a years-long transition that touches nearly every system in the body—and that a wearable device, worn continuously, might capture patterns a person wouldn't otherwise notice.
Dr. Chris Curry, Oura's clinical director of women's health, framed the company's approach in an interview earlier this year as deliberately measured. "We want to show up, maybe not first, maybe not fastest, but absolutely the most thoughtful," he said. The company has already partnered with Maven Clinic for pregnancy tracking and with other reproductive health organizations. The menopause space, he noted, is trendy right now—there's chatter everywhere—but Oura wanted to enter it with research backing and a genuine understanding of what solutions matter.
The US Open partnership signals a different kind of expansion. Starting this year, every player in the tournament will receive an Oura Ring through the player gifting suite, along with recovery education. The deal also extends to USTA coaching programs and USTA League National Championships. It's a five-year commitment, which suggests Oura sees long-term value in being associated with elite athletic performance and recovery.
This mirrors a broader trend in digital health. The WNBA and NBA both partnered with Oura in 2020. Mental health platforms have followed suit: Unmind partnered with Major League Baseball in 2020, and Onrise connected with the United Soccer League in 2023. For these companies, sports partnerships serve dual purposes—they generate real-world data from high-performing bodies, and they build brand credibility by association. For the athletes and organizations, they offer access to tools and insights that might improve performance or recovery.
Oura's dual announcement—expanding into a health domain where many women feel underserved, while simultaneously becoming visible at one of tennis's biggest stages—suggests the company is thinking about reach and legitimacy simultaneously. The women's health features address a specific gap in care. The sports partnership is about scale and visibility. Together, they position Oura not as a niche tracker but as a company serious about understanding how bodies actually work.
Notable Quotes
We want to show up, maybe not first, maybe not fastest, but absolutely the most thoughtful and most meaningful.— Dr. Chris Curry, Oura's clinical director of women's health
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Oura need to partner with Maven and Twentyeight Health if it's already tracking the data?
Because data alone doesn't equal care. The ring tells you what's happening in your body, but it can't diagnose or prescribe. A licensed provider can. Oura is essentially saying: we'll give you the signal, and we'll connect you to someone who can interpret it in a clinical context.
The menopause questionnaire—is that new science, or is Oura just packaging existing knowledge?
It's existing knowledge packaged thoughtfully. The 22-item scale measures quality of life, which is the thing menopause actually disrupts. Oura's contribution is linking that questionnaire to biometric data—showing you how your sleep, temperature, and heart rate correlate with your symptom burden.
Why would a tennis player care about an Oura Ring? They're already monitored constantly.
Recovery is the answer. Elite athletes are obsessed with it. The ring is small, continuous, and gives you data while you sleep—when recovery actually happens. It's not about replacing their existing medical team. It's about giving them another lens.
Is this about data collection? Is Oura building a database of menopause symptoms?
Probably both. Yes, they're collecting data that will improve their algorithms and product. But that doesn't mean the product isn't genuinely useful to the person wearing it. Those things aren't mutually exclusive.
What's the risk here?
Overselling what a wearable can do. Menopause is complex. A ring can't replace a doctor. If people start thinking it can, that's a problem. Oura seems aware of this—they're building in provider connections. But the marketing will matter.