Introducing your new best pal, hormonal intelligence 

There are many different types of intelligence. Take emotional intelligence for one, which is the ability to perceive, manage, and handle emotions in positive ways, like empathizing with others or building stronger relationships. Then there’s artificial intelligence, which is the theory and development of computer systems that can carry out complex tasks that would otherwise rely on people. 

But what does intelligence mean when it comes to your hormones? And importantly, why does it even matter? We put it to two of our clinicians, Dr. Alejandra Ontiveros MD, PHD and Dr. Arushee Prasad GP, MBBS. Here’s what they said… 

Okay, so first things first, let’s recap! What are hormones? 

Dr. Ontiveros: Hormones are chemical messengers that work day and night to make sure our bodies function properly on a cellular, physiological, and behavioral level. There’s so much our bodies do that we are completely unaware of! They regulate important physiology and behavior like digestion, metabolism, sleep, reproduction, and mood.

When we have a hormone imbalance, it can cause really common conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and amenorrhea (when your periods stop). You can read more here about female sex hormones.

So, what is hormonal intelligence?

Dr. Prasad: In the medical world, hormones are often likened to instruments in an orchestra, playing different parts of a complicated piece. Hormonal intelligence is the concept of understanding the role that individual or multiple hormones are having on your health. Essentially, it’s working out how your hormones are affecting you and your well-being.

And why does it matter? 

Dr. Ontiveros: It’s important because it’s the first step towards taking your health into your own hands. Many of us are so busy that we can forget about our health and then we can question why we begin to feel stressed, fatigued, etc. If we understand what our bodies need, we can begin to nourish ourselves. Hormonal intelligence is a tool that helps us feel our very best selves.

How can we help you achieve hormonal intelligence?

Dr. Prasad: One in two women experience side effects from their birth control. Clearly, that’s way too many! This can happen for many reasons, including being prescribed birth control that may not work well with your hormonal baselines (your natural levels without taking hormonal birth control). 

By really getting to know you, we can let you know which birth control type and even the brand that’s likely to be best for you.

Dr. Ontiveros: Right now, however much you know about hormones more generally, you may not know how YOUR hormones affect you individually. You may have been on hormonal birth control for years and you have no idea if what you’re feeling is down to your natural hormone levels or your birth control. 

That’s where we come in. Thankfully, now the technology and the know-how is here so we can take the guesswork out to recommend what’s actually best for you.

During our online Tuune 360 survey, we’ll ask you all the questions you’ve probably never been asked before about your medical and birth control history as well as your well-being goals. Armed with hormonal intelligence, we can finally work with you to recommend the birth control that may be best for your body.

Written by

Hermione Wright (she/her)

An NCTJ-qualified journalist, Hermione writes for national and local publications in addition to creating thought leadership for brands with a purpose. Passionate about telling the stories that matter, she helps our community make their own clued-up choices about their healthcare.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Arushee Prasad, GP, MBBS (she/her)

Dr Arushee Prasad is a GP for NHS England with an MBBS in Medicine and Surgery, and an MRCGP from the Royal College of General Practitioners. Passionate about digital health and algorithmic medicine, Arushee was previously an Algorithmic Medical Doctor for Docly.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Alejandra Elder Ontiveros, MD, PHD (she/her)

Ale is a PhysicianScientist with a doctoral degree in Development Biology and Embryology and is currently a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCSF. Ale believes that the union of academia and business can lead to transformative discoveries for women’s health.