In conversation with Dallas Barnes, founder & CEO of Reya Health

We came across Canadian brand Reya Health when I was personally searching for birth control options on the internet after being on the single hormone pill for over 10 years and deciding to look for an alternative. After checking out their website, I immediately wanted to work with this brand that was making birth control more accessible and informative through their subscription based educational model. Therefore sitting down with their founder and CEO Dallas Barnes felt like a no-brainer.

EK: Tell me a little about how and why you originally started Reya Health.

DB: I started Reya as a result of my own experience with birth control. I spent years trying different options and experiencing unwanted side effects. My body reacted so adversely to one method in particular that I was admitted to the hospital. I decided that that was the last straw and it shouldn't be so difficult to find a birth control option that I feel comfortable and confident with.

I ended up doing all of my own research. I wanted to understand birth control, the female body and how those two can work well together and why they weren't working well for me at the time. Through that journey, I ended up finding an option that I thought could work for me and I used that method for years! I felt so empowered and liberated by taking matters into my own hands that I wanted to share what I did with my friends and family who were also experiencing difficulty with their birth control.

EK: Why did you choose the word Reya, is there significance behind the name?

DB: Not really (lol) I wanted a name that was simple yet powerful and was a little feminine. Reya came out of the brainstorming.

EK: Hopefully this isn’t too personal, but what’s your own birth control story?

DB: Not at all. I'm an open book - since getting into this line of work, I feel like it's my personal obligation to share my story in order to support normalising these conversations. People with uteruses should not have to try 5 or more different options until they find a method they like.

That was my experience anyway, along with a third of people who use birth control. Trying 5 or more options to find one that works or after which point people give up, is all too common. I have tried many options under the sun, from various pills, the hormonal IUD, fertility awareness method and other barrier methods. Almost all of which resulted in side effects I was not comfortable with. I continually felt dismissed by medical professionals who told me it was normal and basically suck it up or deal with the consequences of unintended pregnancy.

We should not have to choose between two evils when we are trying to be proactive about our health. I decided to get an IUD because many of my friends had one and loved it. I got the hormonal IUD. The side effects I experienced go on like a Target receipt. I bled for 5 months straight, I had daily cramping and discomfort which was sometimes so unbearable I couldn't get out of bed, I started developing UTIs which I never had before (and haven't experienced since removing the IUD), I started developing ovarian cysts which were so painful I was admitted to the hospital. This not only took a massive toll on my physical well-being, my mental health plummeted as well. All of the physicians I spoke with told me my symptoms were normal or that they weren't caused by the IUD at all, but they still didn't know what else could be the culprit. I decided my body was certainly trying to tell me something and that after 5 months, the IUD just wasn't for me.

I then took matters into my own hands, learned all I could about options and chose the best one for myself. I used that option for years and loved it. Since then, I have changed options due to a lifestyle change and that was the right move for me and that's okay! Things change and what birth control option is best for you can change too.

EK: It’s so true that you have to try so many things before something fits which seems ridiculous in itself. I’ve taken the Reya questionnaire as I am battling with some of my own birth control choices (I have been on single hormone pill for 10+ years, mainly for period pains rather than contraception, but I don’t like the idea of relying on synthetic hormones anymore). I love how detailed the questionnaire is! In Canada specifically, as I sometimes find in the UK, do you think that doctor’s sometimes downplay women’s feelings/reactions when they say they aren’t doing well on birth control and need to change?

DB: First, I'm so sorry you aren't feeling totally empowered by your birth control. But you're doing all of the right things in order to!

This is a tough question. I think overall we just lack information within women's health to statistically validate our experiences. This is not to say that what you're feeling isn't valid or doesn't reflect what doctors see in their clinics. So oftentimes, physicians are unable to validate your experience because we don't have the evidence-based science to back it up. But I'm here to tell you that yes, your experience is real!

EK: Thank you! What can customers expect when they buy a Reya subscription and when are you branching overseas for us UK residents?

DB: Reya’s digital solutions make navigating birth control easy and effective. Our smart algorithms utilise in depth user profiles to match members with birth control solutions. Our Birth Control BoundaryTM tracking system supports users in managing any side effects or symptoms. Reya’s platform is available to Canadian women as a $7 monthly membership. Along with the questionnaire and tracking system, Reya offers virtual 1-on-1 counselling sessions to discuss the results of the questionnaire, and online support. Reya is the go-to resource and support tool for navigating reproductive health.

We plan to move overseas within the next year! Stay tuned.

EK: I certainly will! Back to more on you, what’s your favourite way to start your morning to ensure a good work day ahead?

DB: I love a routine and my mornings are no joke. I start every morning with drinking lots of water and stretching as soon as I get out of bed. Then I read (or play sudoku) while sipping coffee. Next, I do some barn chores, feeding and cleaning out my chicken coop and tending to my cats. Before breakfast, I try to fit in some yoga or other form of exercise. Then I feel fully equipped to start my work day!

EK: What three women do you admire and why?

DB: My mom. She's the best. She leads with her heart, is so compassionate and selfless. My mom is the most warm person I know, and I hope to emulate that nurturing nature.

Breezy Griffith. She is a friend and mentor of mine who is the founder of a highly successful company (SkinnyDipped). I admire the way Breezy leads her team, tackles problems head on and for the family life she holds close.

Dr. Brittany Barreto. Brittany is the queen of FemTech. She is a mentor of mine who is honest, fearless and is changing women's health daily.

EK: What other exciting things do you have lined up for Reya Health in 2022?
DB: We are launching our app this year! If you want to keep in the loop for this launch sign up for our newsletter on our website (we don't send much to be honest, just the really rad things).

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Founder of The C Word Magazine, Emily is currently living in London. She is passionate about art, travel, culture, cinema, fashion, sports, dating, feminism and a whole lot more. She is currently working on her own podcast with a friend and also dabbles in graphic design, when not doing her day job as a project manager. Find her on Instagram @emlrking or chatting on Confession Sessions, The C Word Mag’s own podcast.