How taboo topics can become a business opportunity

DTAP Clinic was founded almost two decades ago, with a specialisation on sexual health for all. The holding company of DTAP, Republic Healthcare Holdings has decided to go one step further to promote sexual health with their new medical technology company, Quinn Health. 

Both Quinn and DTAP are marketed as separate, but linked entities. While they have similar goals, the two medical services offer slightly different options, target different groups, and are at different price points. 

Quinn health

While virtual doctor consultations are becoming more popular, those at Republic Healthcare Holdings noticed a dearth of digital sexual health services.

And so Quinn was born.

The company’s website is full of pastel gradients and bright colours, creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere, which likely has the intention to soothe any nerves linked to sexual health services. After all, sexual practices and diseases are still fairly taboo topics in Singapore. 

Users can then sift through their services offered for men and women. These include men’s specific issues such as testosterone deficiency and erectile dysfunction, and women’s specific offerings such as contraception and vaginal health. 

More than sexual health

In addition to sexual health services, Quinn also offers consultations for hair and skin, and wellness needs, like nutritional assessments. 

Under each offering, users can take a short quiz which asks them specific details about their condition, which will then be sent to a doctor to evaluate. 

For example, one of the services offered to both sexes is STD testing, and will ask users about the number of partners they have had, what type of protection they used and how often, as well as the present condition of their bodies. 

The teleconsult company then offers home delivery of testing kids, such as swab tests and urine tests, which will then be reviewed by a doctor. According to Quinn’s spokesperson, who is also a doctor at DTAP, Dr Jonathan Ti, their home STD testing kits also help set Quinn apart from other online teleconsultation services. 

Most of the process is doctorless, though doctors will follow up with patients if the necessity arises. Patients can also opt to book ten minute teleconsultation if they want to speak directly to a medical professional. 

Dealing with taboos

The anonymity afforded with online health teleconsults, as well as the doctorless nature of Quinn was a deliberate strategy implemented due to the conservatism that still exists for discussions around sexuality in Singapore.

The “hush hush” nature of the topic posed the company with difficulty marketing their services. Traditional media outlets may be more reserved with advertising sexual health services, and thus not cover it, while finding a credible influencer who is willing to be associated with the cause is also difficult.

But more importantly, to Dr Ti, is being considerate of people who want to access Quinn’s services. “Our marketing cannot stigmatise anyone but should reaffirm that we provide professional care for all kinds of issues under the umbrella of Men’s and Women’s health.”

“Take a woman who consumes birth control for her acne — we don’t want to scare her away by marketing ourselves as judgemental and stereotyping,” he explains.

He is likely referring to the assumption that women who take contraception do so for sexual purposes, when it might be for acne issues, as he’s mentioned, or to attain a regular menstrual cycle. 

More than DTAP 

While Quinn specialises in various sexual health services, they hope to expand beyond just that, such that sexual health is not a defining trait of the company. In doing so, they are able to reach out to a larger group of people who may otherwise shrink away from them. 

However, the decision to start a new teleconsultation company seems strange. Republic Healthcare Holdings could instead expand DTAP, which is already a credible clinic that specialises in sexual health services but isn’t explicitly defined by it, online.

According to Dr Ti, one of the reasons was to be more accessible to a wider group of people. 

First of all, Quinn is purely online, which means that anyone with an internet connection is able to access its services. Being online affords anonymity to people who may want privacy in seeking medical assistance for their specific health issues.

Furthermore, Quinn offers “more generic medicine” when they are able to. Since generic medicines are usually more affordable, using a mix of generic and specific medication means that the company can offer a better price for medication, so that more people are able to afford it.

Separate but linked

He brought up the idea of the companies being “separate, but linked entities” again. 

Quinn can also be more affordable to all because they can leverage the connection they have with DTAP. If customers need offline services, for example, if they are taking a blood test, they can be directed to DTAP’s doctorless clinic, DTAP express. Quinn can also use DTAP’s suppliers and delivery networks. 

In this way, the company can save on expenses such as rent, storage, or set-up costs, which enables them to offer services at a more affordable rate to all. 

Additionally, the partnership between DTAP and Quinn enables the online teleconsult company to borrow the credibility associated with the physical clinic.

In the present, due to the nature of the services Quinn offers and their online presence, most of their customers skew young, being millennials and Gen Z. 

Those from older demographics may be more wary of online consultation services. According to Quinn, this wariness is misplaced, as the operations team pairs up each patient with a specialised doctor for teleconsults, and those who still have concerns after the online consultation can engage the same doctor for a physical consultation at DTAP’s brick and mortar clinics.

Business of taboos

Presently, Quinn is still a new company that is working on reaching out to potential patients. 

The holding company of DTAP and Quinn, Repulic Healthcare Holdings appears to have found business in these taboos, as Quinn, and its close link DTAP have both benefited from the conservatism around sexual issues that exists in Singapore.

Their different services have been adapted to cater to the Singaporean market, with the discrete nature of Quinn being continually brought up as one of its crucial selling points.

“We understand that sexual health problems may be under-diagnosed in Singapore due to its associated stigma, so we’re continuing to push the opening up of patients and the finding of appropriate resources that can effectively address these medical concerns,” said Dr Ti about why he decided to take on responsibilities at Quinn. 

“Ultimately, Quinn wants to open more conversations about sexual health to reduce the stigma around it, which is why we offer online options where it is more accessible to more. We hope to tell everyone why it’s important to be aware of the sexual health concerns and healthcare options that can apply to them.”