The Fifth Wave

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 people who menstruate, nearly 190 million worldwide.  Yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed women’s health conditions.  In this episode of The Fifth Wave, public health Dr. Martina Alberani, women’s health advocate Maggie Archibald and Jocelynn Cook of the SOGC break down what endometriosis is, why severe period pain is not normal, and how stigma, a lack of education and long surgical wait times keep millions suffering, many in silence.  This episode exposes the systemic barriers that prevent early diagnosis and effective care.  Our guests also outline the critical reforms needed, like better menstrual education, improved physician training, expanded surgical capacity and national policy change.  

Key takeaways: 

Endometriosis is common, but chronically dismissed.  Symptoms often mimic other conditions, like IBS and bladder issues.  With no simple test and ongoing stigma around menstruation, diagnosis can take 5-12  years. 
Lack of education fuels delayed care.  Many adolescents grow up believing debilitating period pain is just a part of life.  Clinicians often receive too little training, and imaging frequently misses the disease. 
System level change is essential.  Experts call for better surgical access, updated wait time strategies, stronger medical training, menstrual health education and investment in women’s health research, which still makes up only 7% of Canada’s research funding.  
The thing thing you really NEED to know: 
Severe period pain is NOT normal.  If your pain disrupts school, work, or daily life, it deserves medical attention, and could be endometriosis. 

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Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode)     
Jocelynn Cook, Chief Scientific Officer for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada     
Dr. Martina Alberani, public health resident and chair of the Young Women’s Health Group; LinkedIn Profile     
Maggie Archibald, women’s health advocate LinkedIn Profile     
Jennifer Gillivan, president and CEO, IWK Foundation; LinkedIn Profile

Resources:
The Endometrosis Network Canada
yourperiod.ca

This episode of The Fifth Wave dives into one of the least discussed but most consequential workplace issues today:  menopause and its massive impact on women, employers and the economy.  With nearly 2 million working women in Canada aged 45-55, unmanaged symptoms like insomnia, heavy bleeding, hot flashes and brain fog are driving burnout, reducing productivity and even pushing women out of the workforce.  

Featuring insights from Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, Dr. Stephanie Faubion of the Menopause Society and Rhode Island legislators Senator Lori Urso and Representative Karen Alzate, this episode uncovers the stigma, the silent suffering and the transformative policy movement emerging across North America.  From invisible symptoms to groundbreaking legislation, this conversation reveals why supporting menopausal women at work isn’t just compassionate, it’s economically essential.  

Key takeaways: 
Menopause symptoms are often invisible, and women are silently powering through.  Night sweats, insomnia, heavy bleeding, anxiety and cognitive shifts aren’t always visible.  Many women “push through” to avoid stigma or being seen as unreliable.  
Stigma keeps women quiet.  And careers are paying the price.  Fear of being labeled “hormonal” or “unstable” leads many women to hide symptoms.  This silence can cost them promotions, earning potential and long term retirement security.  
Policy change is finally happening.  It’s reshaping the workplace.  Rhode Island is the first US jurisdiction to mandate menopause accommodations.  Other states are already moving to follow.  Experts emphasize that menopausal women are not a liability.  They are often an organization’s most experienced, strategic and valuable contributors.  
The thing you really NEED to know: 
Unmanaged menopause symptoms cost the Canadian economy $3.5 billion every year.  It costs individual women $33.3 billion in lost income due to reduced hours, lower pay, or leaving the workforce entirely.

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Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode):

Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, naturopathic doctor https://drsarahv.ca/; Instagram
Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health
Senator Lori Urso, State of Rhode Island
Representative Karen Alzatee, State of Rhode Island
Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation:  LinkedIn Profile

In this episode of The Fifth Wave, we expose the deep rooted gender bias baked into women’s healthcare, from being dismissed as “emotional” to receiving later diagnoses and poorer mental health support.  

Featuring insights from healthcare leaders, psychologists and researchers, we uncover how systemic bias, outdated medical norms and the invisible mental load are shaping women’s physical and mental health.  The message is clear:  women are carrying a burden that is neither imagined or inevitable and the system must change.  

Key takeaways: 
Women’s symptoms are routinely dismissed.  Often with real consequences.  Experiencing fatigue and pain, women are often told they are “overreacting”, “emotional”, or imagining symptoms.  This bias delays diagnoses, worsens outcomes and erodes trust in the healthcare system.  
The mental load and systemic pressures hit women hard.  Caregiving, workplace expectations and societal norms create a perfect storm.  This invisible labour intensifies stress, fuels mental health struggles and disproportionately affects mothers, women of colour and those facing economic barriers.  
Healthcare research still centers on men and women pay the price.  With 97% of research historically based on men or sex neutral models, women’s symptoms are misunderstood, mislabeled or minimized.  Even postpartum depression studies face pushback for not including male subjects despite biology making that impossible.  
The thing you really NEED to know:
Women are still diagnosed two years later than men across more than 1,300 medical conditions, including depression, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease.  Not because their symptoms are rare, but because their symptoms are labeled “atypical”, even when women make up the majority of cases. 

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Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode)

Dr. Liisa Galea, Treliving Family Chair in Women’s Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; https://www.galealab.com/
Dr. Christine Korol, registered psychologist https://drchristinekorol.ca/
Dr. Naomi Giberson, licensed psychologist and co founder and COO of Nestwell Health; LinkedIn Profile
Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation:  LinkedIn Profile

In this deeply compelling episode, we hear how racism, bias and systemic inequities shape the healthcare experiences of Black, Indigenous and women of colour.  Featuring powerful conversations with entrepreneur Vivian Kaye, cancer advocate Michelle Audoin and researcher Dr. Thirusha Naidu, this episode exposes the hidden ways discrimination shows up.  From diagnostic delays to insufficient medical training tools to the emotional labour women must carry just to receive adequate care.  

Through lived experiences and expert insights, this discussion reveals the urgent need for inclusive medical education, culturally informed care and healthcare systems that recognize and respond to the realities of racialized women.  It’s essential listening for anyone committed to equity in women’s health, patient advocacy and dismantling harmful medical biases. 

Key Takeaways:
Racial bias in healthcare isn’t rare.  It’s built into the system.  From dismissive interactions to unequal treatment pathways, women of colour face structural barriers that affect diagnoses, pain management,surgical outcomes and trust in providers.   
Representation in medical tools and research still has a long way to go.  Most anatomical models, reference images, and clinical training material fail to reflect women of colour.  This leads to things like misdiagnosis and care that doesn’t align with real patient needs. 
Advocacy isn’t optional.  It’s a survival skill.  Guests share strategies for self advocacy, raising questions, requesting alternatives and pushing back when care falls short -kills many women rely on simply to be heard. 
The thing you really NEED to know: 
Black, Indigenous and women of colour are navigating a healthcare system that was not built for them and the consequences are real.  Until representation, research, and training change, women of colour will continue to unfairly bear the burden.  Awareness and advocacy are the first steps toward fixing a system that urgently needs transformation. 

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Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode):
Vivian Kaye, business and empowerment expert and keynote speaker:  https://viviankaye.com/
Michelle Audoin, educator and cancer care advocate:  LinkedIn Profile
Dr. Thirusha Naidu, associate professor, department of innovation in Medical Education at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa

In this episode of The Fifth Wave, Avis Favaro shows us the quiet crisis in women’s health.  Underfunded research.  Outdated medical devices.  And training tools that are so inadequate, they border on the unbelievable - like teaching perineal suturing on a sponge.  Through conversations with innovators reshaping Femtech and reproductive health, including Christine Goudie of Granville Biomedical, Rashmi Prakash of Aruna Revolution and Rachel Bartholomew of HighIvy Health, we explore why women continue to be left behind in medical research, product design and clinical training. 

From pacemakers never tested on women, to menstrual products dismissed as “niche” , this episode shines a light on systemic biases and barriers.  And it highlights the entrepreneurs who are fighting to build a healthcare system where women are finally prioritized.  

Key Takeways: 
Women’s health is dangerously under researched.  Diseases affecting men receive double the funding.  Many medical devices, from pacemakers to pelvic tools, were developed without accounting for women’s bodies.  
Outdated and inadequate training harms patient safety.  Medical residents have long been trained using sponges, fruit or cow tongues, leaving them unprepared for real procedures on women’s bodies.
Femtech leaders are rewriting the system from the ground up.  Innovators like Goudrie, Prakash and Bartholomew are creating accurate anatomical models, rethinking menstrual care and driving policy advocacy.  

The thing you NEED to know: 
Women make up 50% of the population, yet are still excluded from medical studies, device testing, funding priorities and even basic clinical training.  The consequences are harming real women every day.  Change starts with education, advocacy and refusing to accept that “This is the way we’ve always done it.”

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Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode):
Christine Goudie, Co founder and CEO, Granville Biomedical:  LinkedIn Profile
Rashmi Prakash, CEO Aruna Revolution:  LinkedIn Profile
Rachel Bartholomew, founder and CEO, HighIvy Health, Femtech Canada and Femtech Across Borders: LinkedIn Profile
Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation:  LinkedIn Profile