(MIS)Treated

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(MIS)Treated, a TVO podcast, explores how medicine has – and still is – failing women and speaks to the people looking to make a difference. Join host Nam Kiwanuka to hear real life stories and expert interviews on how the mistreatment and misdiagnosis of women affects us all.

23. jun.

Why do women make up 70% of chronic pain cases?

Unlike a broken arm, you can't see chronic pain. This makes it complicated to treat or diagnose because it's subjective. This has led chronic pain to be called a "silent epidemic" and while 70% of chronic pain sufferers are women, historically the majority of pain studies have been done on men or male mice. Many people with conditions like endometriosis, PMOS, migraines, fibroids and painful periods, live with chronic pain. And the World Health Organization officially classified it as a disease in 2022. On the final episode of season 1, Nam Kiwanuka take a deeper dive on the history of pain research, what it is, the implicit bias towards women in medicine, and the research that's being done to combat that right here in Canada. Nam speaks with Dr. Tania Di Renna, the president of the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) and Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI) and Jennifer Daly-Cyr who has lived with chronic pain for more than a decade and is also co-chair of the Person with Lived Experience committee at the CPS. Research links Being A Woman Doesn’t Have To Be A (Chronic) Pain https://www.forbes.com/sites/evaepker/2023/04/05/why-is-being-a-woman-a-chronic-pain/ Women and pain: Disparities in experience and treatment: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/women-and-pain-disparities-in-experience-and-treatment-2017100912562 Mi'kmaw nurse explains how Indigenous pain often misunderstood: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mi-kmaw-nurse-1.5130067 Myths about physical racial differences were used to justify slavery — and are still believed by doctors today: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/racial-differences-doctors.html Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1516047113 Sex differences in the transition to chronic pain: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12126234/ “Brave Men” and “Emotional Women”: A Theory-Guided Literature Review on Gender Bias in Health Care and Gendered Norms towards Patients with Chronic Pain: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/2018/6358624 Yale psychologists find that adults take girls’ pain less seriously: https://news.yale.edu/2019/01/24/yale-psychologists-find-adults-take-girls-pain-less-seriously Pain medication finally recommended in U.S. for IUD use. What about Canada?: https://globalnews.ca/news/10687785/iud-insertion-pain-management-guidance/ The science that changed how we study pain: https://www.mcgill.ca/science/channels/news/science-changed-how-we-study-pain-372651 Action On Pain podcast takes a closer look at the implementation of An Action Plan for Pain in Canada: https://redcircle.com/shows/action-on-pain See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 min.
9. jun.

How girls and women with autism were missed

A recent study shows that autism is almost as prevalent in girls as it is in boys - so why have we been led to believe that autism is something that mostly impacts boys and men? The February 2026 study suggests that the difference, in part, is that girls are often diagnosed much later in life. On today's episode, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka speaks with Julie M. Green about what it was like to be diagnosed with autism as a mother at age 44, while also raising a child on the spectrum. She documents this experience in her book, "Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood and Radical Acceptance." Links: Towards the equal recognition of autism in girls and women https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s120.full Everyone thought autism mostly affected boys. This study says otherwise https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260210082921.htm “I was always on the outside, watching quietly”: Autistic women reflect on school experiences https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-03632-y Hans Asperger 'collaborated with Nazis' in WWII https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43820794 About Autism https://www.autismontario.com/about-autism Finding the True Number of Females with Autistic Spectrum Disorder by Estimating the Biases in Initial Recognition and Clinical Diagnosis https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8870038/ From the CDC: Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8214927/ Camouflaging and suicide behavior in adults with autism spectrum condition: A mixed methods systematic review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050656525000124 8 Health Conditions Commonly Linked to Autism https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-autism-spectrum-disorder/202108/8-health-conditions-commonly-linked-autism 10. A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Neurodiversity and Psychosexual Functioning in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10243356/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44 min.
2. jun.

Why Canada needs a national framework for women's health

A bill looking to establish a national framework for women's health is making its way through the Senate. What does Bill S-243 look to implement? In Canada women represent 50% of the population, nearly half of the labour workforce, and make up 75% of health care professionals. But somehow when it comes to women's health, it's considered to be a niche topic. Not only has women's health been historically under researched, underfunded, and misunderstood, women working in healthcare also face additional barriers. Under the leadership of Senator Danièle Henkel, a coalition of professionals in healthcare, FemTech, and research have come together to try to address gaps in women's health with this new bill. Today, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka speaks with Dr. Jennifer Blake from the Pan-Canadian Women's Health Coalition about the bill, why Canada needs a national framework for women's health, the gaps that currently exist, and why women's health continues to be seen as niche. Links: ‘It’s not my bill, it’s our bill’: Senator Henkel and 50 advocacy groups push for law calling for women’s health framework https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/03/01/its-not-my-bill-its-our-bill-senator-henkel-and-50-advocacy-groups-push-for-law-calling-for-womens-health-framework/493464/ New study finds female family doctors spend more time caring for patients, yet earn less https://www.oma.org/newsroom/news-releases/2026/january/new-study-finds-female-family-doctors-spend-more-time-caring-for-patients-yet-earn-less/ Health workforce in Canada: Overview https://www.cihi.ca/en/health-workforce-in-canada-overview What’s the plan? New bill before Senate aims to provide a framework for women’s health https://canadianhealthcarenetwork.ca/whats-plan-new-bill-senate-aims-provide-framework-womens-health Federal health minister to launch strategy on men’s and boys’ health in 2026 https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/federal-health-minister-to-launch-strategy-on-mens-and-boys-health-in-2026/ Opinion: Canada’s blind spot on drug safety in pregnancy https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/op-eds/opinion-canadas-blind-spot-on-drug-safety-in-pregnancy/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 min.
19. maj

The Big Business of IVF

What's it like to navigate fertility care as it becomes increasingly profit-driven in Ontario? Infertility is considered a medical condition by the World Health Organization and in Canada, it's defined by age. A study from 2023 shows that a fifth of men believe that fertility is a "woman's problem," but the science says otherwise. Approximately one third of infertility is attributed to male factors, another third is attributed to female factors, and in one third of couples, there is no cause identified. This is known as unexplained infertility. One of the key medical interventions for infertility is called in-vitro fertilization – or IVF. IVF has become a big business. In 2023, it was estimated at $50 billion and is projected to double in the next decade. Today, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka is joined by journalist Caitlin Walsh-Miller and Irene Darrell-Austin, a Toronto-resident with lived experience navigating fertility care. They talk about how infertility impacts families, the growing disparity of who can access treatments and why this industry needs to be regulated. Links: The High Price of Hope https://torontolife.com/deep-dives/inside-torontos-white-hot-fertility-market/ Private equity piles into Canada's fertility clinics https://financialpost.com/feature/private-equity-piles-into-canada-fertility-clinics Disturbing errors at Ontario fertility clinics destroy couples’ baby dreams years after province abandoned oversight plans https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/disturbing-errors-at-ontario-fertility-clinics-destroy-couples-baby-dreams-years-after-province-abandoned-oversight/article_502ba774-1f20-4fb0-b2e3-4fb7780e3e82.html#tncms-source=login Fertility is not just a 'women’s problem' but a fifth of men think it is, a new study finds https://www.euronews.com/health/2023/06/10/fertility-is-not-just-a-womens-problem-yet-a-fifth-of-men-think-it-is-study-finds Male Infertility is a Women’s Health Issue—Research and Clinical Evaluation of Male Infertility Is Needed https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7226946/ Yes, men have a biological clock too. But it’s not just age that affects male fertility https://theconversation.com/yes-men-have-a-biological-clock-too-but-its-not-just-age-that-affects-male-fertility-268298 The female scientist who changed human fertility forever https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200103-the-female-scientist-who-changed-human-fertility-forever Where Is the First ‘Test-Tube Baby’ Now? All About Louise Joy Brown, the First Child Ever Born via IVF https://people.com/where-is-louise-joy-brown-the-first-ivf-baby-now-8748006 IVF: The women who helped make it happen https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6352853/ The Vatican’s Secret Role in the Science of IVF https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/pope-secret-history-ivf?src=longreads How IVF has led to a record number of single moms in their 40s https://www.npr.org/2026/01/12/nx-s1-5647761/ivf-fertility-motherhood-40s-cost-donor-decision Ontario Connecting More Families to Fertility Supports https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007375/ontario-connecting-more-families-to-fertility-supports Celebs IVF: All the celebrities who had IVF, from Kourtney Kardashian to Jennifer Aniston https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/g39990713/celebs-ivf/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44 min.
12. maj

What's it like to be a midwife in a conflict zone?

In this country, midwives "were once a cornerstone of every Indigenous community." What happened? Before the 20th century, midwifery was essential for communities throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. With the growth of western medicine in the late 1800s to early 1900s, midwives were instead accused of being unsanitary and unscientific. Midwifery became known as "the Midwife problem," and the practice was phased out and operated in legal "grey zones." In 1994, after decades of midwives pushing back, Ontario became the first province in Canada to recognize and legalize midwives. In 2024, PEI became the final province in Canada to officially recognize midwifery. If the history of midwives is this complicated in the Global North, what is it like to practice as a midwife in places experiencing civil unrest or conflict? A new documentary follows five midwives who are doing that work. On today's episode, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka speaks to two midwives, Ximena Rojas Garcia and Jay MacGillivray, as well as Nance Ackerman, the director of "The Delivery Line: Midwives on the Frontlines." Together, they speak about the challenges of the work that these midwives do, but also about the joy of catching a baby. Links: Midwifery: A Woman's Labour, A Woman's Choice, 1994 CanLIIDocs 506 https://www.canlii.org/en/commentary/doc/1994CanLIIDocs506#!fragment//BQCwhgziBcwMYgK4DsDWszIQewE4BUBTADwBdoByCgSgBpltTCIBFRQ3AT0otokLC4EbDtyp8BQkAGU8pAELcASgFEAMioBqAQQByAYRW1SYAEbRS2ONWpA British Columbia to let midwives prescribe abortion pill and other drugs https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/british-columbia/british-columbia-to-let-midwives-prescribe-abortion-pill-and-other-drugs/article_f4b5639a-847f-5038-98a1-b82fb4208b00.html#tncms-source=login Indigenous communities across Canada have always had midwives https://indigenousmidwifery.ca/history-strategic-plan/ A Brief History of Midwifery in America https://www.ohsu.edu/womens-health/brief-history-midwifery-america THE MIDWIFE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/236051 Why Are We Asking Doctors If Women Should Have Midwives?https://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/holistic-healthcare/why-are-we-asking-doctors-if-women-should-have-midwives.html Childbirth evacuation among rural and remote Indigenous communities in Canada: A scoping reviewhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S187151922100038X 25 years on: What midwifery in Canada has achieved and what it still needs https://theconversation.com/25-years-on-what-midwifery-in-canada-has-achieved-and-what-it-still-needs-120210 The Destruction of Canadian Midwifery during the 20th Century https://birthinternational.com/the-re-emergence-of-canadian-midwifery/?srsltid=AfmBOoq9ax0eNorpdo1FISNUjB2sOB7TlOFK1Mo79rbISeZ9DLcxZhHN After decades-long push, P.E.I. now offers midwifery to oversee pregnancies https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-midwifery-services-offered-1.7102229 Georgia bans many midwives from practicing. Now, several are suing the state https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/midwives-sue-challenge-state-restrictions-rcna264951 Facing rural realities and mistrust in hospitals, these women turned to home birthshttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/freebirthing-rural-maternal-medicine-9.7172199 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

54 min.
5. maj

How Canada stops forced sterilization of Indigenous women

This episode is about forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Please listen with care. In 2025, Senator Yvonne Boyer, Ontario's first Indigenous senator, proposed a bill to criminalize forced and coerced sterilization. If passed, Bill S-228 will amend the Criminal Code to ensure that forced sterilization would be included in the definition of aggravated assault, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The bill follows Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission - the TRC. The TRC was meant to bring a "fair and lasting" resolution to the legacy of Indian residential schools, and by extension, Canadian colonialism. One of the Calls to Action from the TRC was for Canada to hold a national inquiry into the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. That Inquiry dealt with a wide range of concerns, including forced and coerced sterilizations. This Red Dress Day, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka features Harmony Redsky from the Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice. Harmony reveals how one survivor was sterilized as recently as 2024. The episode discusses the history of forced and coerced sterilization, the organization's survivor-led initiatives, and the current push for legislative change to criminalize these violations. Special thanks to Pam Palmeter for production support. Got a question or comment? Email us at: mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support: Canada.ca/mental-health Kids Help Phone Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868. Research links: Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice https://www.reproductivejusticesurvivors.ca/ Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100015576/1571581687074 UN Special Rapporteurs Highlight Forced Sterilization of Indigenous Women in Canada https://cglj.org/2019/07/18/un-special-rapporteurs-highlight-forced-sterilization-of-indigenous-women-in-canada/ Canada indigenous women were coerced into sterilisations, lawsuit says https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/27/canada-indigenous-women-sterilisation-lawsuit National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1448633299414/1534526479029 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action https://nctr.ca/about/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-of-canada-calls-to-action/ Hundreds gather to celebrate Murray Sinclair's legacy with round dance in Winnipeg https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/murray-sinclair-round-dance-9.7059423 Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g16/000/97/pdf/g1600097.pdf?OpenElement A legacy of colonialism: Senate Bill S-228 aims to criminalize the forced sterilization of womenhttps://www.ipolitics.ca/2025/08/07/a-legacy-of-colonialism-senate-bill-s-228-aims-to-criminalize-the-forced-sterilization-of-women/ Rather than a ‘chilling effect’, Bill S-228 provides protection from forced sterilization https://healthydebate.ca/2026/04/topic/bill-s228-protection-forced-sterilization/ A federal bill aimed at protecting women could actually cause harm https://healthydebate.ca/2026/03/topic/bill-s228-sterilization-womens-health/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39 min.
28. apr.

How do hormonal changes impact women's brain health?

Only 3% of studies in neuroscience examine a female-only population, even though women make up 50% of the population. When it comes to neuroscience, research on women's brain health is greatly lacking. Host and producer Nam Kiwanuka speaks with two scientists who are leading the research, not only on women's brain health but how hormonal changes impact women's brain health. Nam asks the experts about the latest findings, the gaps in research in this field, and the challenges that neuroscientists face when trying to get their work funded in the first place. Is Canada falling behind in women's brain health research? What opportunities are there in this research space? In collaboration with MaRS Impact Health and recorded in front of a live audience at a conference putting women's health at the forefront, Nam interviews Dr. Liisa Galea from CAMH, The Galea Lab and Dr. Natasha Rajah from the Brain Health Equity in Aging and Memory (BHEAM) Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. Links: The Lab of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology: https://www.galealab.com/ The Brain Health Equity in Aging & Memory (BHEAM) lab: https://www.bheamlab.ca/ Mind the Gap: Hormonal Contraceptives and Brain Healthhttps://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/professional-development/conferences/mind-the-gap/ Estradiol-based Menopausal Hormone Therapy is associated with improved episodic and prospective memory scores in the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aginghttps://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.13.25320471v1 Biological sex & menopause effects on vascular health and rsFMRI connectivity in middle-aged adults https://www.bheamlab.ca/downloads/AAIC_abstract_Kearley_2025.pdf See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 min.
14. apr.

How to combat the Black maternal health crisis

In the U.S., Black women are more than three times as likely to die during childbirth as white women. In the U.K., Black women are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth, and babies born to Black mothers are at an increased risk of stillbirth. Here in Canada, stats to better understand health outcomes for Black mothers aren't even available. While there are provinces in Canada that collect race-based data, historically, this country hasn't tracked health outcomes by race, which means the picture for what Black maternal health looks like across the country is unclear. However, if statistics from other jurisdictions are any indication, birthing and pregnancy are a greater risk to Black mothers, no matter where they live or what their socioeconomic background is. On this episode, we speak with Jennifer Dockery and Jenelle Ambrose Dash about the work that the Black Maternal Health Collective is doing, including Toronto's Black Maternal Health Week taking place April 11-17th. We also talk about accountability, the concerns of collecting race-based data in Canada, and what action looks like. Got a question or comment? Email us at: mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support: Canada.ca/mental-health Kids Help Phone Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868. Research links: The weathering hypothesis and the health of African-American women and infants: evidence and speculations https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1467758/ Weathering” and Age Patterns of Allostatic Load Scores Among Blacks and Whites in the United States https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1470581/ Black Women Excluded from Critical Studies Due to ‘Weathering’ https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/black-women-excluded-from-critical-studies-due-to-weathering/ Childbirth Is Deadlier for Black Families Even When They’re Rich, Expansive Study Finds https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/12/upshot/child-maternal-mortality-rich-poor.html Black midwife's death highlights racial gap in maternal mortality https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/black-midwifes-death-highlights-racial-gap-in-maternal-mortality "Colorblind Care" Is Costing Lives. Meet The Woman Who Started Toronto’s First Black Maternal Health Week To Change Thathttps://www.essence.com/news/toronto-first-black-maternal-health-week/ Racial variations of adverse perinatal outcomes: A population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9246499/ Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality https://www.bornontario.ca/initiatives-resources/health-equity-and-indigenous-health/black-maternal-morbidity-and-mortality/ Beyonce opens up about pregnancy complications with twins https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/beyonce-opens-pregnancy-complications-twins/story?id=62480855 Serena Williams: What my life-threatening experience taught me about giving birth https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/20/opinions/protect-mother-pregnancy-williams-opinion Systemic racism affects maternity care for black women in England, say MPs https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/17/systemic-racism-affects-maternity-care-for-black-women-in-england-say-mps https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/u-s-maternal-deaths-more-than-doubled-over-20-years-heres-who-fared-the-worst https://www.npr.org/2024/05/28/nx-s1-4977627/rachel-somerstein-invisible-labor-c-section https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/state-of-maternal-mortality-the-inequitable-burden-on-black-mothers.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X22002253 https://www.communitysolutions.com/resources/medical-bias-weathering-deadly-impact-black-mothers https://nationalpost.com/news/maternal-death-injury-in-canada https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/i-made-a-documentary-about-the-black-maternal-health-crisis-then-i-experienced-it-1.7101607 https://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/maternal-mortality.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.html https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/closing-the-black-maternal-health-gap-healthier-lives-stronger-economies https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/newswire/black-maternal-mortality-rate-reaches-3-5-times-white-women-racial-gap-childbirth-widens/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

32 min.

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Nam Kiwanuka

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(MIS)Treated, a TVO podcast, explores how medicine has – and still is – failing women and speaks to the people looking to make a difference. Join host Nam Kiwanuka to hear real life stories and expert interviews on how the mistreatment and misdiagnosis of women affects us all.