The Fifth Wave

IWK Foundation
  • 0.0(0개의 평가)
  • 의학
  • 매월 업데이트

In The Fifth Wave: Curing the Healthcare Bias against Women, healthcare champions, the IWK Foundation, bring to light the profound and often dangerous consequences the gap in women’s health and research has had on women. The study of human biology has defaulted to the male body, which has hindered understanding of sex-based biological differences and results in fewer available and less effective treatments for women. We have been living in a world built for men, not only in heath care, but transportation, technology and beyond. This series will spark both curiosity and outrage leaving you wanting large scale change – a movement even. With insights from medical experts and researchers, The Fifth Wave challenges the default male standard and asks: What happens when half the population is left out of the equation? We hope to empower every woman and girl with the awareness and information to take charge of her health. Hosted by Avis Favaro.

  1. 4월 22일

    Menopause At Work

    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. --- Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode): Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur, naturopathic doctor https://drsarahv.ca/; InstagramDr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s HealthSenator Lori Urso, State of Rhode IslandRepresentative Karen Alzatee, State of Rhode IslandJennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation:  LinkedIn Profile

    27분

  2. 4월 8일

    Carrying The Mental Load

    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.  --- 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 ProfileJennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation:  LinkedIn Profile

    31분

  3. 3월 25일

    Not Built For Us

    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.  --- 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 ProfileDr. Thirusha Naidu, associate professor, department of innovation in Medical Education at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa

    31분

  4. 2월 25일

    The Kitchen Sponge

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

    24분

  5. 1월 28일

    How FemTech is Reshaping Women’s Health

    his episode explores the fast growing FemTech sector, where we talk about the technology being created to address women’s health needs.   Our guests Rachel Bartholomew and Dr. Jennifer Johnston are both FemTech founders, who created their companies in response to personal and professional frustrations with outdated tools and knowledge in women’s health.  They shed light on the persistent gender data gap, the importance of designing inclusive diagnostics and the massive economic and social opportunities that exist in women’s health innovation.   Key Takeaways: Innovation is born of necessity.  Both Bartholomew and Johnston developed new tech after identifying major gaps in women’s care and treatment options. Data is power.  FemTech offers new ways to generate objective, consistent health data.  This is essential to closing the gender data gap in medicine and in diagnostics. It’s a sector on the rise.  FemTech in Canada is becoming a global player, but still receives just a fraction of healthcare funding. ---- Rachel Bartholomew, founder and CEO  of Hyivy and founder of FemTech CanadaDr. Jennifer Johnston, family physician and founder of Elle, MDThe Fifth Wave is produced by Story Studio Network.

    28분

  6. 1월 14일

    What’s Next? AI in Women’s Health

    Artificial Intelligence is not just here, it’s constantly advancing.  In this episode, we look at how AI can reshape women’s healthcare.  And the risks that come with it.  From smartwatches that collect gender specific data, to algorithms that are trained on male dominated data sets, we look at the promise, as well as the pitfalls of AI in a space that has long been underserved by medical research.  Our guests weigh in on how bias, data quality, and culture affect the tools shaping our future.  And what it will take to close the gender health gap.   Key Takeaways:  If there is bias going in, we’ll have bias coming out.  AI tools often rely on existing healthcare data that skews male, which creates risks for misdiagnosis and inequity for women’s healthcare. Wearables, like smart watches and rings, may be the tool that helps crack the gender data gap by providing a proliferation of gender specific health data. AI is a support, not a substitute for medical advice.  While it can empower patients with more precise language and self tracking, we still need expert diagnosis and human oversight.---- Giles Crouch, Digital Anthropologist https://www.gilescrouch.com/Dr. Gillian Einstein – University of Toronto Dr. Gillian Einstein U of TDr. Maria Migas, Menopause Specialist, Halifax, NSUjwal Arkalgud, Cultural Anthropologist, Author and Entrepreneur The Jetsons Pillcam Episode 1962:  The Jetsons Pillcam (1962) The Fifth Wave is produced by Story Studio Network.

    29분

  7. 2025. 11. 12.

    Looking Elsewhere

    Where does Canada sit on the world stage when it comes to women’s healthcare?  We have some catching up to do.  In this episode of The Fifth Wave: Curing the Healthcare Bias Against Women, we look at what places like the UK, Australia and Nordic countries are doing right, and what we can learn from them.  Expert voices Dr. Jocelynn Cook and Dr. Martha Hickey weigh in on the importance of data, as well as tailored policies and community informed research.  While systems differ, it’s clear that in order to move forward, Canada must build a women centred strategy that reflects its own reality.  And that starts by listening to women and gathering the right data.    Key Takeaways: Countries like the UK and Australia have national strategies for women’s health that include menopause care, stillbirth prevention and access to contraception and abortion. The barrier in Canada is solvable.  Differences in delivery from province to province can make national coordination difficult, but we can still adopt best practices rooted in solid gender specific data.It has to start with listening to women.  With accurate data on women’s health issues, we can start to build an effective strategy.  Asking women what they want is the first step towards real progress.---- Dr. Jocelynn Cook, Chief Scientific Officer for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.  https://www.pehe-esep.ca/jocelynn-cookDr. Martha Hickey, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne.  https://www.thewomens.org.au/research/research-centres/womens-gynaecology-research-centre/wgrc-our-people/martha-hickeyThe Fifth Wave is produced by Story Studio Network.

    22분

  8. 2025. 10. 22.

    Around the Kitchen Table

    In this episode of The Fifth Wave, host Avis Favaro sits around the virtual kitchen table with women to share deeply personal stories about gender bias.  From life threatening misdiagnosis to breaking down barriers in male dominated fields, the conversation reveals the hidden ways gender shapes women’s lived experiences.  And why talking about it matters.  Our guests, Rose Fisher and Carliegh Bell tell us about the consequences of being unheard, and the importance of creating inclusive spaces where women can be fully recognized.   Key Takeaways: Gender bias is not just systemic, it is also personal.  Rose tells us how her heart attack was initially misdiagnosed as anxiety.  Carliegh describes the emotional toll it takes on women to be accepted in a male dominated sector.  Women’s voices are data.  The importance of listening to women’s stories to help bridge the gender data gap, and improve systems that have been designed without women in mind.  Representation is vital for equity and survival.  As Rose points out, women are not just “small men”,  and solutions have to account for gender specific realities.The Fifth Wave is produced by Story Studio Network.

    49분
모두 보기(13개)

예고편

소개

In The Fifth Wave: Curing the Healthcare Bias against Women, healthcare champions, the IWK Foundation, bring to light the profound and often dangerous consequences the gap in women’s health and research has had on women. The study of human biology has defaulted to the male body, which has hindered understanding of sex-based biological differences and results in fewer available and less effective treatments for women. We have been living in a world built for men, not only in heath care, but transportation, technology and beyond. This series will spark both curiosity and outrage leaving you wanting large scale change – a movement even. With insights from medical experts and researchers, The Fifth Wave challenges the default male standard and asks: What happens when half the population is left out of the equation? We hope to empower every woman and girl with the awareness and information to take charge of her health. Hosted by Avis Favaro.

정보

  • 제작진
    IWK Foundation
  • 방송 연도
    2025년 - 2026년
  • 에피소드
    13
  • 등급
    전체 연령 사용가
  • 저작권
    © IWK Foundation
  • 웹사이트 보기
    The Fifth Wave

좋아할 만한 다른 항목