Fempower Health | A Women's Health Podcast

On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Since then, there has been much concern about the future of women’s health, reproductive rights, and safety.

Fempower Health shares a special bonus episode interviewing health law specialist and women’s healthcare attorney Delphine O'Rourke about the facts. Note: this discussion is not about opinions, but rather about the real implications of this overturn. 

In this episode, Delphine O’Rourke addresses some of the widespread fears expressed since the Roe v Wade news. She shares some tips for understanding abortion laws by state, explores women’s health taboo subjects, and suggests what we can all do to empower change moving forward. 

Delphine O’Rourke is an attorney specializing in life sciences, healthcare, and investments. She’s a leader of Goodwin's groundbreaking Women's Health and Wellness Industry practice. Her experience and expertise have established her as an advocate, thought leader, and global speaker as well as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School. 

Discussed in this episode:

• How does this supreme court decision affect women’s health?
• Common fears people have about Roe v Wade being overturned
• HIPAA and abortion laws regarding personal data privacy 
• Sensationalized content on social media vs facts 
• Resources for understanding state abortion laws
• How voting can impact women’s health policy
• Ways to research, educate, and advocate women’s health 
• Disparities in women’s healthcare at large 
• How to improve women’s health care moving forward 

“This is so much more than just abortion. It’s about consumer power. We make financial and medical decisions for ourselves and our families. It’s our time to say we want more [medical] attention and we deserve better.” - Delphine O'Rourke

Related to this episode:

• Learn about Goodwin Women’s Health and Wellness
• Learn about The Center for Intimacy Justice 
• Review this Overview of abortion laws by state
• Find Delphine O’Rourke on LinkedIn
• Find Delphine at Columbia Law School

• Resources and episodes on Breaking Taboos

If you're passionate about advancing women's health, there are many ways you can support the Fempower Health Podcast. Here's how:

1. Subscribe and Listen: Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing to the Fempower Health Podcast on iTunes or Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Your regular listenership is invaluable!
2. Leave a Review: Help us grow by leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover our podcast.
3. Share with Others: Spread the word by sharing episodes with friends, family, or anyone interested in women's health. Every share helps!
4. Engage with Our Community: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest updates and engaging content.
5. Stay Informed: Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive the latest announcements, news, and research directly in your inbox.
6. Reach Out: We love hearing from you! Reach out for inquiries, outreach, or even to share your questions and topics of interest.

Together, let's build a stronger community dedicated to women's health. Your support is crucial in this journey!

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**Contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer today. With the much-needed innovation in ovarian cancer research, it’s crucial women understand the complexity and potential for change in this disease.

For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, the CEO and Co-founder of AOA Dx. AOA Dx is a biotech company focused on early-stage ovarian cancer detection, actively spreading awareness and working toward solutions for women’s health issues.

In this episode, we discuss current insights into ovarian cancer research and prognosis. Oriana shares some ovarian cancer stories and what AOA Dx is doing to help women catch the disease early. We cover the average ovarian cancer survival rate, some symptoms of ovarian cancer, and ways to advocate for better testing in women’s health.

Discussed in this episode:

• Ovarian cancer statistics 
• What can women do to catch early signs of ovarian cancer?
• Difficulties doctors and women face in ovarian cancer diagnosis 
• Current diagnostic testing processes 
• The founding story of AOA Dx
• Why has it been so hard to get a diagnosis for ovarian cancer?
• Where AOA Dx is headed next
• Ways to medically advocate for yourself if you feel something’s wrong

Related to this episode:

• Resources and episodes on Female Cancer

• Check out AOA Dx Website
• Be sure to Follow AOA Dx on LinkedIn
• Be sure to Follow AOA Dx on Instagram

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**May contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

NOTE: As of 2026, PCOS has been renamed to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS)

Dr. Fiona McCulloch is a naturopathic doctor in Toronto, Canada who specializes in PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). She is the founder of White Lotus Integrative Medicine and author of the women’s health bestseller, 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS.

In this episode, PCOS expert and advocate, Dr. Fiona McCulloch, shares her experience and medical hope for women with PCOS. Dr. McCulloch answers PCOS questions from the Fempower Health audience, and dispels some of the common misinformation that exists on social media. As an eagerly awaited episode, we hope you all enjoy! It’s full of useful information for women with PCOS and their loved ones.

Discussed in this episode:

• Different PCOS symptoms in different women
• Understanding the medical PCOS diagnosis criteria
• Normal irregular periods in teens vs early signs of PCOS
• Overview of the epigenetics of PCOS
• PCOS prevention: facts and research
• PCOS and perimenopause
• How thyroid and gut microbiome affect women with PCOS
• Nutrition myths and facts: is there a “best” diet for PCOS?
• Several types of treatment for PCOS and common side effects
• Dealing with associated mood disorders, stress, and emotional challenges
• Is there a PCOS cure?
• How to manage PCOS symptoms

Related to this episode:

• Resources and episodes on PCOS

• Dr Fiona McCulloch's book: 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS by Dr. Fiona McColloch (book)
• Check out Dr. Fiona McCulloch’s Website
• Follow Dr. Fiona McColloch on Instagram
• Learn about the PCOS Awareness Association

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

More About Dr. Fiona McCulloch

Dr. Fiona McCulloch is a naturopathic doctor in Toronto, Canada who specializes in PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). She is the founder of White Lotus Integrative Medicine and author of the women’s health bestseller, 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS.

She serves as a medical advisor for the PCOS Awareness Association as well as Open Source Health, a FemTech platform. Her lectures are enjoyed regularly by doctors, clinicians, and medical students at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Dr. Fiona McColloch has many writings published in the Naturopathic Doctor News and Review (NDNR). As a woman with PCOS herself, she’s passionate about PCOS and women’s health advocacy.

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**May contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Final episodes for Season 3 of the Fempower Health Podcast are here! Get ready to learn how to advocate for your body and become the CEO of your health. 

Every week, we share discussions with women’s health experts on all things fertility, sexual wellness, menstrual pain, diet & nutrition, mental health, relationships, and so much more.

Upcoming special guest interviews will cover topics including:

Special thanks to Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, Dr. Fiona McCulloch, Delphine O'Rourke, Melanie Cristol, Ashley Bernardi, Hinge Health, Cheryl Woodman, Dr. Edison de Mello, Dr. Peta Wright, Apothercare, Melissa Farmer, Dr. Mandy Leonhardt, Dr. Mary O’Connor, Kanwal Haq and all who helped to make these women’s health episodes accessible to all. 

Thank you Tosh Taylor for your editing prowess.

If you want to support Fempower Health, please leave a review on iTunes or Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

If you enjoyed an episode, spread the awareness and share it with someone you know!

Connect With Our Women’s Health Community:

Why is it important to know when you are ovulating? In this episode, Dr. Jerilynn Prior and Dr. Lara Briden return to the podcast to discuss why ovulation, rather than the period, is the main event of the menstrual cycle. They share how the ovulation phase is crucial to your overall health (not just fertility), and how to address hormonal imbalance. Listen to this interesting discussion where they reveal important health facts women of all ages need to know.  

What you’ll learn:

• What happens hormonally during ovulation? Why is it so important?
• What is the meaning of ovulation and anovulation?
• Can you have anovulation with regular periods?
• Female hormones (estrogen vs progesterone) and how they impact ovulation
• How to track ovulation 
• What are the signs that you are not ovulating?
• How to know if you are making too much estrogen
• What is a normal luteal phase?
• Can you take birth control as a teenager?*

“What matters [for women’s health] is releasing an egg and making progesterone— and making it for long enough to counterbalance the effects of estrogen. [Both] are meant to be coordinated. They have fundamentally different actions on different tissues.” - Dr. Jerilynn Prior

Related to this episode:

• Resources to support Menstrual Health**
• Similar episodes on the Spotify Podcast Playlists: Women’s Health Foundations and Menstrual Health
• Share the article: Women’s Health and the Ovulation Cycle
• For Healthcare Providers: Managing Menorrhagia Without Surgery (CeMCOR)
• Why Is “The Pill” Harmful for Bones in Adolescent Women? (CeMCOR)
• Follow #RighttoOvulate on Instagram
• Get Dr. Lara Briden’s Books: Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual

If you're passionate about advancing women's health, there are many ways you can support the Fempower Health Podcast. Here's how:

1. Subscribe and Listen: Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing to the Fempower Health Podcast on iTunes or Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Your regular listenership is invaluable!
2. Leave a Review: Help us grow by leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover our podcast.
3. Share with Others: Spread the word by sharing episodes with friends, family, or anyone interested in women's health. Every share helps!
4. Engage with Our Community: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest updates and engaging content.
5. Stay Informed: Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive the latest announcements, news, and research directly in your inbox.
6. Reach Out: We love hearing from you! Reach out for inquiries, outreach, or even to share your questions and topics of interest.

Together, let's build a stronger community dedicated to women's health. Your support is crucial in this journey!

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**Contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Dr. Michal Elovitz, Chief Medical Advisor of Mirvie, is a physician-scientist with a demonstrated history of research success from the bench to the bedside. She is a successful mentor promoting physician-scientists in women's health research, and both founded and directed the Womxn's Health Collaborative. She has strong professional skills in Perinatal Medicine, Molecular Biology, Reproductive Immunology Microbiome, Pregnancy, Healthcare, Biomarkers, Discovery Research, Clinical Research, and Translational Research.

In this episode, Dr. Elovitz speaks with Fempower Health on an innovation Mirvie is currently focused on: preventing pregnancy complications, in particular, preeclampsia (dangerous blood pressure elevation during pregnancy).

Despite the U.S. having the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, health risks in pregnancy have remained understudied, underfunded, and underserved. 

Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and gestational diabetes impact 1 in 5 women. But with no accurate way to predict these conditions before symptoms appear, both moms and babies enter crisis mode when diagnosed in their third trimester.

Dr. Elovitz explains one of those complications, preeclampsia, and explores how better screening can help.

Discussed in this episode:

• What is preeclampsia?
• Preeclampsia risk factors and long-term effects
• Blood tests that predict potential complications during pregnancy 
• How the Mirvie RNA platform works to detect early complications 
• What is the benefit of having a Mirvie test over regular blood pressure tests in pregnancy? 
• The future of science with innovative testing for pregnant women
• Making information and data more accessible to advocate for pregnancy health

Related to this episode:

• Episode With Dr. Joanne Stone: Preventing the Preventable During Pregnancy
• Follow Mirvie on LinkedIn and Twitter 
• Follow Dr. Elovitz on Twitter @docelovitz 
• Read about Genetic Testing During Pregnancy
• Listen to more episodes about Pregnancy 

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

About Dr. Michal E. Elovitz

Michal A. Elovitz, MD is a tenured physician-scientist and the Hilarie L. Morgan and Mitchell L. Morgan President’s Distinguished Professor in Women’s Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Elovitz brings the clinical and research world together to advance reproductive, pregnancy, and women’s health. She has been actively involved in fundamental and translational research for over 20 years. Her research is or has been funded by the March of Dimes, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, National Institute of Child Health and Development, National Institute for Nursing Research, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**May contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Dr Miriam Cremer is founder of Basic Health International, which exists to eliminate cervical cancer on a global level through cutting edge research for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in low resource settings. Dr. Cremer, founded Basic Health after seeing first hand the devastating impact of this devastating yet preventable cancer can have on women.

In this episode, Dr. Cremer covers:

"It's very rare to find a cancer where you have a precursor, you have a vaccine for it, and you have a place you can reach. An organ you can get at and treat right away. We have all these tools. Why is it that women are dying of cervical cancer?" - Dr Miriam Cremer

If you liked this episode and you're feeling generous, don't forget to leave a review on iTunes!

As mentioned on the podcast:

And be sure to.....

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for information purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor. Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. 

May contain affiliate links

Kim Ross is a Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Dietitian Nutritionist (NY), Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (FL) and Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner.

In this interview, she highlights numerous ways in which women can improve their health naturally. Listen in to learn about:

• What nutrients do hormones need?
• How can a nutritionist help with hormone imbalance?
• Nutrition vs Dieting: What is the Difference?
• How to make incremental shifts in your eating and lifestyle to decrease toxins and increase health
• What are the symptoms of malnutrition?

“To simplify it, women have a natural rhythm. We function on a moon cycle (a menstrual cycle) in addition to our circadian rhythm, which repeats approximately every 24 hours. When we sleep, eat and move our bodies actually does matter. We have a lot of ups and downs with our hormones throughout the month. What you eat changes that affect. What time you eat and how you eat changes that. If you eat in a good mood or bad mood, that affects things. Our organs detoxify at different times. Our cortisol hormones, in addition to other hormones, increase and decrease at certain times. Our body temperature increases and decreases at certain times.

We need to listen to the female intuition as to how our bodies are functioning. I think that people could listen better to what their body needs. If you’re craving something like sugar, maybe you need vitamin C or water. Listening to what you’re craving tells you what nutrients your body might need.

Also, respecting and paying attention to the hormonal cycle, which affects the decisions we make every day.” - Kim Ross

Resources

• Recommended Books on Nutrition

• Resources and episodes on Nutrition & Exercise

If you're passionate about advancing women's health, there are many ways you can support the Fempower Health Podcast. Here's how:

1. Subscribe and Listen: Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing to the Fempower Health Podcast on iTunes or Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Your regular listenership is invaluable!
2. Leave a Review: Help us grow by leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover our podcast.
3. Share with Others: Spread the word by sharing episodes with friends, family, or anyone interested in women's health. Every share helps!
4. Engage with Our Community: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest updates and engaging content.
5. Stay Informed: Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive the latest announcements, news, and research directly in your inbox.
6. Reach Out: We love hearing from you! Reach out for inquiries, outreach, or even to share your questions and topics of interest.

Together, let's build a stronger community dedicated to women's health. Your support is crucial in this journey!

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**Contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Jada Shapiro founded Boober. She is also a maternal healthcare expert and the founder of Boober, a marketplace where expectant and new parents find classes and on-demand care providers like birth doulas, postpartum doulas, lactation consultants and mental health therapists for pregnancy to postpartum. She specializes in pregnancy, birth and postpartum and is a birth/postpartum doula, childbirth educator, lactation counselor, birth photographer, mother and step-mother. 

We talk through all of the topics around breastfeeding, including:

• How women need better information about breastfeeding
• Mental health issues for women in this season of life
• What lactation consultants do
• The options around breastfeeding
• Reasons women may not produce enough breast milk
• When babies need chiropractic care

Boober provides information and resources for women who are struggling with or want to learn more about lactation. In New York City, women can use this platform to get same-day lactation consultants.

“There's a real personal struggle or sense of defeat if they can't fully feed their baby at the breast, so for the lactation consultant to be able to give permission to say, “If you need to use formula, donor breast milk or pump that is okay.” Let's get the baby fed so that we can work on the steps

For some people, babies just latch right on, and it's really easy. On Instagram we're seeing a lot more now of the hard stuff. We're starting to see that more. I think that people are getting more confident or comfortable sharing that this was really hard.” - Jada Shapiro

Resources:

• Resources and episodes on Pregnancy & Motherhood

• Recommended Books on Pregnancy and Postpartum

If you're passionate about advancing women's health, there are many ways you can support the Fempower Health Podcast. Here's how:

1. Subscribe and Listen: Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing to the Fempower Health Podcast on iTunes or Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Your regular listenership is invaluable!
2. Leave a Review: Help us grow by leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover our podcast.
3. Share with Others: Spread the word by sharing episodes with friends, family, or anyone interested in women's health. Every share helps!
4. Engage with Our Community: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest updates and engaging content.
5. Stay Informed: Sign up for our weekly newsletter to receive the latest announcements, news, and research directly in your inbox.
6. Reach Out: We love hearing from you! Reach out for inquiries, outreach, or even to share your questions and topics of interest.

Together, let's build a stronger community dedicated to women's health. Your support is crucial in this journey!

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**Contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Taking a summer break to get spend quality time with my son and to get ready for Fall episodes. Enjoy 3 minutes of goofs and silliness on the Fempower Health Podcast. A special thanks to the goat and tampon tiara.

A big thank you to my guests, listeners, and the Health Podcast Network. The podcast grew so much this year, and it is all because of you.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

During the summer, I will play some great episodes aired in the past.