(MIS)Treated

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: 

1. The Lab of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology: https://www.galealab.com/
2. The Brain Health Equity in Aging & Memory (BHEAM) lab: https://www.bheamlab.ca/
3. Mind the Gap: Hormonal Contraceptives and Brain Health
   https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/professional-development/conferences/mind-the-gap/ 
4. Estradiol-based Menopausal Hormone Therapy is associated with improved episodic and prospective memory scores in the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging
   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.13.25320471v1 
5. Biological sex & menopause effects on vascular health and rsFMRI connectivity in middle-aged adults
   https://www.bheamlab.ca/downloads/AAIC_abstract_Kearley_2025.pdf 

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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: [email protected]

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:

1. The weathering hypothesis and the health of African-American women and infants: evidence and speculations
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1467758/
2. Weathering” and Age Patterns of Allostatic Load Scores Among Blacks and Whites in the United States
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1470581/
3. Black Women Excluded from Critical Studies Due to ‘Weathering’
   https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/black-women-excluded-from-critical-studies-due-to-weathering/
4. 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
5. 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
6. "Colorblind Care" Is Costing Lives. Meet The Woman Who Started Toronto’s First Black Maternal Health Week To Change That
   https://www.essence.com/news/toronto-first-black-maternal-health-week/
7. Racial variations of adverse perinatal outcomes: A population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9246499/
8. Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
   https://www.bornontario.ca/initiatives-resources/health-equity-and-indigenous-health/black-maternal-morbidity-and-mortality/ 
9. Beyonce opens up about pregnancy complications with twins
   https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/beyonce-opens-pregnancy-complications-twins/story?id=62480855 
10. 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
11. 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
12. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/u-s-maternal-deaths-more-than-doubled-over-20-years-heres-who-fared-the-worst
13. https://www.npr.org/2024/05/28/nx-s1-4977627/rachel-somerstein-invisible-labor-c-section
14. https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/state-of-maternal-mortality-the-inequitable-burden-on-black-mothers.html
15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X22002253
16. https://www.communitysolutions.com/resources/medical-bias-weathering-deadly-impact-black-mothers
17. https://nationalpost.com/news/maternal-death-injury-in-canada
18. https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/i-made-a-documentary-about-the-black-maternal-health-crisis-then-i-experienced-it-1.7101607
19. https://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/maternal-mortality.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.html
20. https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/closing-the-black-maternal-health-gap-healthier-lives-stronger-economies
21. https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/newswire/black-maternal-mortality-rate-reaches-3-5-times-white-women-racial-gap-childbirth-widens/

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Doctors are calling for action. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, and rates in Canada had been dropping for years. Canada had even pledged to eliminate it completely by 2040. Not anymore. Rates have plateaued, and cervical cancer is the fourth most diagnosed cancer and fourth leading cause of cancer death among females worldwide. Is Canada still on track? On this episode, we talk about the causes of cervical cancer, how prevention strategies fall short because of vaccine hesitancy, how under-served communities are at risk and what jurisdictions around the world are on track to eliminate cervical cancer. Guests: Michelle Halligan Director of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Nakia Lee-Foon, a Health equity researcher at the Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners.

Research links:

1. Disparities in the allocation of research funding to gynecologic cancers by Funding to Lethality scores
   https://www.gynecologiconcology-online.net/article/S0090-8258(18)31302-7/abstract
2. Denmark could eradicate cervical cancer by 2040: study https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/denmark-could-eradicate-cervical-cancer-by-2040-study/ 
3. Addressing Anxiety and Fear during the Female Pelvic Examination 
   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2150132721992195
4. Researchers redesign vaginal speculum to ease fear and pain
   https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/researchers-redesign-vaginal-speculum-to-ease-fear-and-pain/ 
5. New vaginal speculum design might motivate women to go for health checkups
   https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ide/delft-design-stories/new-vaginal-speculum-design-might-motivate-women-to-go-for-health-checkups 
6. Cervical cancer is ‘fastest-rising’ form in Canada as doctors urge action
   https://globalnews.ca/news/11698821/cervical-cancer-cases-rising-canada/ 
7. Progress Against Cervical Cancer in Canada
   https://health-infobase.canada.ca/cancer/progress-against-cancers/reports.html?type=1 
8. New Canadian Cancer Statistics report suggests Canada may fall short of its 2040 goal to eliminate cervical cancer
   https://cancer.ca/en/about-us/media-releases/2025/canadian-cancer-statistics-2025 
9. https://www.instituteforbetterhealth.com/member/lee-foon-nakia/ 
10. https://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/ 

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Pregnancy loss affects millions each year – so why do so many women have to suffer in silence after a miscarriage or stillbirth? According to a 2021 Lancet Study, an estimated 23 million miscarriages occur every year worldwide: 44 pregnancy losses each minute. For those who have experienced a miscarriage or a stillbirth, the joy of welcoming a child into the world can quickly turn into a nightmare of loss and isolation. On today's episode, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka speaks to Idalina Leandro about the motivations for her documentary, "An Open Conversation," which aims to destigmatize pregnancy and infant loss. The conversation explores how the silence around pregnancy loss impacts parents differently, why mothers blame themselves and how the healthcare system fails to support grieving families.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

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:

1. Canadian gynecologists group issues new compassionate care guidelines for miscarriage patients https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-new-guidelines-early-pregnancy-loss-patients/
2. Idalina Leandro’s ‘An Open Conversation’ Aims To Destigmatize Pregnancy & Infant Loss https://www.shedoesthecity.com/idalina-leandros-an-open-conversation-aims-to-de-stigmatize-pregnancy-infant-loss/ 
3. Pregnancy, Infant & Child Loss Support Centre https://pilsc.org/
4. Why those suffering miscarriages could benefit from specialized clinics https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/pregnancy-loss-sogc-1.7563527
5. My wife and I were left on our own after miscarriage https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/mothers-day-miscarriage-pregnancy-loss-first-person-1.6836319
6. New Zealand approves paid leave following miscarriage or still birth https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-zealand-paid-leave-miscarriage-still-birth-1.5964604
7. Thousands of Canadians miscarry every year. For them, Mother's Day can be a reminder of loss https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mothers-day-grief-loss-1.7532302
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028223017193
9. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00682-6/abstract
10. https://www.jogc.com/article/S1701-2163(25)00154-9/fulltext

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You may know Viagra as the "blue pill" but what about Addyi, the "pink pill"? 

Addyi was first approved in the U.S. in 2015 to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) – the medical term for women experiencing low libidos. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is "the most commonly identified sexual problem among women." It was first identified in 1977 but getting drugs to market for women's sexual health faces unique challenges. Addyi is one of two approved drugs that help improve women's low libido, while 26 drugs have been approved for male sexual health by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. On this episode, host and producer Nam Kiwanuka speaks with Aisling Chin-Yee about the history of how Addyi came to market and what making her documentary, "The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs & Who Has Control", has taught her about how this pink pill is changing the conversation about women's libido.

Links:

How U.S. Tried but Failed to Wipe Out 70 Years of Global Consent on Women’s Rights

https://msmagazine.com/2026/03/19/usa-csw-70-women/

A Pill for Sexual Desire Reaches a New Group of Women

https://time.com/7341012/sexual-desire-pill-addyi-cindy-eckert/

The Pink Pill : New documentary exposes the long battle to bring Addyi — the first libido drug for women — to market

https://theconversation.com/the-pink-pill-new-documentary-exposes-the-long-battle-to-bring-addyi-th…

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8673442/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32301355/

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/414363

https://www.sproutpharmaceuticals.com/

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Because the male body has been the default in medicine, conditions that primarily impact women, like PCOS and endometriosis, are under researched, misunderstood and under funded. Even conditions that are commonly understood in men like autism, ADHD and cardiovascular disease are misunderstood, misdiagnosed and under diagnosed in women. On today's episode we speak with journalist Tracey Lindeman about her book, "Bleed: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care". We talk to her about how her pain was dismissed for decades and how it took 24 years to be diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

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:

Endometriosis and Misogyny With Tracey Lindeman
https://canadianwomen.org/blog/endometriosis-and-misogyny-with-tracey-lindeman/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/women-health-second-opinion-1.7531876

https://www.ellecanada.com/culture/society/the-gender-health-gap-misogyny-in-medicine

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/polycystic-ovary-syndrome

https://www.cfp.ca/content/72/1/e17

https://www.oma.org/newsroom/news-releases/2026/january/new-study-finds-female-family-doctors-spend-more-time-caring-for-patients-yet-earn-less/

https://m-power.mecca.com/blog/what-is----medical-misogyny----and-how-is-it-impacting-women---s-health-

https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2780.full

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/women-pain-dismissed-1.7390686 

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In the last few years, menopause has become a big business and the global market for it is worth billions of dollars. Yet the people who need care during this transition are still struggling to get the help they need.

In a special live episode of (MIS)Treated, we talk about how women's health is having a moment. We talk about surgical menopause, the impact the family doctor crisis is having on those in the menopause transition, why one guest used AI to self-diagnose their cancer and the harms caused by misinformation in women's health.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

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.

The Government of Ontario's Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

Follow TVO on social: https://www.youtube.com/theagenda https://www.instagram.com/mistreatedtvo

Join our newsletter: https://www.tvo.org/newsletters

Visit the TVO Today website for current affairs journalism, documentaries and podcasts: https://www.tvo.org

Research links

The menopause gap: why some women suffer more and get less care: https://theconversation.com/the-menopause-gap-why-some-women-suffer-more-and-get-less-care-272753

What You Should Know About the Non-White Experience of Menopause: https://katiecouric.com/health/wellness/non-white-menopause-healthcare-gap/

Menopause: our study revealed how it affects the brain, cognition and mental health: https://theconversation.com/menopause-our-study-revealed-how-it-affects-the-brain-cognition-and-mental-health-275329

After Decades of Misunderstanding, Menopause is Finally Having Its Moment: https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/after-decades-of-misunderstanding-menopause-is-finally-having-its-moment/

Managing menopause after cancer: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02802-7/fulltext

https://menopauseandcancer.org/alternatives-to-hrt-during-menopause-after-cancer-what-you-need-to-know/

https://obgyn.utoronto.ca/faculty/marie-christakis

https://possibilityseeds.ca/team/farrah-khan-she-her/

https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-cohen-1025333

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Until recently, menopause was a whisper between friends and trusted ones. And if you were going through it, there was an unspoken secrecy about saying that you were. This stigma still exists in some communities. But menopause is more than just hot flashes. It is associated with increased risks of long-term health issues such as osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and impacts brain health.

Nam Kiwanuka speaks to Dr. Wendy Wolfman, a pioneer in Canada and an internationally renowned menopause expert, about the lack of funding in women's health, the impact of the Women's Health Initiative study and how Canada can become a world leader in women's health.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

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.

The Government of Ontario's Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

Follow TVO on social: https://www.youtube.com/theagenda https://www.instagram.com/mistreatedtvo

Join our newsletter: https://www.tvo.org/newsletters

Visit the TVO Today website for current affairs journalism, documentaries and podcasts: https://www.tvo.org

Research links

Behind the scenes with Dr. Wendy Wolfman: https://sinaimaturewomenshealth.ca/behind-the-scenes-with-dr-wendy-wolfman

Menopause: our study revealed how it affects the brain, cognition and mental health: https://theconversation.com/menopause-our-study-revealed-how-it-affects-the-brain-cognition-and-mental-health-275329

Halle Berry shouts 'I'm in menopause' on Capitol Hill as she fights for funding to improve women's care: https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/halle-berry-shouts-im-menopause-capitol-hill-fights/story?id=109881356

After Decades of Misunderstanding, Menopause is Finally Having Its Moment: https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/after-decades-of-misunderstanding-menopause-is-finally-having-its-moment/

What to know about menopause hormone therapy after FDA removed 'black box' warnings: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/what-to-know-about-menopause-hormone-therapy-after-fda-removed-black-box-warnings

Hormones for menopause are safe, study finds. Here's what changed: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/01/1248525256/hormones-menopause-hormone-therapy-hot-flashes

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Women are diagnosed on average 2 to 4 years later than men in over 1300 different disorders. These include conditions like depression and anxiety, and Alzheimer's disease, which disproportionately impact women. Most of our medical knowledge, including how to diagnose someone, is based mostly on symptoms for males or the experiences of men.

Nam Kiwanuka speaks to world-renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Liisa Galea from CAMH, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, about why researching sex and gender differences in health matters and how hormones influence the female brain, especially during pregnancy and postpartum.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

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.

The Government of Ontario's Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

Follow TVO on social: https://www.youtube.com/theagenda https://www.instagram.com/mistreatedtvo

Join our newsletter: https://www.tvo.org/newsletters

Visit the TVO Today website for current affairs journalism, documentaries and podcasts: https://www.tvo.org

Research links

Dr. Liisa Galea bio https://ims.utoronto.ca/faculty/liisa...

Women’s Health Research Cluster https://womenshealthresearchcluster.c...

Study: Across Diseases, Women Are Diagnosed Later Than Men https://www.cpr.ku.dk/cpr-news/2019/s...

Proper funding for women’s health research could save lives during pandemic https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2020/0...

Why women are bearing more of the impact of dementia https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/...

Women are diagnosed years later than men for same diseases, study finds https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health...

5 conditions that highlight the women’s health gap https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/5-c...

New report identifies a blueprint to close the womens health gap https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/media-ce...

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In Ontario, family doctors are the gateway to the healthcare system, including providing a referral for a specialist. If you are one of the nearly 2 million Ontarians without a family doctor and need to see a specialist, say a gynaecologist, it can be incredibly challenging to get the care you need.

Nam Kiwanuka speaks to Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman, the president of the Ontario Medical Association about the crisis in public healthcare.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: [email protected]

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.

The Government of Ontario's Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-mental-health-support

Follow TVO on social: https://www.youtube.com/theagenda https://www.instagram.com/mistreatedtvo

Join our newsletter: https://www.tvo.org/newsletters

Visit the TVO Today website for current affairs journalism, documentaries and podcasts: https://www.tvo.org

Research links

Meet the first Black woman elected to represent Ontario doctors: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/meet-the-first-black-woman-elected-to-represent-ontario-doctors-1.7525349

Gynecologic Surgery Delayed for Up to 3 Years in Canada: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/gynecologic-surgery-delayed-3-years-canada-2025a1000iev?form=fpf

A Toronto-area doctor spent 10 days caring for a dying baby without pay. Here’s why she’s speaking up: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doctors-ontario-ohip-billing-rejected-9.6958953

Ontario, medical association near new compensation deal they say will help retain, recruit family

Ontario Government and Ontario Medical Association Confirm Funding Increase That Will Protect Provincial Health Care: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005805/ontario-government-and-ontario-medical-association-confirm-funding-increase-that-will-protect-provincial-health-care

Ontario, medical association near new compensation deal they say will help retain, recruit family doctors: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-family-doctors-new-contract-1.7602189

Province's response:

Ontario's Medical Claims Payment System (MCPS) efficiently processed more than 200 million claims annually. To be clear, over 99% of these claims are paid automatically, exactly as submitted, reflecting the system's productivity.

Only a small fraction, 0.58%, of all claims are sent for manual review, and even among these, more than 95% are resolved within 30 days. In general, two thirds of these claims are categorized as Complex Surgical Claims, where there are multiple procedures performed, and where a three-tier review process, as is used in a manual review, is fitting.

Claims are reviewed in three tiers. A Claims Assessor handles the initial review, and if deemed necessary, it is escalated to an Assessment Officer, who further evaluates the claim and supporting context. More nuanced cases go to a Medical Advisor, a physician, for final review. Outcomes include full payment, partial payment, or return to the provider, and physicians can appeal with additional information.

This reliable, structured process ensures that claims subjected to manual review comprehensively align with the payment requirements of the Schedule of Benefits.

It’s ultimately disappointing that the OMA is choosing to focus on .58% of OHIP claims, rather than highlighting the real progress we’ve made together to support physicians.

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