{"podcast":{"title":"The Fifth Wave","slug":"the-fifth-wave-7354161","podcast_index_feed_id":7354161,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6639450/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-fifth-wave--6639450","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/ca4842fd8f5681ceb597dcadf8c535db.jpg","author":"Story Studio Network, IWK Foundation","episode_count":16,"summary":"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.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-24T20:17:29.858628+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fifth-wave-7354161"},"episode":{"title":"Delayed Diagnosis, Denied Relief","slug":"delayed-diagnosis-denied-relief","published_at":"2026-05-06T09:00:14+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fifth-wave-7354161/delayed-diagnosis-denied-relief","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fifth-wave-7354161","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/delayed-diagnosis-denied-relief--69340009","audio_url":"https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69340009/delayed_diagnosis_denied_relief.mp3","summary":"Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 people who menstruate, nearly 190 million worldwide. Yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed women’s health conditions. In this episode of The Fifth Wave, public health Dr. Martina Alberani, women’s health advocate Maggie Archibald and Jocelynn Cook of the SOGC break down what endometriosis is, why severe period pain is not normal, and how stigma, a lack of education and long surgical wait times keep millions suffering, many in silence. This episode exposes the systemic barriers that prevent early diagnosis and effective care. Our guests also outline the critical reforms needed, like better menstrual education, improved physician training, expanded surgical capacity and national policy change. Key takeaways: Endometriosis is common, but chronically dismissed. Symptoms often mimic other conditions, like IBS and bladder issues. With no simple test and ongoing stigma around menstruation, diagnosis can take 5-12 years. Lack of education fuels delayed care. Many adolescents grow up believing debilitating period pain is just a part of life. Clinicians often receive too little training, and imaging frequently misses the disease. System level change is essential. Experts call for better surgical access, updated wait time strategies, stronger medical training, menstrual health education and investment in women’s health research, which still makes up only 7% of Canada’s research funding. The thing thing you really NEED to know: Severe period pain is NOT normal. If your pain disrupts school, work, or daily life, it deserves medical attention, and could be endometriosis. --- Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode) Jocelynn Cook , Chief Scientific Officer for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada…","meta_description":"Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 people who menstruate, nearly 190 million worldwide. Yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and underdiagnosed women’s…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2192,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-fifth-wave-7354161/episodes/delayed-diagnosis-denied-relief/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fifth-wave-7354161/delayed-diagnosis-denied-relief.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}