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The Fifth Wave

The Fifth Wave

Written by: IWK Foundation
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 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.IWK Foundation Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • The Kitchen Sponge

    The Kitchen Sponge
    Feb 25 2026
    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 Outdated medical devices.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    • Outdated and inadequate training harms patient safety.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.”

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    Guest Info/CTAs/Resources (pertaining to the episode):
    • Christine Goudie, Co founder and CEO, Granville Biomedical: LinkedIn Profile
    • Rashmi Prakash, CEO Aruna Revolution: LinkedIn Profile
    • Rachel Bartholomew, founder and CEO, HighIvy Health, Femtech Canada and Femtech Across Borders: LinkedIn Profile
    • Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation: LinkedIn Profile
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    24 mins
  • How FemTech is Reshaping Women’s Health

    How FemTech is Reshaping Women’s Health
    Jan 28 2026
    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.
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    • Rachel Bartholomew, founder and CEO of Hyivy and founder of FemTech Canada
    • Dr. Jennifer Johnston, family physician and founder of Elle, MD
    The Fifth Wave is produced by Story Studio Network.
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    28 mins
  • What’s Next? AI in Women’s Health

    What’s Next? AI in Women’s Health
    Jan 14 2026
    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.
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    • Giles Crouch, Digital Anthropologist https://www.gilescrouch.com/
    • Dr. Gillian Einstein – University of Toronto Dr. Gillian Einstein U of T
    • Dr. Maria Migas, Menopause Specialist, Halifax, NS
    • Ujwal Arkalgud, Cultural Anthropologist, Author and Entrepreneur

    The Jetsons Pillcam Episode 1962: The Jetsons Pillcam (1962)

    The Fifth Wave is produced by Story Studio Network.
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    29 mins
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