Women's Health

Giving birth during the blizzard of 2022 – while fighting COVID

Carrie Clayton drove herself though downtown Toronto during January's record-breaking blizzard to give birth to her daughter. To make matters worse - Carrie also had COVID. This is her story.

National child-care program is worth celebrating but new mothers deserve more support

The federal government’s national $10-a-day child care program is cause for celebration. But there is a lot more that still needs to be done in both the public and private sectors to support parents post-partum.

Pandemic recovery plans must address gaps in reproductive health

As Canada turns toward pandemic recovery plans, we must ensure that these plans, and any mitigation strategies in response to future COVID-19 waves, address reproductive health for all of Canada.

Misleading label creates yet another barrier for IV iron use in pregnancy

In 2021, the FDA and EMA announced a new adverse event label for the use of intravenous (IV) iron in pregnancy. But the label is misleading and could worsen already inequitable access to an important treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy.

ADHD in females: Outdated criteria leading to missed diagnoses

I have ADHD, but it took nearly my whole life to receive a proper diagnosis. Unfortunately, I am not alone – females with this condition often go either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, since ADHD diagnostic criteria are male-oriented.

The fight for women’s autonomy must include those who wear the hijab

It's a battle to wake up and choose the hijab each day. I truly believe in this aspect of my faith, but the fear and experience of harassment and discrimination is a form of oppression I endure. I know this is a feeling shared by my peers in medicine.

Challenging oppressive maternity health care in Canada

Improving health care must begin by recognizing the interconnected webs of colonization woven into all health-care systems in Canada. A good place to start would be at the beginning – with maternity care and birth.

Ontario’s position on midwifery puts rural and Indigenous communities at risk

For the Ford government, midwives' demands for equitable pay are unacceptable. But instead of using tax dollars to fight midwives in court, Ford should recognize gender-based inequities, address the pay gap and invest in rural and northern midwifery programs.

Vaccination among the pregnant lagging despite growing evidence of safety and efficacy

Despite data showing the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women, uptake is still lagging. Here are some of the reasons why.

Promoting gender equity in healthy aging matters

Longer lives are one of the greatest achievements in medicine. Yet we see a diminished quality of life for many older adults, especially women, due to inequities institutionalized in health care. So how do we de-institutionalize these inequities?

How scientific evidence evolves: A case study on COVID-19 in pregnancy

Pregnant people are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. This is a well-established fact. But it hasn’t always been. Earlier on, experts did not believe this group was at higher risk. This change in perspective is normal: in fact, it's how science works.

Smart bras, molecular imaging and genome sequencing: Innovations take on breast cancer

What if a bra, taking images like an MRI, could detect breast cancer? With recent technological innovations, there may soon be cheap, non-invasive ways to screen people for breast cancer in their own homes.

Our Surgeries, Ourselves

Columnist Anne Borden King combines meticulous research with moving reflections about living with breast cancer to expose an overlooked form of medical paternalism and explore the thought-provoking relationship between one’s body and most intimate self-image.

Scrap the Pap

We need to switch from traditional Pap testing to oncogenic HPV screening to save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of cases of cervical cancer. The longer we put off switching, the more we needlessly put people at risk.

The need for no-cost contraception

Yesterday was World Contraception Day. Let's ensure that, by this time next year, Canadians have access to no-cost contraception. No one should have to ask, “Do I buy birth control this month, or food next week?”

‘We became more confident’: Pandemic proving value of no-touch abortions

The pandemic accelerated the roll out of telemedicine abortion care. Now, as restrictions on clinical medicine ease, we must consider whether to revert back to in-person assessments, or embrace telemedicine as a new normal.

When it comes to breastfeeding, we should practice what we preach

As medical professionals, we encourage breastfeeding in our patients, so why do hospitals make it so hard to breastfeed at work?

Preventing violence against older women: A time for action

There is an epidemic that is often overlooked that has gotten worse during COVID-19 – the abuse and neglect of older adults, particularly older women.

Family medicine-maternity care: A romantic idea facing an uncertain future

Physicians who practice family medicine and offer maternity care are shrinking in numbers. Their future is uncertain. What do we stand to lose?

Weaponizing science: Effort to misuse evidence to drive anti-abortion policy fails

A recent bill that misused research to justify restricting abortion rights was defeated in Parliament. But skewing scientific evidence this way still threatens our democracy.