My dad sometimes edits this newsletter, and always tells me how much he's learned about women's health from it (which always gets a raised eyebrow from my mom lol).

But he’s a boomer guy with two daughters and a wife and our collective health has dominated the family conversation for the last 5 years at least, so he’s not your average guy.

Or is he?

I’ve been sitting with this question a while now, observing the men in my family and elsewhere grapple with a way to deal with the health of the women they care for.

What should men's role in women's health be?

And it’s an important question for me because here’s the thing: we can’t move the needle on women’s health alone. And also we’re freaking exhausted so we shouldn’t be doing anything alone anyway.

So how do you turn men from uncomfortable bystanders into actual champions for all women's health? (Indulge my generalizing, I know some men have been championing away for ages but it is by no means common).

I put this question to my guest on this episode: Sanj Singh from Temple Therapeutics, a company working with precision medicine in women's health.

Sanj grew up with an OB-GYN mother, raised three daughters who are all in healthcare, and has made it his mission to disrupt the awkward silence from men around women's health.

​

What Sanj told me is this: curiosity is the first step to creating champions. I found this fascinating, even as I expressed some grumpiness about it -- it was a really great, candid conversation, and I’m glad Sanj was up for talking about it. We also talked about the difficulty of diagnosis for many women's health issues, and how this is a systemic problem.

​

​

​

I opened this episode with ‘man on the street’ snippets - hilariously, actual men, on the actual street, and was taken aback by how weirdly eager men were to talk about women's health to a random stranger with a mic.

It made me think about generational change, too. My teenage sons don’t flinch (at least outwardly) when I talk about ovaries, for example. My husband, who probably knows more about surgical menopause than any other dude for miles around, had a learning curve that was steep and painful. I suspect men's involvement in women's health differs wildly depending on generation - but that's just a hunch.

So, discuss. What do you think men's role in women's health should be?

I also mention the Recalculating newsletter in this episode, written by the marvelous Ignacio Pereyra. Ignacio's work is compelling because he writes so honestly about navigating masculinity, identity and fatherhood, and it's a fresh, compelling perspective. Check it out.

​

Also, thank you to everyone who wrote in after last week’s episode on perimenopause. I’m glad for every little bit of feedback I get from you guys. Honestly, it fuels me. I’m also working on making these newsletters available outside of your inbox soon.

... and, I’m back home in Nova Scotia for a short trip, and it's soul-soothing.

​

Wishing you the best of health,

Golda
​
​

​
➡️ Forward this email to someone who might find this episode useful. And if someone has forwarded this to you, you can get on the mailing list by signing up here.​

🩺You know this already but I'll say it anyway: what you hear and read on 'Overlooked' is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person's body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

​
​

​