51. The One Where Fibroids Get Mistreated with Nam Kiwanuka

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Fibroids, heavy periods, iron deficiency, anemia, exhaustion, women’s health, and medical dismissal are at the center of this powerful conversation with Nam Kiwanuka, award-winning journalist and host of the podcast '(MIS)Treated'.

Nam shares her deeply personal experience navigating years of debilitating symptoms, severe blood loss, and repeated dismissal within the healthcare system, before finally receiving appropriate care for fibroids. Together, we explore the enormous physical, emotional, financial, and systemic impact of untreated women’s health concerns — especially for women who have been taught to normalize pain, exhaustion, and suffering.

This episode is an honest conversation about what happens when women are not listened to, the shame that often surrounds reproductive health, and why better advocacy, education, and healthcare systems are urgently needed.

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Key Takeaways:

• Fibroids affect a huge percentage of women, yet many still struggle for years to receive appropriate care
• Heavy periods and severe fatigue are often normalized, even when they are signs of significant blood loss and iron deficiency
• Medical dismissal can have profound impacts on a woman’s body, mental health, relationships, career, and overall quality of life
• Women and minorities were not required to be included in clinical trials until 1993, contributing to major gaps in women’s healthcare research
• Shame and stigma keep many women from openly discussing symptoms related to menstruation and reproductive health
• The economic costs of untreated women’s health conditions extend far beyond healthcare spending and affect productivity, careers, and families
• Storytelling and lived experience are powerful tools for creating awareness and driving systemic healthcare change

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You may also enjoy:

• '(MIS)Treated' hosted by Nam Kiwanuka
• EP 13: The One Where Your Period Is A Pain

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Guest Info:

Nam Kiwanuka is an award-winning journalist and the host/producer of TVO’s '(MIS)Treated', a podcast on women's health. She has hosted 'The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka', 'The Agenda in the Summer', and co-hosted 'The Agenda with Steve Paikin'. She also contributes to columns for TVO.org.

Originally from Uganda, Nam spent her early years in a refugee camp in Kenya before settling in London, Ontario. She's lived and worked in the UK, the USA, and Sierra Leone. Her remarkable career in journalism includes roles as the first Black woman in Canada to host a magazine sports show with NBAXL and CFL Crunch on Sportsnet, as a VJ / videographer at MuchMusic, and writing a column for the BBC’s 'Focus on Africa'. She's interviewed Britney Spears, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, and Africa's first female head of state and Nobel Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, plus many more newsmakers.

Beyond her professional work, she’s a passionate plant collector with a collection to rival Allan Gardens, and is determined to perfect her chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Learn more about '(MIS)Treated': TVO.org/podcasts/mistreated

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Dr. Sarah Vadeboncoeur is a Naturopathic Doctor, mom, and fatigue fixer who’s on a mission to help women fix their fatigue and get the health care they deserve. You can find her talking about all things fatigue on Instagram and learn more about her services at drsarahv.ca.

The Fatigue Fixer is produced by Story Studio Network.