Overlooked: Women's Health Can't Wait
Overlooked is an award-winning women's health podcast hosted by journalist Golda Arthur. It features immersive personal stories and conversations about women's health, exploring topics such as ovarian cancer, menopause, endometriosis, motherhood, and survivorship. The podcast aims to empower women by helping them advocate better for themselves, highlighting where inequality is felt most deeply.
Episodes
The cost of endometriosis, with Sanju Pal
Sanju Pal was a high-performing management consultant when she was told she had a cyst on her ovary the size of a Coke can. But sitting in her gynecologist's office, facing urgent surgery, all she could think about was her job.
That moment was the beginning of a seven year struggle through endometriosis, dismissal by her employer, and two employment tribunals - that ended in a landmark ruling esta
Understanding and treating PMDD, with Shalene Gupta
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD is an overlooked and under-researched condition - a severe form of PMS. Shalene Gupta is the author of ‘The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD’, a raw account of her experience with this condition. Shalene talks about the havoc it created in her life and her relationships, and the difficult path to finding effective treatment. She also traces P
What is Female Athlete Triad? with rock climber Jasna Hodžić
Jasna Hodžić is a writer, researcher - and avid rock climber, and she's built a life around the sport she loves. When she was in her mid-twenties, her gynecologist ran a hormone panel and sent her for a bone density scan, and what came back was the last thing she expected. Jasna had the bone density of someone decades older. She was, as she puts it, 'crumbling from within' - and she had no idea. T
PCOS, the brain, and what we're missing - with Elle Murata
Elle Murata is a neuroscientist with PCOS. When she was diagnosed - and dismissed in the same appointment - she designed a study and made herself the subject. This episode is about how PCOS is really a systemic disorder, how it impacts the brain, and what medicine still doesn’t know.
For a deeper dive into PCOS and this episode, subscribe to the newsletter: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/f8ebd7
Your health story - voices from the First Person Health workshop
This episode comes from our listeners, and features their stories about diagnosis and recovery, health and illness - documenting what they have lived through, how it has changed their bodies, and what this health journey has meant to them.
This episode features stories from Kasia Woźniak and Melissa Kirk.
These immersive and personal audio stories from our listener community come from First Perso
The woman who helped make tampons safer, with Nancy King Reame
Nancy King Reame, Professor Emerita at Columbia University's School of Nursing, has spent decades researching tampon safety. She was on the FDA task force that investigated the link between tampons and toxic shock syndrome in the early eighties - a deadly outbreak that killed dozens of women and affected hundreds more. Her research led to the absorbency scale printed on every box of tampons sold.
Cesarean births: the surgery that changes everything, with Helena Grant and Rachel Somerstein
Cesarean births are one of the most common operations in the world, and yet, we know surprisingly little about the impact and legacy of this surgery in our bodies.
Host Golda Arthur had two emergency cesarean births, and 20 years later, she's still making sense of their legacy. In this episode, she sits down with Rachel Somerstein, author of Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Sectio
Your health story, in your own words: voices from the First Person Health workshop
This episode comes from our listeners, and features their stories about diagnosis and recovery, health and illness - documenting what they have lived through, how it has changed their bodies, and what this health journey has meant to them. This episode features stories from Spencer Moore and Jen Johnson.These immersive and personal audio stories from our listener community have come out of First P
Knowing, and facing your cancer risk, with Michelle Zimmerman
A 'previvor' is a person who doesn't have cancer but carries a genetic risk for developing it. And if that's you, it can feel like you've suddenly been pulled into a world that can be overwhelming and scary. Michelle Zimmerman, CEO and co-founder of Previvor Edge, talks about what previvorship actually means, why people resist genetic testing, and how to move past the fear of knowing your cancer r
What a visit to the ER taught me about pain in women
In the last week of 2025, host Golda Arthur went to the emergency room with a sudden, intense headache. The scan showed nothing. But sitting in an uncomfortable chair with an IV in her arm, she realized something.
In this audio essay, Golda talks about her experience in the ER, and why pain - how we express it, what we know about it, how we treat it - will be a central theme of Overlooked in 2026.
One woman's journey to understand adenomyosis, with Cait Reeves
Cait Reeves lived with severe adenomyosis pain for years before getting a diagnosis. In this episode, she tells us about the struggle to be heard by doctors, the breakthrough moment when she found language to describe her pain - comparing it to a garden trowel carving into a pumpkin - and the changes that helped her reclaim her life. A listener-requested episode.
The newsletter has the backstory t
Migraine and hormones 101, with Dr Rashmi Halker Singh
This is a listener-requested episode about the connection between migraine and hormones - and one hormone in particular. You guessed it: estrogen. Dr Rashmi B. Halker Singh from The Mayo Clinic talks about migraine at puberty, pregnancy and perimenopause, and how the menstrual cycle can worsen migraine, which is considered a chronic condition. She outlines the symptoms, an approach to treatment, a
New ways to predict preeclampsia and save lives, with Dr Neel Shah
Preeclampsia is one of the most dangerous conditions in pregnancy, and we’ve struggled to see it coming. That’s changing fast, as tests to predict this condition are being developed. Dr Neel Shah is the chief medical officer of Maven Clinic and in this episode, we explore the breakthrough science that's finally solving the mystery of preeclampsia, what to know if you’re pregnant, and how new life-
Why do more women than men get Alzheimers? With Dr Gillian Einstein
Two-thirds of people with Alzheimer's are women, but we don't really know why. Dr. Gillian Einstein, who studies women’s brain health at the University of Toronto, is uncovering how life experiences like surgical menopause and caregiving stress in the 30s and 40s might plant the seeds of this disease decades before symptoms appear.For the backstory to this episode and a deeper dive on Alzheimers i
The rivalry that built birth control in America - women's health history with Stephanie Gorton
This episode steps back in time, to the origins of the fight for birth control. It wasn't led by one woman - it was shaped by a fierce rivalry between two: Margaret Sanger, who founded Planned Parenthood, and an overlooked figure from history, Mary Ware Dennett, who was the first person to ever take reproductive rights to Washington. Their different visions for birth control - and their bitter per
What should men's role in women's health be? with Sanj Singh
Golda hits the streets of Manhattan for an unscientific sampling to answer this question, then talks with Sanj Singh, CEO of Temple Therapeutics, about his mission to turn uncomfortable silence into curiosity, then advocacy from his fellow men. This episode explores how to turn men into not just supporters of the women they love, but advocates for systemic change. Because moving the needle on wome
No two experiences of menopause are the same - listener stories
https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/real-talk-on-menopause-myths-and-facts-with-dr-gillian-goddardThere is a huge diversity of experience in menopause, and we don't talk about that enough. We’re leaning into Menopause Awareness Month and taking the opportunity to hear about the aspects of menopause we don't talk about enough, through listener stories.Hear from Samantha Gattsek in the US, Ro
A new way of looking at endometriosis, with Rowan Gardner
Even a basic definition of endometriosis tells us a lot about why we need to rethink how we’re dealing with this condition. Rowan Gardner is co-founder of Precision Life, where she's using genetics to revolutionize how we understand endometriosis - breaking it into subtypes instead of treating it as one disease. We know that with endometriosis, the stakes are high, and the challenges are enormous
A 'Uterus in a Dish': How menstrual blood could revolutionize women's health research, with Morgan Stanton
Morgan Stanton's frustration with unanswered questions about her fibroids led her to start a company that's collecting menstrual blood to build better models of women's reproductive health. As CEO of Opal Therapeutics, she's creating "organoids" - miniature uteruses grown from menstrual blood - to help understand conditions like fibroids and endometriosis that affect millions of women but have bee
Ovarian Cancer Series: A genetic journey
Genetic testing is a powerful preventive tool for ovarian cancer, especially since there's no way to screen for this disease like we can with breast or cervical cancer. Golda's journey into prevention started with the results of a genetic test, which showed a gene mutation called RAD51C. But with that knowledge comes difficult decisions. She tells that story.And, Jason Rosenthal tells the story of
Ovarian Cancer Series: Innovators
Three innovators in ovarian cancer talk about their work in moving the needle: Oriana Papin Zogby from AOA Dx, Dr Ernst Lengyel from the University of Chicago, and Dr Jeanette Boudreau from Dalhousie University.Here's more on each of these guests:Oriana Papin Zogby: https://aoadx.com/our-team/Dr Ernst Lengyel: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/find-a-physician/physician/ernst-lengyelDr Jeanette Bou
Ovarian Cancer Series: Listening to the body
Three women share their experience of ovarian cancer symptoms - Erin Konrath, Jen Johnson and Susan Leighton. September is Ovarian Cancer month, and this is the first in a series of three episodes exploring this disease.Overlooked is a recipient of the AKR Foundation's Innovator Award, which made this series possible. Learn more about the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation here: https://www.amykrouse
Introducing Season 5: women's health can't wait
Overlooked is a podcast with a point of view: that women’s health can’t wait, not any more. And this season we’re bringing you fresh stories and conversations with the people who are moving the needle on women's health.
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health
conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda
Arthur, an audio journalist and prod
The lethal disparity in endometrial cancer for Black women, with Dr Kemi Doll
Why are Black women are less likely to survive endometrial cancer? It’s a deep-seated inequality, and Dr Kemi Doll has been treating patients and studying it for years. She explains what endometrial cancer is, why this lethal disparity exists, and why she thinks Black women are the ‘canary in the coal mine’ in women’s health. More about Dr Kemi Doll - https://www.uwmedicine.org/bios/kemi-dollMore
What is cancer survivorship, with Teresa Arthur, a.k.a Mom
What does it mean to survive a diagnosis, and live with cancer? For this episode, we return to the subject that launched the very first season of Overlooked: ovarian cancer, with Teresa Arthur - aka Golda’s Mom. Teresa was diagnosed in 2018 and has been living with recurring ovarian cancer for the last seven years, spending almost half of every year in chemotherapy treatment. She talks candidly wi
Breast self-exams and battling insurance: Jessica Baladad's survival story
When Jessica Baladad found a cancerous lump in her breast at 33 through a self-exam, it set her on a path not just to survive cancer but to become an advocate for women's health. She created a platform called "Feel for Your Life" to empower women to overcome fear, and financial barriers to take control of their breast health. In this conversation, Jessica shares the intimate details of her diagnos
The migraine diaries, with Sally Herships
Journalist Sally Herships has been dealing with debilitating migraines for most of her adult life. She shares her migraine audio diaries, and talks about how she has found ways to cope with migraine, which has often landed her in the emergency room. And, why is the connection between hormones and migraines so poorly understood, even though migraines affect more women than men?
Sally Herships’ wor
Dense Breasts 101, with Julie Gershon
If you’ve had a mammogram, and your results show you have dense breast tissue - here’s what you should know about it. Radiologist Julie Gershon talks about what it means for your health, and what you should do as a next step in breast cancer screening. More about our guest, Julie Gershon https://www.jgershon.com/More about dense breasts: https://www.areyoudense.org/What to listen to next: this epi
What is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder? with author Shalene Gupta
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD is a little-known and under-researched condition - a severe form of PMS. Shalene Gupta is the author of ‘The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD’, a raw account of her experience with this condition. Shalene talks about the havoc it created in her life, and the difficult path to finding effective treatment. Shalene also traces PMDD’s controversi
Surviving a ‘widowmaker’ heart attack, with Carolyn Thomas
Carolyn Thomas was having a heart attack when an emergency room doctor diagnosed her with acid reflux and sent her home. For two weeks, she continued experiencing symptoms while attempting to live normally—all while her heart was in crisis. She tells this extraordinary story of survival, and talks about how it turned her into an advocate for women’s heart health. Also in this conversation: gender
The dark history of the Dalkon Shield IUD, with Chikako Takeshita
Modern IUDs - intrauterine devices - are a safe form of contraception for most women. But this wasn’t always the case. Author Chikako Takeshita traces the history and development of these devices, originally created for population control in 1960s, and talks about one IUD in particular, the Dalkon Shield, which would cause widespread harm to the women who used it, and in some cases, had lethal con
The origin story of estrogen therapy, with Alison Li
What are the origins of HRT and estrogen therapy? Historian Alison Li takes us back to 1930s Canada, and the ‘endocrine gold rush’, when estrogen was extracted from hogs, then human placentas, and finally horses - to create the drug Premarin (the name comes from PREgnant MAre urINE). The making and marketing of estrogen therapy would shape how we think about menopause in particular, for decades to
Surviving an almost fatal brain aneurysm, with Alicia Trujillo
When journalist Alicia Trujillo felt a sudden, searing headache while swimming, she knew something was wrong. Doctors finally uncovered the cause a few days later - a ruptured aneurysm in her brain. In this episode, Alicia recounts the harrowing days leading up to her diagnosis, the emergency brain surgery that followed, and how it changed her outlook on life. There's still a ton we don't know abo
HPV, cervical cancer and the at-home screening test that could save your life, with Dr Anita Lim
Cervical cancer is preventable, but nobody really likes showing up at the gynecologist’s office to get their screening done - which is likely the reason the number of women who show up for screening has been falling. Now, a DIY screening kit will allow you to do the test at home. Dr Anita Lim is a cancer epidemiologist at King's College London and was the lead researcher on a major study measuring
Can we talk about menopause in the office yet, and what are menopause benefits?
Despite all the noise about menopause (and there’s a lot), there’s one place where we’re still not talking about it openly, and that’s the workplace. But that’s changing - slowly. Now, some companies are offering menopause benefits too. In this episode, we look at menopause in the workplace, and hear from Sarah Shepherd (Privia Health) and Isha Viij (Maven Clinic).Want more menopause stories? We'v
Managing pain from an IUD insertion, and the importance of the pelvic floor, with Carine Carmy
Earlier this year, the CDC updated its recommendations on pain management for IUD insertion (intrauterine devices used for birth control), which prompted Carine Carmy to share her story of how an IUD insertion sent her to the emergency room with severe pain, nausea, chills and a fever. She talks about what happened, and why we should have more in-depth conversations about pain management with our
The revelation of a midlife ADHD diagnosis, with Claire Tomkins
Claire Tomkins found out she had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in her early fifties, while going through perimenopause. When it comes to ADHD, women are generally under-diagnosed, and Claire talks about how this late diagnosis helped her understand her own actions and decisions, and the struggle of having ADHD and managing kids, jobs and relationships. Show notes:More on ADHD: We
A full hysterectomy could prevent cancer - but it also kickstarts menopause: Pamela Esposito-Amery’s story
When Pamela Esposito-Amery discovered she had a genetic predisposition to cancer, she took a decision to undergo a full hysterectomy - which also put her in ‘surgical’ menopause. Pamela talks about the physical and emotional impact of this life-changing procedure, as well as the work of her organization, Tell Every Amazing Lady (T.E.A.L), which she started with her sister, the late Louisa M. McGre
Innovating Ovarian Cancer Diagnostics, with Nicole Sandford, CEO of Aspira Women’s Health
How do you bring women’s health innovation to life when the healthcare system is set up to resist change? In this episode, Nicole Sandford, CEO of Aspira Women’s Health, shares the hurdles her company faces in pushing forward diagnostics for ovarian cancer. As a cancer survivor, she also reflects on how her personal health journey fuels her commitment to advancing care for women.Resources and Link
Discovering a borderline tumor in your 20s, with Lucy Rudd
Episode Summary:In this episode of Overlooked, host Golda Arthur speaks with Lucy Rudd, a biomedical scientist from the UK, who shares her powerful story of discovering a borderline ovarian tumor at just 28 years old. What began as a small lump quickly spiraled into a period of intense uncertainty, fear, and difficult decisions about her health and fertility. Lucy takes us through her journey of d
Not your mother's menopause, with Dr. Gillian Goddard
Episode Description:What’s the difference between menopause and perimenopause anyway? Is there such a thing as menopause misinformation? Why don’t we know more about menopause and HRT? Dr. Gillian Goddard, an endocrinologist and writer behind the Hot Flash newsletter, answers these and other important questions about menopause, debunking common myths and providing practical advice for how to talk
Sharing a difficult story about cervical screening, with writer Brittany Chaffee
Brittany Chaffee talks about navigating cervical health testing, and recounts the moment she received an alarming call from her doctor, leading to years of anxiety, biopsies, and eventually, a harrowing LEEP procedure. Brittany emphasizes the importance of talking publicly about women’s health to combat shame and isolation. Show notes:‘The powerful act of sharing our stories about women’s health.’
Creating a new path in women’s health: Oriana Papin-Zoghbi
Oriana Papin-Zoghbi is the co-founder of a women’s health startup called AOA Dx that is working towards early detection for ovarian cancer. Oriana talks about the challenges the company has faced in navigating the complex world of fundraising, the term ‘femtech’, and the experience of leading a startup dedicated to transforming women's health. Want to find out what's coming next on Overlooked, or
Where do we get our health information from? With Dr Brandi Sinkfield
How much do we really know about our bodies - and did we learn it in real time, when something went wrong, or on a scroll through social media? We need accurate, credible information that is relevant to our health, and in this episode, Dr Brandi Sinkfield, an anesthesiologist and the host of the Women’s Digital Health podcast, talks about ‘health literacy’, and the intersection of health and techn
Mapping the ovaries, with Dr. Kathleen E. O’Neill
We still have so much to learn about the ovaries, including describing and naming parts of these organs in detail. Dr. Kathleen O’Neill talks about her work with a multidisciplinary group of researchers to map the ovaries, in order to better understand their profound implications on women’s health.What to listen to next: the first episode of Overlooked, about one woman's journey with ovarian cance
Season 2: Women's Health Can't Wait
Welcome to Season 2 of Overlooked, where women's health is brought to life through immersive personal storytelling and in-depth conversations. In this episode, a transition from Season 1, host Golda Arthur shares her personal story with surgical menopause, has a conversation with her mother about moving forward, and hears from a listener who sent in her story.You can send your story too - write to
Endometriosis and Pain, with Gabrielle Jackson
Endometriosis is a complex condition and journalist Gabrielle Jackson has spent most of her life dealing with it. She tells her personal story, the pervasive issue of chronic pain in women, and the medical system's historic neglect of women's health.Gabrielle Jackson is the deputy editor of The Guardian Australia, and the author of ‘Pain and Prejudice, How the Medical System Ignores Women—And What
Bonus: A conversation about ovarian health with Dr Dianne Miller
In reporting and writing this series, I’ve become intrigued by the ovaries themselves and their underrated role in our overall health. In this episode, I talk to pioneering gynecological oncologist Dr Dianne Miller about why the ovaries are still so mysterious to us, and why we don’t talk about ovarian health more.For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com, where you can also g
India
Another recurrence to deal with, and then a long-awaited trip to India, to see my grandmother, as the series comes to a close. For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com, where you can also get in touch with us.New to the show? Start with episode 1, ‘Fluid Puppy’How you can support the show: Leave a review on Apple PodcastsHit the subscribe buttonSend this episode to someone wh
Survivorship
This episode hands the mic over to two other survivors of ovarian cancer - Susan Leighton, and Donna Peppin. Both Susan and Donna talk about how they're paying their survivorship forward, through advocacy.For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com, where you can also get in touch with us. New to the show? Start with episode 1, ‘Fluid Puppy’ How you can support the show:Leave a
Prevention
The cancer comes back again, and Mom starts a new round of chemo. At this point, I decided I would finally go and get a genetics test done for myself. In this episode, I talk to my genetics counselor, and my sister Esther, about the results of her test and what happened next for her. This episode features:Bonnie Federman, from New York Presbyterian. Esther ArthurFor more background on this episode
A new drug
In 2020, Mom was dealing with the covid pandemic as well as cancer. After her chemotherapy treatment ended, she started on a new drug, called niraparib, to try and prevent a recurrence. She would end up back in the emergency room, but this time, it wasn’t covid, or cancer. And, I talked to Dr Tracy Brooks for a deep dive on PARP inhibitors, a relatively new class of drugs used in cancer treatment.
Genetics
This episode features:Sarah DeFeo from OCRA.For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com, where you can also get in touch with us.How you can support the show: Leave a review on Apple PodcastsHit the subscribe buttonSend this episode to someone who would also find it a meaningful listen
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't g
Recurrence
Featuring:Dr James Bentley from Nova Scotia Health.Alison Ross, Director of Knowledge Mobilization at Ovarian Cancer Canada.Jennifer Barton, Director of the Bio5 Institute at the University of Arizona.For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com, where you can also get in touch with us.How you can support the show: Leave a review on Apple PodcastsHit the subscribe buttonSend this
Family
Caregiving, and even standing by as someone you love goes through cancer, is its own journey, and deserves its own episode.
This episode features Robin Arthur, and Pamela Esposito-Amery from Tell Every Amazing Lady.
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health
conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda
Arthur, an audio journalist and produce
Treatment
For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com, where you can also get in touch with us.Overlooked is an independently-produced podcast, and if you would like to support the show, you can:-Hit the subscribe button-Send this episode to someone who would also find it a meaningful listen-Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's
Diagnosis
For more background on this episode, head to overlookedpod.com
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically. DISCLAIME
'Fluid Puppy'
We begin in a hospital room, in Halifax, Canada, as a difficult moment is about to unfold. An introduction to Teresa, and to ovarian cancer as she and her family experienced it.
For more background on this episode, head to https://overlookedpod.com/
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health
conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda
Arth
Introducing Overlooked: a podcast about ovarian cancer
For more information on the show, go to www.overlookedpod.com.
ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically. DISCLAIME
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