In the News: Amy Flood featured on The Discovery Pod

Amy Flood, Executive Director of Women’s Health Collective Canada, was recently featured on The Discovery Pod to discuss the urgent need to close Canada’s women’s health research funding gap — with only 7% of national health research dollars dedicated to women’s health, and just 2.5% when oncology is excluded. She shares how the organization is addressing this disparity through partnerships, advocacy, and public education, and highlights opportunities for systemic change — from advancing gender-based research standards to tackling the $3–3.5 billion annual cost of unmanaged menopause symptoms.

Listen now!

The Road to a Revolutionary At-home Circulating Tumour DNA Test for HPV: A Conversation with Dr. Annie Leung

Pap tests have long saved lives, but they can be uncomfortable—especially for women in remote or underserved communities. Recent innovations, like the HPV vaccine and the rollout of at-home self-sampling in parts of Canada, are opening new possibilities for prevention and earlier detection. These advances show how cervical cancer screening is evolving beyond the traditional clinic exam, offering hope for more comfortable and equitable care.

Dr. Annie Leung, a gynecologic oncologist at the McGill University Health Centre and Assistant Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology at McGill, cares for patients across the cancer journey while leading research to improve detection through biomarkers like circulating tumor DNA. Her collaborators, which include Dr. Julia Burnier, a liquid biopsy experts, and Dr. Samara Perez, a clinical psychologist with an interest in HPV, are pioneering a non-binary liquid biopsy that could help doctors identify which HPV-positive patients truly need follow-up — reducing unnecessary procedures and moving Canada closer to eliminating cervical cancer.

In this interview, she shares her journey and what’s next for women’s health innovation.

Dr. Leung’s journey to medical school

“I come from an immigrant family from Hong Kong. We had language barriers growing up, and I learned to navigate them through the Canadian healthcare system. But, like many immigrants, accessing care for my family and navigating that for my mom, my two older sisters, and my father was a challenge,” Dr. Annie Leung explains. “Things like getting my mom a mammogram, my sister getting her first pap test, were difficult, but I had an interest in health, and I learned how to navigate through that. I sympathized with what some of the challenges were, and I became interested in science and technology.” 

But medicine wasn’t where Leung began.

“I did my studies in system design engineering at Waterloo. I loved math, loved physics, and I was interested in building devices, and I liked working with my hands. Biomed and core engineering didn’t really come up until towards the end of my undergrad, and I started looking into it, and was like: ‘this is really cool’.”

After finding her way to medical school after a year at a startup where she helped develop tiny optical and imaging devices, Leung has now brought all her experience together in what she and her team are currently developing and researching. 

Why Women’s Health?

“I think I gravitated towards women’s health because it’s so pervasive how illness affects women. I think we’ve all heard it in different ways, but when a woman gets sick, the whole family and her community are impacted. And that’s so, so true –  even to this day.” Leung goes on to explain the ripple effect of making a woman healthier. “Her children are going be taken care of, her parents, her partner, all those people within her circle. I felt a great reward with that. That’s kind of how I landed in gynecologic oncology.”

Complexity of Screening for and Eradicating Cervical Cancer 

“I had a chance to go to Uganda as a medical student, and then to Brazil as an obstetrics and gynecology trainee. I saw that cervical cancer was a huge problem. It wasn’t really on my radar at that point, because in school, at least in textbooks, we know that there is an HPV vaccine that can eliminate cervical cancer, and we see that in a really well-organized program, like Australia has, they’re going to achieve elimination very soon – in the next 5 to 10 years.” Leung said.

Seeing the discrepancy and knowing that there’s a way to eradicate cervical cancer, Leung began to ask herself. “Why is this so difficult? Why are people still experiencing cervical cancer?” She admits that it got her engineering wheels turning. Particularly with the discomfort and inconvenience of pap smears. “It’s a problem on multiple levels that made the complexity really interesting to  me.” 

This complexity comes from a number of factors. One that some associate pap smears with shame, and don’t want to see a doctor. Two, the speculum exam is simply uncomfortable and invasive. Three, women often don’t put themselves first, in favour of addressing more immediate needs.  “Women tend to put themselves second, third, fourth, last,” she said, continuing: “It’s like, ‘I have to take care of my family, I can’t take a bike ride to the closest clinic, which is two hours away for a pap test. That’s just not something that I’m thinking about right now. I have more immediate needs; my family needs food on the table.’” And lastly, four, there’s the stigma that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease.

Vaccine Hesitancy and Repercussions of Misunderstanding HPV 

Leung explains that HPV has a marketing problem, that it hasn’t been explained to the public and to families in a way that removes the stigma. 

“In medicine, we talk about human papillomavirus, which is the cause of the majority of cervical cancer, as a sexually transmitted disease. Absolutely, it is. That is the truth. But what’s not talked about is that eight out of ten individuals who have ever been sexually active have contracted the HPV virus at some point in their lives, so it’s super common. It’s not something to be ashamed of, but we have a taboo in our society.” Leung says.  “I think of the HPV vaccine not as the vaccine against sexually transmitted disease, although it is. It’s a cancer prevention vaccine.” 

As a result, some people aren’t getting vaccinated or screened, and unfortunately, Leung still sees cervical cancer that can have significant implications for women, including young women who have their dreams of having a family taken away from them.

“I want to prevent cervical cancer from happening.” Leung says, “That takes me to why I got interested in the research aspect.”

Team Goal to Make Screening for HPV Easier

Leung, who describes herself as “a small piece of the puzzle,” works with a team that consists of Dr. Julia Burnier, a close collaborator, Dr. Samara Perez, a clinical psychologist with an interest in HPV, and many clinicians who work with patients and collect samples. Their idea is to make the current care simpler and more convenient by looking at liquid biopsies as a way to detect specific levels of HPV.

 “The pap smear is difficult because it requires a patient to come to a clinic, have an internal exam, wait for the results, wait for a phone call, and then, if it’s abnormal, they’re asked to travel and come back for a second exam called colposcopy,” Leung explains.

While it doesn’t sound simple, Leung and her team are taking a more technical approach to try to eliminate the need for those exams with at-home screening.  “When I first started, I had a conversation with Dr. Burnier, who was working on liquid biopsy in different types of cancers. Liquid biopsy is the concept that cells in our body slough off different components, which are sometimes called circulating tumour cells.  Tumour DNA, or extracellular vesicles – a lot of terminologies, but you can just think of these as packages of components from the cells that are being sloughed off. The other important part is that we use the word tumour, but tumour is a very generic term for just a bunch of cells. It’s not necessarily cancer.  It can just be any cells in your body. So what we learned is that cells can send these message components, and we can detect them in things like blood, urine, saliva and vaginal fluid that you can collect. Either by a pap test that a doctor takes, or what we call a self-collected vaginal swab. 

What does it mean for patients?

“A self-collected vaginal swab is how we are moving towards cervical cancer screening. So, it’s essentially a Q-tip. A long Q-tip that a woman can insert into her vagina in the comfort of her own home. Send it off to the mail for analysis, and they can get the results,” Leung explains. “Imagine if I can do it on my own time, in the comfort of my own home, and I’m not necessarily scared about the potential discomfort of the exam. The uptake would be higher.”

The first step towards this self-administered test is already in motion in BC. “I think we should be very proud to be Canadian, because British Columbia is actually one of the first places that established self-collection as an accurate and viable option for screening. They’re rolling it out now, so it’s very much a Canadian initiative. It’s happening since January 2025 – it’s hot off the press!”

The difference between the existing test and Leung’s innovation

“The challenge we face with HPV testing is that there are a lot of positive test results that end up being nothing,” Leung explains. “Meaning that your body’s own immune system, just like any virus, like if we have a cold, we clear the cold, we feel better. Some people get the cold, and they get really sick. But that’s the minority. HPV is similar in that a lot of people have the virus. Their own immune system, if otherwise healthy, can clear it. It doesn’t cause any cervical abnormalities.” 

That’s for most people. What Leung is working on with her team is to help those who can’t clear the virus know if they have a persistent HPV.

“There is a subset, and the trick is how do we identify that subset of women who are going to have the virus, and cannot clear it, and it’s going to cause a problem on their cervix. That’s the holy grail of knowing who we actually have to take to the clinic and see someone like me or a gynecologist. So right now, the HPV test is a very helpful first tool for screening patients who have what we call a high-risk Human Papillomavirus. There are strains called 16 and 18 that we know are the most common. Those are the people that we really want to see in the clinic. Beyond that, it’s a binary yes-no. Do you have the HPV virus? Yes or no? We would love to be more specific in saying, yeah, you have the virus, but is it at a level or at a point where we need to be worried and you need to see a doctor? Because we don’t want to worry women unnecessarily.”

That’s exactly what they’re working on – a test that can pinpoint the level of HPV a person has, versus a yes/no answer – a level that can determine the next course of action. Not only is this practical for women, it will also have significant implications for how resources are used in the healthcare system. “We also don’t want to overwhelm gynecologists who are trying to take care of women in other ways as well, like menopause symptoms, bleeding, contraception, all the other really, really important initiatives. And we don’t want their clinics to be overwhelmed with trying to sort out abnormal HPV tests that would not ultimately cause cervical issues. Circulating tumour DNA testing is not a binary test. It gives you a level. We don’t have a set threshold, and that’s why this is part of our research.”

Leung goes on to explain that while some women might have a positive result, most of the time it clears. And if the level isn’t too high, the test would allow doctors to monitor it and ask patients to repeat the test in a year because they don’t have a worrisome level. For patients with high levels – levels that might have them at risk for cancer or pre-cancer – this test could help them get care much sooner rather than ending up on a waitlist. 

“What circulating tumour DNA offers is a way to know how to prioritize patients. That’s going to help the healthcare system, and also, hopefully, minimize some of the anxiety that comes from doing the testing and uncomfortable exams.“

Along with making it easier to test,  Leung and her team are also looking at the types of samples that could be used. “In Montreal, we have a bank of 300 patients who have generously offered their samples with blood, urine, pap, and vaginal swabs. We’re comparing the performance across the different types of samples we’re collecting. We know that some women prefer giving one type of sample over another. Because the choice is power,” Leung says.

“In my practice, McGill is the primary referral site for Northern Quebec, where we have many of our Indigenous patients who have to travel very far for screening and treatment. If we can offer self-sampling paired with information from circulating tumour DNA, can we give them a better sense of whether they need to come for a checkup and make the travel.”

Could the Pap Smear be Eliminated?

“I think it’s important that we are not throwing it away, because one, there is a group of women who feel more comfortable seeing a doctor, talking through the process, and having that exam, and going back to choice is power, if a woman chooses that, I think we should definitely keep offering it. But from a technical standpoint and a cervical cancer elimination standpoint, I can definitely see it’s possible, but we’re not quite there yet,” Leung explains hopefully.

If Clinical Trials Are Now, When Will This Be Available to the Public?

I think if all goes well, scientifically, we can probably prove that the circulating tumor DNA paired with the HPV test is a good option, probably in 5-10 years,” Leung says while acknowledging the time it takes for new drugs, tech, and devices to get Health Canada approval. “It’s going to take some time, but that is the timeline we’re striving for!”

Next Steps?

“We’re publishing the first 130 samples and the results of them. We have another publication coming through for what we call the long-term follow-up for these patients. We also have more of a qualitative implementation angle, where we are interviewing clinicians and patients as to how they see liquid biopsy fitting within the care model, because as we know, having a tool like the vaccine is great, but if no one uses it, then it is not helpful” Leung says outlining how the process to approval goes “And then I have a grant from McGill Global health to do small pilots within the Indigenous communities.”

All of this comes as the World Health Organization made a declaration to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. 

“There is still so much, so much work to be done, even though we have the tools. I’m very, very humbly, a tiny, tiny piece of that. I feel very privileged to be part of it,” Leung explains.

Dr. Leung’s Wish for Women’s Health

“I would love to engage all individuals, no matter how they identify themselves, to see this as a priority … to think about sex and gender issues in your research projects, so that it just becomes second nature, because this is the culture of who we are,” Dr.Leung said. Concluding with “I feel like Canada can be the leader in saying that women’s health is equally important, and I think we can be leaders in showing that there’s no difference.” 

Vers un test d’ADN révolutionnaire à domicile pour le VPH : une conversation avec la Dre Annie Leung

Les tests Pap sauvent des vies depuis longtemps, mais ils peuvent être inconfortables, surtout pour les femmes vivant dans des communautés éloignées ou mal desservies. Des innovations récentes, comme le vaccin contre le VPH et le déploiement de l’autoprélèvement à domicile dans certaines régions du Canada, ouvrent de nouvelles possibilités de prévention et de détection précoce. Ces progrès montrent comment le dépistage du cancer du col de l’utérus évolue au-delà de l’examen clinique traditionnel, offrant l’espoir de soins plus confortables et équitables. La Dre Annie Leung, gynécologue-oncologue au Centre universitaire de santé McGill et professeure adjointe en obstétrique et gynécologie à McGill, prend en charge les patientes tout au long de leur parcours contre le cancer et dirige des recherches visant à améliorer la détection grâce à des biomarqueurs comme l’ADN tumoral circulante. Ses collaboratrices, dont la Dre Julia Burnier, experte en biopsie liquide, et la Dre Samara Perez, psychologue clinicienne spécialisée dans le VPH, sont pionnières dans la biopsie liquide non binaire qui pourrait aider les médecins à identifier les patientes positives au VPH qui ont réellement besoin d’un suivi, réduisant ainsi les interventions inutiles et rapprochant le Canada de l’élimination du cancer du col de l’utérus. Dans cette entrevue, elle partage son parcours et les perspectives d’avenir en matière d’innovation en santé des femmes. Le parcours de la Dre Leung vers la faculté de médecine « Je viens d’une famille d’immigrants qui viennent de Hong Kong. Nous avons grandi avec des barrières linguistiques, et j’ai appris à les surmonter dans le système de santé canadien. Mais, comme beaucoup d’immigrants, l’accès aux soins pour ma famille et pour ma mère, mes deux sœurs aînées et mon père a été un défi », explique la Dre Annie Leung. « Des choses comme faire passer une mammographie à ma mère ou faire passer son premier test Pap à ma sœur ont été difficiles, mais je m’intéressais à la santé et j’ai appris à les surmonter. J’ai compris certains des défis que cela représentait et je me suis intéressée aux sciences et à la technologie. » Mais la médecine n’est pas le domaine dans lequel Leung a débuté. J’ai fait mes études en génie de la conception de systèmes à Waterloo. J’adorais les maths et la physique, et je m’intéressais à la construction d’appareils et au travail manuel. J’ai vraiment abordé le génie biomédical et de base vers la fin de mes études de premier cycle. J’ai commencé à m’y intéresser et je me suis dit : “C’est vraiment génial”. Après avoir trouvé la voie de la médecine après une année passée dans une start-up où elle a contribué au développement de minuscules dispositifs optiques et d’imagerie, Leung a mis toute son expérience au service de ce qu’elle et son équipe développent et étudient actuellement. Pourquoi la santé des femmes ? « Je pense que je me suis intéressée à la santé des femmes parce que la maladie les touche de manière omniprésente. Je pense qu’on l’a tous entendu de différentes façons, mais quand une femme tombe malade, toute sa famille et sa communauté sont touchées. Et c’est tellement vrai, même aujourd’hui.Leung poursuit en expliquant l’effet domino d’une meilleure santé pour les femmes. « On va prendre soin de ses enfants, de ses parents, de son partenaire, de tout le monde dans son entourage. J’en ai tiré une grande satisfaction. C’est un peu comme ça que je suis arrivée en oncologie gynécologique. » La complexité du dépistage et de l’éradication du cancer du col de l’utérus « J’ai eu la chance d’aller en Ouganda comme étudiante en médecine, puis au Brésil comme stagiaire en obstétrique-gynécologie. J’ai trouvé que le cancer du col de l’utérus était un problème majeur. Ce n’était pas vraiment une priorité pour moi à l’époque, car à l’école, du moins dans les manuels scolaires, on sait qu’il existe un vaccin contre le VPH qui peut éliminer le cancer du col de l’utérus, et on voit que grâce à un programme très bien organisé, comme celui de l’Australie, on parviendra à l’éliminer très bientôt, d’ici 5 à 10 ans », a déclaré Leung. Constatant cette disparité et sachant qu’il existe un moyen d’éradiquer le cancer du col de l’utérus, Leung a commencé à se demander : « Pourquoi est-ce si difficile ? Pourquoi des personnes continuent-elles d’avoir un cancer du col de l’utérus ? » Elle admet que cela a stimulé sa réflexion d’ingénieure, notamment en ce qui concerne l’inconfort et les désagréments liés au frottis. « C’est un problème à plusieurs niveaux qui a rendu sa complexité vraiment intéressante pour moi. » Cette complexité découle de plusieurs facteurs. Premièrement, certaines personnes associent le frottis à la honte et ne veulent pas consulter un médecin. Deuxièmement, l’examen au spéculum est tout simplement inconfortable et invasif. Troisièmement, les femmes ne se donnent souvent pas la priorité, préférant répondre à des besoins plus immédiats. « Les femmes ont tendance à se mettre au second plan », explique-t-elle, avant de poursuivre : « C’est comme si je me disais : “Je dois prendre soin de ma famille, je ne peux pas faire de vélo jusqu’à la clinique la plus proche, qui est à deux heures de route pour un frottis. Ce n’est tout simplement pas une chose à laquelle je pense en ce moment. J’ai des besoins plus immédiats ; ma famille a besoin de nourriture.” » Et enfin, quatrièmement, il y a la stigmatisation selon laquelle le VPH est une maladie sexuellement transmissible. Hésitation face à la vaccination et répercussions d’une mauvaise compréhension du VPH Leung explique que le VPH pose un problème de marketing : il n’a pas été expliqué au public et aux familles de manière à lever la stigmatisation. En médecine, on parle du virus du papillome humain, responsable de la majorité des cancers du col de l’utérus, comme d’une maladie sexuellement transmissible. Absolument. C’est la vérité. Mais ce dont on ne parle pas, c’est que huit personnes sur dix ayant eu une vie sexuelle active ont contracté le VPH à un moment ou à un autre de leur vie ; c’est donc très courant. Ce n’est pas quelque chose dont il faut avoir honte, mais c’est un tabou dans notre société. » explique Leung. « Je ne considère pas le vaccin contre le VPH comme un vaccin contre les maladies transmissibles sexuellement, même si c’est le cas. C’est un vaccin préventif contre le cancer.» Par conséquent, certaines personnes ne se font pas vacciner ou dépister, et malheureusement, Leung constate encore des cas de cancer du col de l’utérus qui peuvent avoir des conséquences importantes pour les femmes, y compris les jeunes femmes qui voient leur rêve de fonder une famille brisé. « Je veux prévenir le cancer du col de l’utérus.» explique Leung. « C’est pourquoi je me suis intéressée à la recherche.Objectif de l’équipe : faciliter le dépistage du VPH Leung, qui se décrit comme « une petite pièce du casse-tête », travaille avec une équipe composée de la Dre Julia Burnier, une proche collaboratrice, de la Dre Samara Perez, psychologue clinicienne spécialisée dans le VPH, et de nombreux cliniciens qui interviennent auprès des patients et prélèvent des échantillons. Leur idée est de simplifier et de rendre plus pratiques les soins actuels en envisageant les biopsies liquides comme moyen de détecter des niveaux spécifiques de VPH. « Le test Pap est complexe, car il oblige la patiente à se rendre à la clinique, à subir un examen interne, à attendre les résultats, à recevoir un appel téléphonique, puis, si le résultat est anormal, à se déplacer et à revenir pour un deuxième examen appelé colposcopie », explique Leung. Bien que cela ne semble pas simple, Leung et son équipe adoptent une approche plus technique pour tenter d’éliminer la nécessité de ces examens grâce au dépistage à domicile. « À mes débuts, j’ai parlé avec la Dre Burnier, qui travaillait sur la biopsie liquide en différents types de cancers. La biopsie liquide est le concept selon lequel les cellules de notre corps se débarrassent de différents composants, parfois appelés cellules tumorales circulantes. L’ADN tumoral ou les vésicules extracellulaires sont des termes très divers, mais on peut les considérer comme des ensembles de composants cellulaires qui se détachent. L’autre point important est qu’on utilise le terme « tumeur », mais « tumeur » est un terme très générique désignant simplement un groupe de cellules. Ce n’est pas nécessairement un cancer. Il peut s’agir de n’importe quelle cellule de votre corps. Nous avons donc appris que les cellules peuvent envoyer ces messages et que nous pouvons les détecter dans des éléments comme le sang, l’urine, la salive et les sécrétions vaginales que vous pouvez prélever, soit par un test Pap effectué par un médecin, soit par un prélèvement vaginal auto-prélevé. Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire pour les patients ? « L’auto-prélèvement vaginal est la voie vers le dépistage du cancer du col de l’utérus. C’est essentiellement un coton-tige. Un long coton-tige qu’une femme peut insérer dans son vagin dans le confort de son foyer. Elle l’envoie ensuite par la poste pour analyse, et on lui donne les résultats », explique Leung. « Imaginez si je pouvais le faire à mon rythme, dans le confort de mon foyer, sans craindre l’inconfort potentiel de l’examen. Le taux de participation serait plus élevé. » La première étape vers ce test autoadministré est déjà en cours en Colombie-Britannique. « Je pense que nous devrions être très fiers d’être Canadiens, car la Colombie-Britannique est l’un des premiers endroits à avoir établi l’auto-prélèvement comme une option de dépistage fiable et fiable. Le déploiement est en cours, il s’agit donc d’une initiative entièrement canadienne. Elle est en cours depuis janvier 2025 ; elle vient tout juste d’être publiée ! » La différence entre le test existant et l’innovation de Leung « Le défi du dépistage du VPH est que de nombreux résultats positifs ne sont finalement pas concluants », explique Leung. « Autrement dit, le système immunitaire, comme pour tout virus, élimine le rhume et se sent mieux. Certaines personnes attrapent un rhume et tombent gravement malades. Mais c’est une minorité. Le VPH est semblable : plusieurs personnes sont porteuses du virus. Leur propre système immunitaire, s’il est sain, peut l’éliminer. Il ne cause aucune anomalie cervicale. » Ça concerne la plupart des personnes. Leung et son équipe travaillent à aider celles qui ne parviennent pas à éliminer le virus à savoir si elles ont un VPH persistant. Il existe un sous-ensemble de femmes, et la difficulté est d’identifier celles qui seront infectées par le virus, incapables de l’éliminer et qui risquent de causer un problème au niveau du col de l’utérus. C’est le Saint Graal : savoir qui amener à la clinique et consulter quelqu’un comme moi ou un gynécologue. Actuellement, le test HPV est un premier outil très utile pour dépister les patientes atteintes de ce qu’on appelle un papillomavirus humain à haut risque. Il existe les souches 16 et 18, que nous savons être les plus courantes. Ce sont ces personnes qu’on veut vraiment voir en clinique. Au-delà de ça, c’est une question binaire oui-non. Avez-vous le virus du VPH ? Oui ou non ? Nous aimerions être plus précis en disant : oui, vous avez le virus, mais est-il à un niveau ou à un point où il faut s’inquiéter et vous devez consulter un médecin ? Parce que nous ne « On ne veut pas inquiéter les femmes inutilement.» C’est précisément ce sur quoi ils travaillent : un test capable de déterminer le niveau de VPH d’une personne, plutôt qu’une réponse par oui ou par non, un niveau qui peut déterminer la conduite à tenir. Non seulement c’est pratique pour les femmes, mais cela aura également des implications importantes sur l’utilisation des ressources du système de santé. « Nous ne voulons pas non plus submerger les gynécologues qui s’efforcent également de prendre en charge les femmes d’autres manières, comme les symptômes de la ménopause, les saignements, la contraception et toutes ces autres initiatives vraiment importantes. Et nous ne voulons pas que leurs cliniques soient submergées par la recherche de résultats anormaux au test VPH qui, à terme, n’entraîneraient pas de problèmes cervicaux. Le test d’ADN des tumeurs circulantes n’est pas un test binaire. Il indique un niveau. Nous n’avons pas de seuil fixe, et c’est pourquoi il fait partie de nos recherches.» Leung poursuit en expliquant que même si certaines femmes peuvent avoir un résultat positif, la plupart du temps, le résultat disparaît. Si le taux n’est pas trop élevé, le test permettrait aux médecins de le surveiller et de demander aux patientes de le répéter dans un an, car elles n’ont pas de taux inquiétant. Pour les patientes présentant des taux élevés – des taux qui pourraient les exposer à un risque de cancer ou de précancer – ce test pourrait les aider à obtenir des soins beaucoup plus rapidement plutôt que de se retrouver sur une liste d’attente. L’ADN tumoral circulante permet de prioriser les patientes. Cela aidera le système de santé et, espérons-le, de réduire l’anxiété liée aux tests et aux examens inconfortables. » En plus de simplifier les tests, Leung et son équipe étudient aussi les types d’échantillons qui pourraient être utilisés. « À Montréal, nous avons une banque de 300 patientes qui ont généreusement offert leurs échantillons de sang, d’urine, de Pap et d’écouvillonnage vaginal. Nous comparons la performance des différents types d’échantillons que nous collectons. Nous savons que certaines femmes préfèrent donner un type d’échantillon plutôt qu’un autre. « Parce que le choix est un pouvoir », explique Leung. « Dans ma pratique, McGill est le principal centre de référence pour le Nord-du-Québec, où bon nombre de nos patientes autochtones doivent se déplacer très loin pour un dépistage et un traitement. Si nous pouvons offrir l’autoprélèvement combiné à des données sur l’ADN tumoral circulante, pouvons-nous leur donner une meilleure idée de la nécessité de se déplacer pour un examen de santé.» Le test Pap pourrait-il être éliminé ? « Je pense qu’il est important de ne pas le jeter à la poubelle, car il existe un groupe de femmes qui se sentent plus à l’aise de consulter un médecin, de discuter du processus et de subir cet examen. Si une femme choisit cette option, je pense qu’on devrait absolument la maintenir. « Mais d’un point de vue technique et pour l’élimination du cancer du col de l’utérus, je vois bien que c’est possible, mais nous n’y sommes pas encore tout à fait », explique Leung avec espoir. Si les essais cliniques ont lieu maintenant, quand le test sera-t-il accessible au public ? Je pense que si tout se passe bien, scientifiquement, nous pourrons probablement prouver que l’ADN tumoral circulante associé au test VPH est une bonne option, probablement d’ici 5 à 10 ans », déclare Leung, tout en reconnaissant le temps nécessaire pour que les nouveaux médicaments, technologies et dispositifs soient approuvés par Santé Canada. « Ça va prendre du temps, mais c’est l’échéancier qu’on vise !» Prochaines étapes ? « Nous publions les 130 premiers échantillons et leurs résultats. Une autre publication est en préparation concernant ce que nous appelons le suivi à long terme de ces patientes. Nous adoptons également une approche plus qualitative de la mise en œuvre, en interrogeant les cliniciens et les patientes sur la place qu’elles accordent à la biopsie liquide dans le modèle de soins. Car, comme nous le savons, un outil comme le vaccin est formidable, mais si personne ne l’utilise, il ne sert à rien », explique Leung, décrivant le processus d’approbation. « De plus, j’ai reçu une subvention de McGill Santé mondiale pour mener des projets pilotes à petite échelle au sein des communautés autochtones. » Tout cela survient alors que l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé s’est engagée à éliminer le cancer du col de l’utérus d’ici 2030. « Il reste encore énormément de travail à faire, même si nous avons les outils nécessaires. J’en suis, très humblement, une toute petite partie. Je me sens très privilégiée d’y participer », explique Leung. Le souhait du Dr Leung pour la santé des femmes « J’aimerais que chacun, quelle que soit son identité, considère cela comme une priorité… qu’il réfléchisse aux questions de sexe et de genre dans ses projets de recherche, afin que cela devienne une seconde nature, car c’est notre culture », a déclaré le Dr Leung. Il a conclu en disant : « Je pense que le Canada peut être un chef de file en affirmant que la santé des femmes est tout aussi importante, et je pense que nous pouvons être des leaders en démontrant qu’il n’y a pas de différence. »

Women’s Health Collective Canada Launches Vital Talks National Seminar Series with the Support of Vichy Laboratoires

From Menopause to Menstruation and Beyond, Vital Talks Bring Vital Science to Women

Toronto, ON (Sept. 15, 2025) — Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) is proud to announce the launch of Vital Talks, a new national online seminar series bringing together leading researchers, clinicians, and voices with lived experience to spotlight the science shaping better care for women across the lifespan. The first event, Elevating the Standard of Menopause Care, presented by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™, with the support of Vichy Laboratoires, will stream on October 29, 2025 from 1 – 3 p.m. ET. The Vital Talks series is made possible with additional support from WHCC partners Organon Canada, Hologic, and Healthing.ca.

Vital Talks brings cutting-edge science directly to women — providing credible information and tools for their lifelong health journey. Too often, women carry a silent burden, indicating they feel misunderstood or unsupported when it comes to their health. A quantitative Kantar study commissioned by Vichy, surveying over 2,000 women worldwide, found that two out of three struggle in silence when facing the impact of hormonal changes on their mental and physical well-being — feeling misunderstood, unsupported, or uninformed. Vital Talks addresses this by equipping women with the information and confidence to navigate every stage of their health journey.

The first session, Vital Talks: Elevating the Standard of Menopause Care, presented by Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health^TM streams on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 1 – 3 p.m. ET. It will feature: Nneka Ezurike, pharmacist and pharmacy owner, co-founder of Black Pharmacy Professionals of Canada, and board member, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™; Dr. Iliana Lega, endocrinologist and researcher at Women’s College Hospital, and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto; Rachel Ollivier, women’s health researcher; Shirley Weir, speaker, author and menopause expert; and Dr. Nese Yuksel, professor and Vice Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, and President, Canadian Menopause Society. The discussion will be moderated by health and wellness journalist Sarah Moore.

Hosted in English with French translation available, the session will chart how our understanding of menopause has evolved, and what women should know now — from recognizing symptoms and navigating care to evidence-based treatment options, and what’s ahead in research. It will also share how women are managing menopause today and the practical supports that make a difference.

The silent burden faced by women reflects deeper systemic challenges. Despite making up 51% of the population, women’s health research in Canada accounts for only 7% of federal health research funding. According to the Kantar study commissioned by Vichy, persistent social taboos and stigma further inhibit open conversation, and many struggle to identify reliable, evidence-based information.

WHCC’s collaboration with Vichy Laboratoires responds directly to this information gap. Vichy has committed $140,000 to WHCC to fund women’s health research and education, building on its Hormonall platform launched last year. Through Hormonall.com, Vichy offers trustworthy information for women at all stages of their hormonal journey — work that complements Vital Talks by making credible science and tools more accessible across women’s health journeys.

“Vital Talks is about putting credible evidence and real-world experience in the same room, and making it accessible to everyone who can use it,” said Amy Flood, Executive Director, WHCC. “We’re aiming for practical, measurable progress in women’s health.”

“Menopause is an important but often overlooked stage of life, and we are proud to help bring it the attention and care it deserves,” says Paulette Minard, Director, Community Investment, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™. “Investing in women’s health means enabling them to fully participate in work, family, life and community at every life stage.”

“Vichy Laboratoires is committed to supporting women’s health at every stage of life,” says Marie-Pier Michaud, General Manager, Vichy Laboratoires. “Partnering with WHCC allows us to amplify science and dialogue that empower women to thrive, today and for years to come.”

“Organon is proud to support Vital Talks in its mission to bring credible information and greater visibility to women’s health care, empowering women to navigate every stage of their health journey,” says Michael Casia, President and Managing Director, Organon Canada. “As the only company of our size whose primary focus is on women’s health, we are driven by a clear purpose: to challenge the status quo and help drive meaningful change. Vital Talks is a powerful reflection of that mission in action.”

“At Hologic, we believe that empowering women with accurate, accessible information is the foundation for better health outcomes.” says Isabelle Fortier, Director, Market Access & Government Affairs Canada at Hologic. “When women are informed, they are confident; when they are confident, they can truly thrive at every stage of life.”

How to watch

Register now at whcc.ca/vitaltalks or watch live on WHCC’s YouTube (www.youtube.com/@WomensHealthCollectiveCanada).

About WHCC

Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) is a strategic alliance of Canada’s leading women’s health and hospital foundations working together to advance equity in women’s health research and care with unified action. WHCC brings together resources, fundraising, education and advocacy, working alongside partners who share the vision to improve outcomes and drive lasting change in women’s health. WHCC consists of the BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, Women’s College Hospital Foundation, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation and the IWK Foundation. To learn more about WHCC, its members and their work, please visit www.whcc.ca.

About Vichy Laboratoires

Vichy Laboratoires is a renowned skincare brand recommended by 70,000 dermatologists globally. Vichy Laboratoires is committed to changing the way people feel about hormonal changes. To learn more about Vichy Laboratoires and its commitment to hormonal changes, please visit www.vichy.ca

L’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF) lance la série de séminaires nationaux Conversations vitales avec le soutien de Vichy Laboratoires

De la ménopause aux menstruations et plus encore, Conversations vitales fournit des renseignements scientifiques importants aux femmes

  Le 15 septembre 2025 – L’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF) est fière d’annoncer le lancement de Conversations vitales. Il s’agit d’une nouvelle série de séminaires nationaux en ligne rassemblant des personnalités de renom du domaine de la recherche et de la pratique clinique et des personnes ayant une expérience vécue pour souligner l’apport de la science dans l’amélioration des soins pour les femmes tout au long de leur vie. Le premier événement, intitulé « Améliorer les normes des soins pour la ménopause », présenté par la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MC, avec l’appui de Vichy Laboratoires, aura lieu le 29 octobre 2025, de 13 h à 15 h (HNE). La série Conversations vitales est rendue possible grâce au soutien supplémentaire des partenaires de l’ACESF : Organon Canada, Hologic et de Healthing.ca. Conversations vitales fait découvrir aux femmes les percées scientifiques les plus récentes, en leur fournissant des renseignements et des outils crédibles pour leur parcours de santé tout au long de leur vie. Trop souvent, les femmes vivent un fardeau invisible, ce qui indique qu’elles se sentent incomprises ou ne reçoivent aucun soutien lorsqu’il s’agit de leur santé. Une étude quantitative réalisée par Kantar, à la demande de Vichy, et menée auprès de plus de 2 000 femmes dans le monde entier a révélé que deux femmes sur trois souffrent en silence lorsqu’elles sont aux prises avec les effets de changements hormonaux sur leur bien-être mental et physique : elles se sentent mal comprises, non soutenues ou mal informées. Conversations vitales s’attaque à ce problème en donnant aux femmes les renseignements et la confiance nécessaires pour traverser chaque étape de leur parcours de santé. La première séance de Conversations vitales : « Améliorer les normes des soins pour la ménopause », présentée par la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MC, sera diffusée le mercredi 29 octobre 2025, de 13 h à 15 h (HNE). Au programme : Nneka Ezurike, pharmacienne et propriétaire d’une pharmacie, cofondatrice de Black Pharmacy Professionals of Canada et membre du conseil d’administration de la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MC; la D^re Iliana Lega, endocrinologue et chercheuse au Women’s College Hospital et professeure agrégée de médecine à l’Université de Toronto; Rachel Ollivier, chercheuse en santé des femmes; Shirley Weir, conférencière, auteure et experte en ménopause; et Nese Yuksel, professeure et vice-doyenne de la faculté de pharmacie et des sciences pharmaceutiques de l’Université de l’Alberta et présidente de la Société canadienne de la ménopause. La discussion sera animée par Sarah Moore, journaliste spécialisée sur les questions de santé et de bien-être. Animée en anglais et traduite en français, la séance portera sur l’évolution de notre compréhension de la ménopause et les renseignements importants que les femmes doivent savoir : de la reconnaissance des symptômes au recours aux soins, en passant par les options de traitement fondées sur des données probantes et les avancées les plus récentes du domaine de la recherche. On y expliquera également la façon dont les femmes vivent la ménopause et les services de soutien pratiques qui changent la donne. Le fardeau invisible que les femmes doivent supporter témoigne de problèmes systémiques profonds. Même si les femmes représentent 51 % de la population, la recherche sur la santé au Canada qui leur est consacrée ne reçoit que 7 % du financement fédéral réservé à ce secteur. Selon l’étude de Kantar demandée par Vichy, les tabous sociaux qui persistent et la stigmatisation freinent encore plus la discussion ouverte et beaucoup de femmes ont de la difficulté à trouver des renseignements fiables fondés sur des données probantes. La collaboration entre l’ACESF et Vichy Laboratoires s’attaque directement à ce manque d’information. Vichy s’est engagé à verser 140 000 $ à l’ACESF pour financer la recherche et l’éducation en santé des femmes, en créant sa plateforme Hormonall lancée l’an dernier. Grâce à hormonall.com, Vichy fournit des renseignements fiables aux femmes à toutes les étapes de leur parcours hormonal. Ce travail complète Conversations vitales en rendant les renseignements sur la science et les outils crédibles plus accessibles tout au long du parcours de santé des femmes. « La série consiste à réunir des données probantes crédibles et des expériences pratiques, et à les rendre accessibles à toutes les personnes qui en ont besoin », a déclaré Amy Flood, directrice générale de l’ACESF. « Nous visons des progrès pratiques et mesurables en santé des femmes. » « La ménopause est une étape importante de la vie, mais souvent peu discutée. La Fondation est fière d’aider à corriger cette situation pour que cette réalité reçoive toute l’attention qu’elle mérite », explique Paulette Minard, directrice de l’investissement communautaire au sein de la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MC. « Investir dans la santé des femmes fait en sorte qu’elles peuvent participer pleinement au travail, à la vie familiale et communautaire à chaque étape de leur vie. » « Vichy Laboratoires est déterminée à soutenir la santé des femmes à toutes les étapes de leur vie », affirme Marie-Pier Michaud, directrice générale de Vichy Laboratoires. « Le partenariat avec l’ACESF nous permet de promouvoir la science et le dialogue qui donnent aux femmes les moyens de s’épanouir, aujourd’hui et dans les années à venir. » « Organon est fière de soutenir Conversations vitales dans sa mission qui consiste à fournir des renseignements crédibles et une meilleure visibilité aux soins de santé pour les femmes. Ainsi, elles ont plus de ressources pour traverser chaque étape de leur parcours de santé », déclare Michael Casia, président et directeur général d’Organon Canada. « En tant que seule entreprise de notre taille qui se concentre principalement sur la santé des femmes, nous avons un objectif clair : remettre en question le statu quo et contribuer à mettre en branle des changements significatifs. Conversations vitales est un puissant outil pour concrétiser cette mission. » « Chez Hologic, nous croyons que donner aux femmes des informations précises et accessibles est essentiel pour obtenir de meilleurs résultats en matière de santé », déclare Isabelle Fortier, directrice, Accès au marché et Affaires gouvernementales Canada chez Hologic. « Quand les femmes sont informées, elles ont confiance en elles ; lorsqu’elles ont confiance en elles, elles peuvent véritablement s’épanouir à chaque étape de leur vie. » Comment regarder le séminaire Inscrivez-vous dès maintenant à l’adresse whcc.ca/fr/conversationsvitales ou regardez le séminaire en direct sur la chaîne YouTube de l’ACESF (www.youtube.com/@WomensHealthCollectiveCanada). À propos de l’ACESF L’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF) est une alliance stratégique des principales fondations hospitalières de la santé des femmes au Canada, qui travaillent ensemble pour promouvoir l’équité dans la recherche et les soins en santé dans ce domaine grâce à une action coordonnée. L’ACESF rassemble des ressources et organise des collectes de fonds, des activités de sensibilisation et de défense des droits en collaboration avec des partenaires dont la vision commune est d’obtenir de meilleurs résultats en matière de santé des femmes et de favoriser un changement durable dans ce domaine. L’ACESF est composée de la BC Women’s Health Foundation, de l’Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, de la Women’s College Hospital Foundation, de la Fondation du Centre universitaire de santé McGill et de la IWK Foundation. Pour en savoir plus sur l’ACESF, ses membres et le travail qu’elle effectue, veuillez consulter le site whcc.ca. À propos de Vichy Laboratoires Vichy Laboratoires est une marque de soins de la peau réputée recommandée par 70 000 dermatologues dans le monde entier. L’entreprise est déterminée à changer la façon dont les gens perçoivent les changements hormonaux. Pour en savoir plus sur Vichy Laboratoires et son engagement à l’égard des changements hormonaux, veuillez consulter le site www.vichy.ca/fr_CA/home.

Women’s Health Collective Canada and Shoppers Foundation for Women’s HealthTM Deepen Partnership with $1 Million Commitment to Health Research and Care

Toronto, ON (August 12, 2025) — Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health^TM is building on its commitment to advancing health equity for women with a $1 million investment in health research and care, over the next two years, through Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC), the largest non-government funder of women’s health research in Canada. This investment will support research on, and improved care for menopause, a long-overlooked area of women’s health.

This latest investment builds on three years of sustained partnership, with total contributions to WHCC of over $3 million. As WHCC’s Founding Partner, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health ^TM has played a leading role in bringing attention to the gaps in women’s health and helping to close them through bold, strategic investment. Their early and ongoing support helped catalyze momentum that’s now being recognized and echoed by other leading companies.

“This is more than generosity, it’s leadership,” said Amy Flood, Executive Director, WHCC. “Shoppers has believed in our work from the beginning, and they’ve helped shape a movement. With this renewed commitment, we’re taking meaningful steps toward a new standard of care for menopause in Canada — something long overdue. Together, we’re reaching more women, funding more research, and making the case for system-wide change.”

“We are proud to continue our partnership with WHCC to help close the women’s health gap in Canada,” says Paulette Minard, Director, Community Investment, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health. “This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting women in our communities at every life stage—through better research, better care, and better outcomes.”

This investment will support the development of an enhanced, evidence-based standard of care for menopause in Canada. Through the WHCC national network, funding will help accelerate local and regional initiatives — ensuring that women, no matter where they live, benefit from improved access to high-quality menopause care.

About Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC)

Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) is a strategic alliance of Canada’s leading women’s health and hospital foundations working together to advance equity in women’s health research and care. WHCC brings together resources, fundraising, education and advocacy, working alongside partners who share the vision to improve outcomes and drive lasting change in women’s health. WHCC consists of the BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, Women’s College Hospital Foundation, the McGill University Health Centre Foundation, and the IWK Foundation.

To learn more about WHCC, its members and their work, or to donate, please visit www.whcc.ca.

About Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health^TM

Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health™ – the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart® – is committed to helping Canadian women lead healthier lives, by making care more equitable and accessible. The Foundation will invest $50M by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities facing women, including lack of representation in health research, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the urgent consequences women disproportionately face due to poverty and domestic violence. Learn more at shoppersfoundation.ca.

L’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes et la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmesMD renforcent leur partenariat par une promesse de don d’un million de dollars pour la recherche et les soins en santé

Toronto, Ontario, le 12 août 2025 – Fidèle à sa mission, la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MD entend promouvoir l’équité en matière de santé des femmes par un investissement d’un million de dollars dans la recherche et les soins en santé au cours des deux prochaines années, par l’entremise de l’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF), le plus important bailleur de fonds non gouvernemental pour la recherche en santé des femmes au Canada. Cet investissement sera consacré à la recherche et à l’amélioration des soins pour la ménopause, un domaine souvent négligé de la santé des femmes.

Cet investissement récent s’appuie sur trois années de partenariat soutenu, avec un financement totalisant plus de trois millions de dollars versé à l’ACESF. En tant que partenaire fondateur de l’ACESF, la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MD joue un rôle important en attirant l’attention sur les lacunes dans la santé des femmes et en aidant à les combler grâce à des investissements stratégiques audacieux. Son soutien continu dès le début a été un catalyseur qui a incité d’autres entreprises de premier plan à offrir leur soutien à l’initiative.

« L’entreprise a été plus que généreuse, elle a fait preuve de leadership, explique Amy Flood, directrice générale de l’ACESF. La Fondation a cru en l’importance de notre travail depuis le début et a contribué à façonner un mouvement. Grâce à cet engagement renouvelé, nous prenons des mesures concrètes en vue d’établir une nouvelle norme en matière de soins pour la ménopause au Canada, ce qui aurait dû être fait depuis longtemps. Ensemble, nous aidons un plus grand nombre de femmes, finançons plus de recherches et plaidons en faveur d’un changement dans l’ensemble du système. »

« Nous sommes fiers de poursuivre notre partenariat avec l’ACESF pour aider à combler l’écart en matière de santé des femmes au Canada, explique Paulette Minard, directrice de l’investissement communautaire au sein de la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes. Cet investissement témoigne de notre engagement continu à l’égard du soutien des femmes dans nos collectivités à chaque étape de leur vie, grâce à l’amélioration de la recherche et des soins et l’obtention de meilleurs résultats en santé. »

L’investissement soutiendra la création d’une norme améliorée de soins pour la ménopause fondée sur des données probantes au pays. Par l’entremise du réseau national de l’ACESF, le financement aidera à accélérer l’exécution des projets locaux et régionaux, en veillant à ce que les femmes, peu importe où elles vivent, bénéficient d’un meilleur accès à des soins de haute qualité pour la ménopause.

À propos de l’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF)

L’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF) est une alliance stratégique des principales fondations hospitalières de la santé des femmes au Canada, qui travaillent ensemble pour promouvoir l’équité dans la recherche et les soins en santé dans ce domaine. L’ACESF apporte des ressources, organise des collectes de fonds, des activités de sensibilisation et de défense des droits, en collaboration avec des partenaires dont la vision commune est d’obtenir de meilleurs résultats en matière de santé des femmes et de favoriser un changement durable dans ce domaine. La WHCC est composée de la BC Women’s Health Foundation, de l’Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, de la Women’s College Hospital Foundation, de la Fondation du Centre universitaire de santé McGill et de la IWK Foundation.

Pour en savoir plus sur l’ACESF, ses membres et le travail qu’elle effectue, ou pour faire un don, veuillez consulter le site whcc.ca/fr/.

À propos de la Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MD

La Fondation Pharmaprix pour la santé des femmes^MD, l’organisme de bienfaisance de Pharmaprix^MD, s’engage à aider les Canadiennes à adopter un mode de vie plus sain en rendant les soins plus équitables et accessibles. Elle investira 50 millions de dollars d’ici 2026 pour s’attaquer à certaines des iniquités en matière de santé les plus marquées avec lesquelles les femmes sont aux prises, notamment le manque de représentation dans la recherche sur la santé, les obstacles à l’accès aux soins de santé mentale et les conséquences urgentes qu’elles subissent de manière disproportionnée en raison de la pauvreté et de la violence familiale. Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site shoppersfoundation.ca/fr/.

Closing the Gap: WHCC’s Federal Pre-Budget Call to Action

Women’s Health Collective Canada has formally submitted recommendations to the federal government as part of the 2025 pre‑budget consultation process, calling for targeted investments to close Canada’s persistent gaps in women’s health research, care, and outcomes.

Our submission outlines two core recommendations:

1. A National Women’s Health Strategy

2. A $150 million investment over three years to support women’s health research across Canada through WHCC’s national network

“Canada can’t build the strongest economy in the G7 while ignoring the health of over half its population,” says Amy Flood, Executive Director, WHCC. “Strategic investment in women’s health research is not just overdue, it’s smart economic policy. It improves care, reduces system strain, and boosts productivity by helping women stay in the workforce longer and healthier. The bottom line is that when women get the care they deserve, everyone benefits.”

Women make up 51% of Canada’s population, yet women’s health receives just 6.8% of national research funding. Untreated conditions like endometriosis, perinatal depression, and menopause-related symptoms carry significant human and economic costs. Addressing these inequities is not only a matter of equity—it’s a nation-building opportunity.

The WHCC submission is made in solidarity with the Partnership for Women’s Health Research Canada (PWHR) and the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH).

Read the press release here.

Read the full submission here.

Combler l’écart : appel à l’action prébudgétaire fédérale du l’ACESF

L’Association canadienne pour l’équité en santé des femmes (ACESF) a officiellement soumis des recommandations au gouvernement fédéral dans le cadre des consultations prébudgétaires de 2025, réclamant des investissements ciblés pour combler les lacunes persistantes du Canada en matière de recherche, de soins et de résultats en santé des femmes.

Notre mémoire présente deux recommandations principales :

1.Une stratégie nationale pour la santé des femmes

2.Un investissement de 150 millions de dollars sur trois ans pour soutenir la recherche en santé des femmes partout au Canada par l’entremise du réseau national du CCSS

« Le Canada ne peut pas bâtir l’économie la plus forte du G7 tout en ignorant la santé de plus de la moitié de sa population », déclare Amy Flood, directrice générale du l’ACESF. « Un investissement stratégique dans la santé des femmes est non seulement attendu depuis longtemps, mais constitue une politique économique judicieuse. Il améliore les soins, réduit la pression sur le système et stimule la productivité en aidant les femmes à rester sur le marché du travail plus longtemps et en meilleure santé. En fin de compte, quand les femmes reçoivent les soins qu’elles méritent, tout le monde en bénéficie.»

Les femmes représentent 51 % de la population canadienne, mais la santé des femmes ne reçoit que 6,8 % du financement national de la recherche. Les maladies non traitées comme l’endométriose, la dépression périnatale et les symptômes liés à la ménopause entraînent des coûts humains et économiques importants. S’attaquer à ces inégalités n’est pas seulement une question d’équité, c’est aussi une occasion de bâtir une nation.

La soumission au WHCC est présentée en solidarité avec le Partenariat pour la recherche sur la santé des femmes Canada (PWHR) et le Partenariat canadien pour la santé des femmes et des enfants (CanSFE).

Lire le communiqué de presse.

Lire le communiqué de presse.

Pregnant & Powerful: Study confirms the safety of high-intensity resistance training during pregnancy

A Conversation with Dr. Margie Davenport About How New Research is Challenging Old Beliefs

It’s big news and great news for the growing group of women who recognize the health benefits of lifting heavier and have made it part of their exercise regimes. And, it’s only the beginning, confirms the senior author of the study, Margie Davenport, and director of the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health at the University of Alberta. 

Tasked with developing Canada’s 2019 guideline of physical activity during pregnancy, Davenport found compelling evidence that physical activity in pregnancy was not only safe but beneficial for the mother and baby. However, when it came to weight-lifting, Davenport noticed that there were only expert opinions, no high-quality studies.

Davenport and her team at the University of Alberta studied 20 women, 10 who were pregnant and 10 who weren’t. All 20 performed three exercises – a barbell back squat, bench press and deadlift – at increasing intensities up to 70-75% of their max effort. The study concluded that high-intensity resistance exercises were well tolerated by the mother and fetus.

To learn more about the study and its impact, we spoke with Dr. Margie Davenport about what drove the research, what it means now, and what comes next.

Margie Davenport is director of the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health at the University of Alberta and very recent recipient of the prestigious Drinkwater Leadership Award in Women’s Health, Sport & Physical Activity award for her work in the field, and senior author of a study that confirms safety of high-intensity resistance training during pregnancy. 

WHCC: What inspired the study to start with? 

Margie Davenport: I led the development of the 2019 Canadian guidelines on physical activities throughout pregnancy, and as part of that guidance, we actually synthesized all available literature, which was then distilled into 12 systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Based on that work, we found very compelling and extensive evidence demonstrating that being physically active during pregnancy is not only safe, but it’s actually quite beneficial as well for the health of both the mother and the baby. We saw that there was about a 40% reduction in the odds of developing pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and gestational hypertension. We also, importantly, found that it was not associated with an increased risk of having a miscarriage, having an early baby, or a small baby. These were really important questions that needed to be answered to alleviate key concerns that women have about exercise and pregnancy. Now, when we did the systematic reviews, we were, maybe not that surprised, but certainly disappointed that we weren’t able to talk a lot about the more intense or vigorous intensity activity. 

Historically, what happens when we talk about weight lifting and pregnancy most people are told to do moderate intensity, but we know that there’s a subset of the population, especially a growing population of women who are lifting heavy, they’re doing cross-fit or powerlifting before they were pregnant, and then they want to start a family, they become pregnant, and they just don’t know what to do. So, about two years after the guideline came out, we did an online survey where we recruited participants who were lifting greater than 80% of their 1RM (repetitions max). When we synthesized that information, what we actually found was that there was a 51% reduction in the odds of developing adverse pregnancy outcomes if they continued to lift heavy throughout their pregnancy, compared to what most guidelines will say, which is to reduce activity level or lifting levels to a more moderate range. 

Based on those extensive health benefits, the obvious next question is, (a survey gives you a certain amount of information) but is it actually safe to be lifting these heavy weights while you’re pregnant?  That’s what inspired the study we’re talking about today, where we recruited pregnant women who had been lifting before and during their pregnancy, and we looked at the fetal responses to that activity. 

WHCC: So getting to this study was quite a long journey?

MD: Absolutely. We’re in 2025. We wrapped up the systematic reviews in 2018. We’re talking about a six to seven-year process to be able to get to the point where we’re doing these higher-level studies. And we still have a long way to go, to truly understand the impact of heavy lifting during pregnancy. But it’s a really really important question. I’m an older mom myself. I was in my mid-to-late 30s when I became pregnant. I’m certainly concerned about my overall bone health as we get older. Our bone mineral density is going to drop. Our muscle mass is also going to drop. And one of the essential ways that we can support our overall muscle and bone health is to lift heavy weights as we get older. So if we’re telling women to stop lifting during pregnancy, or at least reduce the intensity of the lifting that they were doing, we need to have strong information to support that. But, we didn’t. 

WHCC: How have the reactions been to the study?

MD: I would say excitement because for people who already are lifting heavy before they were pregnant, and have seen the benefits – the stress relief, the maintenance of muscle mass, bone health overall – they want to continue while they’re pregnant. And there’s a lot of stigma, a lot of concern about the safety and potential benefits or harms of lifting heavy during pregnancy. So I think in some ways, the greatest response is a bit of relief that this is something that can be continued at least within the scope of the current study. But I think there’s also a desire now to have a lot more information to better understand if there are limits in terms of how heavy the can be lifting, if there are certain types of activities we should be doing in terms of different types of lifts, whether it’s Olympic lifts, or just more traditional bicep curls. So I think the appetite for more information has certainly grown. 

WHCC: There’s a real rise in women lifting weights, isn’t there?

MD: Absolutely, I think it’s a really important, great change that’s happening because of all the extensive health benefits. For the general population, but certainly in pregnancy as well, we are underestimating the power of lifting weights during pregnancy. We’re just barely scratching the surface. So it’s an exciting time for the field for sure. 

WHCC: Can you share what comes next?

MD: The next step is that we need to do heavier lifting. In this particular study, the maximal weight lift that we had was 90% of their 10RM (repetitions max). That’s about equivalent to maybe 70 to 75% of maximal effort, much heavier than we have ever seen in the literature. But we still do need to do heavier lifts for those people who are used to lifting quite heavy, our athletic populations. We’re seeing this incredible rise in female athletes who are starting families mid-career, and we do want to support them because they do want to continue to lift heavy while they’re pregnant. So certainly having heavier weight lifted in future studies, but also doing more longitudinal studies, which means that instead of having women come in for one single session, follow them during their pregnancy to see if continued engagement in resistance training during pregnancy, if you start before pregnancy, you continue to the first and second trimester, is there a point where you should consider stopping? Or is it actually just fine to lift until the day that you deliver? 

WHCC: What do the findings mean for athletes and for the average woman who’s already working out? 

MD: When we talk about the general population, whether they’re less active individuals or they’re recreational athletes, this provides a bit of reassurance and security. Most people are not pushing the limits of what they can lift during pregnancy, but we’re not restricted to this idea that you can only lift a moderate intensity of weight while you’re pregnant. So if you go above it or you desire to go above it, that seems to be okay up until this particular threshold. For our elite athletes, who want to lift quite heavy, unfortunately, the traditional sort of recommendation is that as pregnancy progresses, everybody should reduce their activity levels. However, that’s not based on anything except just sort of general recommendations, and that’s okay if you choose to reduce your activity levels or you’re not feeling well enough to continue activity during pregnancy. However, there are a number of women who feel great while they’re pregnant, and they do want to continue to train. This data is designed to help support them. We have a long way to go to really answer those particular questions, but it’s an important first step for those individuals who do wish to continue to lift heavier weights while they’re pregnant. 

WHCC: How do cardio and HIIT come into the findings? 

MD: HIIT. We looked at that first. Before we ever did the heavy lifting question, the first thing we tried to tackle was this idea of HIIT training. Similarly, we’ve been seeing this increased interest in doing HIIT training before pregnancy. If you like to have nice short sessions where you can push yourself pretty hard before you’re pregnant, many women want to do it during pregnancy. We did this study right in the middle of COVID, and it was probably the easiest study to ever recruit for. Everybody wanted to come in because they were doing it already, and they wanted to know the answers. They wanted to know if the HIIT study or the HIIT exercise was okay for them to do. They were going to do it anyway, so we were just monitoring them as they were doing it. 

That particular study was looking at 10 bouts of one-minute of very high intensity activity, which is 90% of maximal effort, followed by one minute of sort of active recovery at a lower intensity. And what we found is that it was extremely well tolerated by both the mother and the fetus, and that there were no adverse effects, no slowing of fetal heart rate. But also healthy birth outcomes afterwards as well. There’s a lot to do in that particular area. There are studies happening internationally now as a result of that work where they’re looking at training studies of high-intensity interval training during pregnancy to see if it’s a way to maintain fitness to improve pregnancy outcomes overall. 

WHCC: Is it okay to start HIIT or lifting during pregnancy?

MD: I get that question all the time, and the very easy answer is we don’t know yet. In both of those studies, the women were previously engaging in HIIT before pregnancy, but also during their pregnancy. What we don’t have information about yet is what happens if you decide that you want to lift heavier weights during pregnancy, or you want to do higher intensity activity. Those studies have not been done yet. It’s certainly a question that we do need to answer to better support women who are pregnant. 

WHCC: What does this study mean for professional sports and elite athletes moving forward?

MD: This is really important information for our professional and elite athletes. We’re seeing a number of athletes becoming pregnant mid-career and then wanting to return afterwards. And so one of the important things is that, similar to our general population, where we typically will see a reduction in physical activity levels as pregnancy progresses, again, totally fine if that’s what you’re choosing to do or if you start to experience any complications that would require it. But for our elite athletes, especially in our pro athletes, this is their job. That is an essential part of their work. So for many of them, being told to reduce their activity levels or to modify away from our high-intensity or heavy weight-lifting is really stressful. 

We have done a number of interviews with elite athletes from around the world and they tell us that they want this information, they want this research because they’re often doing it, but the anxiety that comes with it is almost as harmful because they don’t know if what they’re doing is safer or not. So it starts to provide options and some additional guidance in terms of the types of training that they would normally do in their everyday lives to help support a maintenance of fitness, sports-specific skills as well to be able to continue to train during pregnancy, but also to support their return to sport in the post-prone period if that’s what they desire. 

WHCC: Is it correct to assume that the longer you stay working out during pregnancy, the quicker you’re back to sport?

MD: We’re just starting to understand that particular aspect. So we have an upcoming study that’s just been accepted, and should be available online in the coming weeks, where what we did is look at what we call trajectory, physical activity across their pregnancies. Were they people who had this natural, slow decrease in their physical activity levels? Did they maintain their physical activity levels throughout their pregnancy? Or did they increase their training overall? What we found is that those individuals who had at least a 50% reduction in overall training volume, had twice the risk of having injury in the postpartum period. From a sports science perspective, when we think about people who are out of competition, for six to nine to 12 months or longer of time, you start to lose fitness, you start to lose sports-specific skills. 

The neurocognitive way that your brain is functioning when you’re returning to your sport, is going to slow down and not function optimally when you do return. If there are ways that we can help support athletes to continue to train during their pregnancy, certainly they’re going to be modifications that are needed, and we’re still understanding that particular aspect, we do anticipate that that will help to support a better, less injured return to sport in the postpartum period. 

WHCC: Can you elaborate on the cognitive benefits of remaining in the sport while pregnant?

MD: If you think about being on a soccer field and having a ball flying at you if you’re goalie – if you’re taken out of that situation for six to 12 months, or longer, you’re going to lose your reflexes, and your speed to be able to stop the ball. Same thing with most other sports. That reaction time will start to go away if you’re not training it. A lot of the work that I’m doing with some of the professional sports right now is finding ways that we can essentially help players to stay in-play, safely and evidence-based. Also recognizing that not only do we have to support the overall physical health of the athlete and the fetus, but we also have to support the mental health of the athlete as well. 

If we’re asking all athletes to stop or reduce all sorts of training during their pregnancy, these are athletes whose part of their identity is to do their sport, and that can cause other downstream issues that we really haven’t reflected on enough as a research field or as a society. This does support their mental health for many athletes, to be able to continue some form of training. We just have to figure out what kind of training is safe and beneficial. Can we integrate some soccer-specific skills while they’re pregnant without increasing the risk of tripping, falling, or being hit by either their teammates or by a ball? We have a lot of work to do to support those particular athletes. We’re taking a much more holistic approach than really just focusing on one aspect of a person.

WHCC: What does this mean for elite athletes who are so in tune with their bodies?

MD: When we talk to our elite athletes, they’re often told when they’re pregnant to “do what your body tells you and listen to your body.” But you take them out of their sport and they’re pregnant for the first time, and they’re like, “I don’t know my body anymore.” So if there’s a way that we can help support that connection between the brain and their body while they’re pregnant, and maintain some sort of connection to their sport, it can be beneficial overall. We just have to do the research to be able to figure out how to best support these athletes.

WHCC: What was studied previously on pregnancy and sport?

MD: Shockingly little. Even today, the vast majority of the research that’s done on exercise during pregnancy and certainly exercise in the postpartum period is really focused on the general population. We typically will speak to one of the potential benefits of walking. When we talk about sport, it’s really only these trailblazing mothers that are becoming more and more visible. We know that there have been mothers in the Olympics since the very first Olympics in the early 1900s. We’re starting to see this increased visibility of women who are visibly pregnant during their sport, returning afterwards, bringing their babies, toddlers and older kids onto the pitch, by the pool, etc. That is really changing the conversation, and when we start to see it more in society, it does really stimulate a lot more research. 

Even today, we have way too little information. And it comes directly from the athletes. They want this information. They need this research to be able to support them because they don’t necessarily believe our traditional ideas that you should take it back quite a lot while you’re pregnant. Answering those questions for them, whether we’re showing that it’s beneficial, whether we show that it’s maybe not so beneficial, and modifications need to be made, we do need to provide that evidence-based guidance to support these athletes while they’re pregnant and returning postpartum.

WHCC: Can you speak more about how elite athletes are involved?

MD: We’ve been extremely fortunate. I have athletes who contact me directly, who are excited to share their data. For example, we had an ultramarathoner. She is a very well-trained ultramarathoner. She has five kids and so she had Garmin data that she had collected over a twin pregnancy and a single pregnancy just a couple of years later. 

She contacted me and said, “I have this information, I know you need this information, what can we do with it?” And so we worked with her, and we published a case study on this particular individual. She ran more than 13,000 kilometres over the course of her second (the single pregnancy) and a little bit less in her twin pregnancy, as you can imagine. But these are numbers that (I think I looked at it about five times just to be sure that the data was real) we don’t see. She got a lot of negative feedback about doing this during her pregnancy, even though for her, to support both her physical and mental health, and reduce her stress, this was the best thing for her. And her health outcomes were quite great.

WHCC: Do you get a lot of resistance?

MD: We get resistance from all sorts of directions. I couldn’t possibly pinpoint it to one specific group. We certainly get a lot of celebration and excitement from all areas, recognizing that our understanding of what can or should be done during pregnancy is going to change as the evidence comes out. Evidence is always really slow, and it’s certainly going to change as the years go by. I’ve been working in this field for 20, almost 25 years now, and it’s completely different recommendations and information from what we had 20 years ago. I can’t pinpoint exactly where the pushback is, but I think with education and a growing amount of research that we start to alleviate some of those key concerns. We just need to do more work, better work. 

WHCC: You recently won the Drinkwater Leadership Award in Women’s Health, Sport & Physical Activity award. What does this win mean to you?

MD: It’s one of those things where I’ve spent my career, and when I was in grad school, I was often asked: “Why would you do exercise on postpartum women? We already know that exercise is beneficial, like this is not new.” But at the time, there was essentially no available information specific to the postpartum period. Our guidance was basically to get cleared at six weeks postpartum and then just go back to it – and we know that’s some of the most harmful messaging that we can have in the postpartum period. 

Some people are not ready to go back in six weeks, and other people are ready to go back much sooner than six weeks postpartum. We’ve done a lot of work with my team over the last number of years, and with colleagues around the world, to try and answer questions. But you often feel like it’s just going into the void. Hopefully some people read this work, and hopefully some of our knowledge translation actually works. Barbara Drinkwater was the original leader supporting and pushing women’s health in sport and physical activity. Just being even associated with her name is a little bit shocking, and it just still doesn’t seem real. But it’s very meaningful.

WHCC: What would your wish be for women’s health? For women’s health research? 

MD: I wish for investment into the research. It’s an incredibly difficult uphill battle. Most of us do a lot of this work on a shoestring budget. We do it as a passion. Our trainees are lucky enough to get scholarships, or they volunteer their time to be involved as undergrads. 

If we had true, strong investment into women’s health research, it would make all the difference in the world. We wouldn’t just be slowly scratching the surface. We could actually answer the really hard questions. When we talk about my particular area, a lot of the work that we do – assessing the upper ends of what can or should be done for exercise during pregnancy – that’s completely unfunded. We don’t have the support to do that type of work. But when it gets out there, it starts to answer really important questions, and we see that there’s such a need and such a desire. We cannot do the research to the level that we want to if we don’t have the investment in women’s health research. 

In Canada, to be able to get $50,000 a year to do this kind of work, you work for years to be able to do that. Most of my work is on a yearly basis. And a lot of it is working with students, who are lucky enough to get scholarships because they are so brilliant, to be able to support that work.

WHCC: Sounds like a lot of the time is spent finding funding.

MD: I would say, half my time is spent writing grants. We’re an exceptionally productive lab. Imagine if I got half of my time back, if I didn’t have to worry about how I can support my trainee in the second year of her project. We’re doing studies looking at postpartum exercise and bone health – really important questions that have never been looked at before – but to do it properly, the assessments are really expensive. So, I just say “okay, we’re gonna do it” and we’ll figure out how to pay for it later. It’s worked out okay so far, but you either answer the questions or you don’t, and you just have to get creative to find the ways. But if I had more time, my gosh!