This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear the full conversation, visit keelysemler.substack.com.

I’m thrilled to introduce the next episode of the Motherlands Podcast with Katie Schubert from the Society of Women’s Health Research (SWHR). Katie is a trusted leader and consensus builder among women’s health stakeholders, and previously served as chief advocacy officer at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). She is a previous president of Women in Government Relations, and in 2020 was named Advocate of the Year by Professional Women in Advocacy for her work on inclusion of pregnant and lactating populations in research. In 2024 Katie was named as one of the most influential people shaping policy in healthcare by the Washingtonian magazine.

Please note: This is the free version of the episode. The final 15 minutes of this interview are behind a paywall. Paid subscribers will get an exclusive 15-minute extended interview with Katie, plus a bonus episode where I dive into global fertility trends, why family values seem to be fading, and how this will undoubtedly impact our communities and future generations. If you find this information helpful, please consider supporting this podcast with a paid subscription.

A paid subscription helps support the show and covers essential costs, including my editor, family expenses, and podcast operations. Your support through a paid subscription helps us continue providing valuable resources to families. If you can’t subscribe, there are still other ways to support—leaving a review, subscribing to the Motherlands Substack, following us on YouTube, or sharing the podcast with others makes a significant difference. As a full-time doula, educator, and mentor, your support in any form helps me continue this meaningful work. Thank you for being part of this community; your presence means everything.

Some of the main points from our conversation include:

Gender Disparity in Healthcare Funding: Examining why women’s health research is underfunded compared to men’s health.

Inclusivity in Women’s Health Research: Addressing the need for diverse representation in women’s health research, ensuring that it encompasses a wide range of populations.

Power Imbalance in Healthcare Policy: Exploring the influence of pharmaceutical companies on healthcare policies.

Transparency in Pharmaceutical and Government Collaboration: Investigating how the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and governmental health agencies can be made more transparent.

Innovation vs. Patient Safety: Analyzing how clinical trials may overlook the biological differences between men and women.

Policymakers’ Ethical Responsibility: Discussing the ethical obligations of policymakers

Learn more about the Society of Women’s Health research.

4:33 The mission of the Society of Women’s Health Research

5:47 Why women’s health research is consistently deprioritized and underfunded

10:35 Ethical implications of big pharma’s influence

15:58 Pharmaceutical and federal funding

21:21 The influence of private entity funding

23:02 Getting involved with the Society of Women’s Health Research

25:13 Turning momentum into a movement

29:42 Menopause and perimenopause are stages of life, not a disease to be cured

36:45 Thoughts on global fertility, family, and what we value as a country and global community

The final 15-30 minutes are available in our extended episode exclusively to Behind Closed Doors, where we enter a slower, softer room; one where guests speak with vulnerability, honesty, and courage about the unseen layers of their lives: fertility, loss, longing, intimacy, identity, and everything in between. These extended interviews and bonus episodes are held with tenderness, and shared only with paid subscribers. If you value candid insights and thoughtful conversations that often go unspoken, subscribe at keelysemler.substack.com and join us in exploring the deeper dialogue.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keelysemler.substack.com/subscribe