If you've ever walked out of a doctor's appointment feeling unheard, confused, or unsure of what just happened, this episode and new season of The Hairy Chin Podcast is for you.

In this double episode opener, I’m redefining what healthcare advocacy actually means for women. Spoiler: it has nothing to do with being confrontational, having a bold personality, or arguing with your doctor. Advocacy is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why so many women are slipping through the cracks of healthcare systems that were never built with them in mind. And then, I’m getting practical, because knowing why the problem exists is only half the battle. Women don’t need quick fixes, they need everyday skills for navigating their care, and that’s exactly what you’ll learn this season.

Whether you're managing a chronic condition, navigating a new diagnosis, or simply trying to get better answers from your doctors, this podcast is your starting point.

Timestamps:

[00:00:13] The How and Why of Advocacy for Female Health

[00:00:41] Advocacy Doesn’t Sound Empowering, It Sounds Exhausting

[00:01:50] Women Have Been Trying to Advocate For Themselves

[00:02:14] A Clear Definition of Healthcare Advocacy

[00:03:20] Misunderstandings About Healthcare Advocacy

[00:04:14] Doctors Are Trained For Patterns

[00:04:46] Advocacy Is Clarity

[00:05:12] What’s Coming This Season

[00:05:32] A Hidden Barrier to Female Advocacy

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Hi there. Welcome to this advocacy-based episode. I’m so happy to be diving deep into the how and why of advocacy in these times when the medical systems are being exposed for how they were never built for women in mind, it's a hot topic. But here's the problem. Almost no one actually explains what advocacy is and isn't, and how to actually do it. Women carry heavy burdens in life. They are multitasking and juggling so many responsibilities. And the word advocacy doesn't really sound empowering. It sounds like something else that goes on the to-do list, which is exhausting. But I find it's also a dangerous perception. Because advocacy is so important for women's health. And once these skills are learned, they will lessen such a huge burden. And that's what I want to talk about today and in this new season of the Harry Timm podcast. Currently, women are leading autoimmune disease by 80%, an average of seven years for diagnosis. And there are so many other statistics that will blow your mind. Alzheimer's, heart disease, breast cancer, the list literally goes on. And these are all female led, and they're all taking female lives. Over the past year and a half of recording this podcast, I've talked about hormones, migraines, lipidema, autoimmune disease, breast cancer, skin cancer, and every conversation eventually circle back to the same issue. You have to advocate for yourself. And look, women have been trying to speak up inside healthcare systems. They haven't been following through the cracks because they weren't trying or because they didn't care about their health. There are many reasons why women have been falling through those cracks. And one that I've noticed clearly is that no one gave women the structure or the language that these fast-paced systems demand. So let's define what advocacy actually is. this is from what I've learned, from what I've talked about, and from what I've been through personally. Advocacy in healthcare is about clarity. It's the ability to participate in your own care in practical, everyday ways. And while the structure of advocating can be organized, the actions can look different for every woman. It might look like asking a follow-up question when something is confusing. It might mean requesting copies of your lab work so you can review them later or take them to another physician. Sometimes it's asking what's the next step or clarifying your treatment plan. And while these things may sound small and easy, they matter so much inside healthcare systems because appointments and decisions all run very quickly. And if something isn't communicated clearly, it can easily disappear. Advocacy isn't about overpowering someone. It's not power struggles or aggressive behavior. It's about making sure that your experience is clearly understood. One of the biggest misunderstandings that I've heard about advocacy from so many women is they think it's about their personalities. They think that some people are just naturally better at saying what they need to say. I hear women say, "I'm not confrontational," or, "I don't want to offend my doctor," or, "I'm just a shy person. I don't know how to speak up." But advocacy isn't about your personality. It's a set of skills, skills like preparation, like learning how to describe symptoms in a way that doctors can interpret, like asking clear questions or understanding what information helps a physician make decisions. And most women will never talk these things. Many of us walk into appointments hoping that the doctor, the expert, will piece together what we're experiencing and that we'll walk out with a diagnosis or a treatment, a solution, or even a cure. But health care often doesn't work like that. Doctors are trained for patterns. They're paying attention to how symptoms affect daily function. And when those patterns are presented clearly, the conversations can become so much easier. And that's where advocacy comes in. It's not confrontation. It's preparation. Learning how to bring your experience into the conversation in a way that can help move your care forward. And like any skill, it improves with practice. So if you take one thing away from today's episode, let it be this. Advocacy in health care is not about being aggressive. It's not about arguing with your doctor. And it's not something reserved for people who are naturally confident. Advocacy in health care is clarity. It's the ability to participate in your health care in small, practical ways that help your experience be understood. And the good news is that it's something you can learn. Here on the podcast and with the Harry Chen. This season, you'll find short episodes like this one that teach practical tools to help you build the skills to learn how to advocate for yourself. There will be free downloadable cheat sheets that help you prepare for appointments or ones you can even take with you into the office. But before we get into those episodes, there's something I want to acknowledge first. Speaking up about our health isn't always easy. And it's not because we don't care, but because health care conversations often involve topics that feel vulnerable or uncomfortable. In the next episode, I'm going to talk about one of the biggest barriers to female advocacy. And it's something that affects so many more women than I ever realized. It's an eye-opening episode and it's up next. sharing your time with me today. If something in this episode resonated with you, don't just sit with it. Take action. Comment below, subscribe to our channel, or share it so more women can find conversations like these. You can sign up for the Harry Chin newsletter to stay up to date on everything we're building. And if there's a free cheat sheet connected to this episode, visit the [hairychin.com](http://www.hairychin.com/) to download. Life takes a village. Thanks for being a part of ours. See you soon.