Join Us for an Eye-Opening Film Screening This January: The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause

Step into a transformative conversation about menopause—one of the most overlooked yet deeply impactful stages of women’s lives. The (M) Factor sheds light on the personal, professional, and societal costs of untreated menopause, exposing the barriers created by stigma, inadequate healthcare, and systemic inequities.

Through intimate stories and expert insights, this documentary empowers women with evidence-based information, amplifies often-silenced voices, and highlights the urgent need for cultural and medical change.

The screening will be followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion, offering a space to explore solutions, share experiences, and build a community of support and advocacy.

Hosted by the Physician Assistant Education Program, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University.

Let’s break the silence, challenge the status quo, and create a future where every woman receives the care and respect she deserves.

Panel Discussion:
Review current standards of care for perimenopause and menopause and identify effective recommendations Address gaps in our current care delivery models regarding women’s midlife healthcare
Identify opportunities to better integrate peri/menopause care in healthcare education

Panelists:

• Melissa Grelo: Co-Host of The Social and Your Morning on CTV.
• Dr. Alison Shea:MD, PhD, FRCSC, MSCP. Alison K Shea is an Assistant Professor in Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, McMaster University and an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and Menopause Specialist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton.
• Dr. Olinca Trejo: ND. Dr. Olinca Trejo completed a naturopathic medical program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and an honors degree in Kinesiology from McMaster University. She completed her certification and internship in hormone replacement therapy and is currently completing her Menopause Practitioner Certification through the North American Menopause Society.
• Kristen Parise: Registered Physiotherapist, PT BSc. MSc. BHSc. PT. Kristen Parise (she/her) is a Registered Physiotherapist with over 22 years of experience and additional training in Pelvic Health and Pediatric Physiotherapy, as well as a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, and a Bachelor of Health Science in Physiotherapy from McMaster University.

Agenda:
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.: Doors open + Networking
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Film screening
11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion

About the M Factor film:
The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause film explores the hidden impact of menopause on women’s lives. Menopause has ramifications beyond just an individual woman’s well-being. The far-ranging results of women enduring untreated menopause include billions of dollars in lost wages, upended careers, family disruptions, and emotional chaos.

With evidence-based information, the film empowers women to make informed health decisions and aims to remove the stigma surrounding menopause and aging.

This feature-length documentary film, centers on the lived experiences of women across the U.S. Cameras follow women into their doctors’ offices, at work, and in their homes to expose the challenges they face—including racial biases, gender-ignorant care, inequitable structures and systems, and barriers due to the lack of basic midlife healthcare research. The women featured here open up about their experiences and share their stories of enduring debilitating symptoms while being ignored, ridiculed and/or shamed—and left untreated.

Now there’s a movement to fix the broken system, change the culture and transform our future. “The (M) Factor” turns the spotlight on the progress being made. With input from emboldened physicians, healthcare advocates and leaders in the menopause movement, the film focuses on what is being done to address this public health crisis and offers solutions that can be replicated in medical communities and workplaces across the country. More on The (M) Factor website.

Parking/Directions:
The screening will be held at McMaster Health Sciences Centre, room 1A1 on the 1st floor. Access is available through both the McMaster Children’s Hospital main entrance, or the rear entrances of the Health Sciences Centre.

Paid visitor parking is available on McMaster University parking lots . Covered paid parking is also available underground in the McMaster Children’s Hospital parking lot.

Registration: https://themfactormovie.eventbrite.ca/