Lauren Redfern on Why Hormone Health Is Failing Women And How to Fix It

In this episode of Trail Blazers, we speak with Lauren Redfern, Executive Director of Hormonally, an organisation committed to improving access to hormone health education and evidence based resources. Lauren brings a rare blend of academic insight and real world experience, drawing on her background in medical anthropology and her work supporting women who feel misunderstood, dismissed or simply uninformed about their own hormone health.

Throughout the conversation, Lauren highlights how deeply rooted misconceptions about hormones continue to shape the care people receive. She explains why viewing hormones as strictly male or female has limited our understanding for decades, and how this binary framing contributes to gaps in diagnosis, treatment and everyday wellbeing. We explore the structural pressures within the healthcare system that leave many women feeling unheard, as well as the overwhelming amount of misinformation circulating online for those seeking answers.

Lauren also shares the creative and community driven approaches Hormonally uses to make learning more accessible, from visual tools like the well known 'vulva map' to hands on workshops that give people the confidence to understand their own bodies. Her work demonstrates how inclusive education can empower individuals to advocate for themselves while inspiring a much needed cultural shift in how we approach hormone health.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in women’s health, education, inclusion or the future of community led healthcare. It offers a thoughtful and hopeful perspective on how we can move beyond outdated narratives and build a more informed and supportive landscape for hormone health.