Ep 52: We Need To Talk About Sex with Jessica Federer

Women are experiencing twice the side effects—and no one ever told them why. In this episode of Nurse Rosa’s INsights, I talk with Jessica Federer, one of the most important leaders in women’s health innovation and digital transformation. Jessica is the Managing Partner of The Women’s Health Fund, an investor, a board member for public and private companies around the world, and a globally recognized expert in health technologies. She previously served as the first woman Chief Digital Officer in global pharma at Bayer A.G., led digital health expansions during the pandemic, advised McKinsey, contributed to Fortune Global 100 strategy, and helped scale disruptive health startups. She has been named a Rock Health “Icon,” a Health Equity Champion, and one of the top 100 Chief Digital Officers. Together, we break down one of medicine’s biggest blind spots: the long-standing belief that treating men and women the same was “equal.” In reality, that approach left women overlooked, misdiagnosed, and disproportionately harmed. From medication side effects to disease presentation to the silent X chromosome that’s almost entirely ignored in medical training. Jessica reveals why sex-based differences are not a niche topic but a foundational requirement for understanding every health condition. This conversation calls for a new paradigm in research, clinical care, and medical education. Women’s health outcomes have been shaped by decades of male-default research. Changing that means embracing accurate, evidence-based, sex-informed medicine and finally giving women the healthcare they deserve. Find Jessica Federer on LinkedIN Connect with Nurse Rosa on social media @NurseRosaSpeaks Email: [email protected] If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it. Know someone with a great answer to the Billion Dollar Question? Reach out and Rosa may feature them in a future episode!