In this episode of In Their Shoes, Dr. Jenn talks with, hands down, one of the funniest comedians you'll ever hear, Whitney Cummings, about her campaign with Annovera birth control, called, "Just Say Vagina." That's right, they made a campaign - about vaginas - it's like they were seeing directly into our souls and channeling all this vagtastic ene…

In this special episode of In Their Shoes, Dr. Jenn and Executive Producer, Beth Bonilla, interview Fidji Sumo, Vice President and Head of Facebook App, as she talks about building a stronger kind of leadership through chronic, often stigmatized health conditions.By The V Word

It's a long awaited episode: COVID vaccines in pregnancy & lactation, and why Dr. Jenn & Dr. Erica 100% support you getting that vax! We'll dive deep into everything we know and don't know so far, and even bring in some patriarchy-infused history (like we do) about why pregnant and lactating people were actively excluded from the trials. Here. We. …

There are just DAYS left until the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election and we want to be 100% crystal clear that there is only one correct way to vote if you care about reproductive health, which is connected to literally EVERYTHING. Listen in as we re-cap all the ways every single issue on the ballot comes back to reproductive health & reproductive ju…

In this episode, Dr. Jenn & Executive Producer, Beth Bonilla, talk with NARAL Pro-Choice America President, Ilyse Hogue, about anti-choice politicians’ ongoing efforts to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic in order to restrict reproductive healthcare and ban abortion. Ilyse’s perspective on this topic is especially salient right now - she also has a new…

Francine Coeytaux is a GIANT in the field of reproductive health- there's no easier way to say that. Among other things, she's the Co-Creator and Co-Director of Plan C--an organization of veteran reproductive health advocates, researchers, and modern age digital strategists who are all working towards the common goal of making medication abortion a…

In the midst of a global pandemic, we MUST support and uplift pregnant, postpartum, and parenting folks. Producer Aysha Choudhary sits down with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a board-certified psychiatrist and freelance writer specializing in women's mental health and perinatal psychiatry. Dr. Lakshmin is a Clinical Assistant Professor of psychiatry at the G…

The Supreme Court has likely already announced its decision re: June Medical Services v. Russo by the time you're listening to this, and the horrific implications of a loss are heart-stopping. To help you realize the real implications that laws like these have on women and families, here is Ariana telling her truth: what happened when, in the midst…

This week we talked with Dr. Anjali Malik who is a breast imaging radiologist in Washington DC about Covid's impact on screening and how to navigate moving forward. Dr. Malik serves a Medical Advisor for Bright Pink--an organization that educates and empowers young women on their breast and ovarian health. Executive Producer, Bethney Bonilla, has t…

This week we want to talk about what's going on in the world and challenge you to think about it from a Reproductive Justice framework. Not sure what that is? Don't worry- Our friend, Dr. Jamila Perritt is here with us to share the central tenants and talk about how educating yourself about this movement and framework is crucial to understanding ho…

It's that thing that goes in your vagina to do your pap smear, check for infections, put in your IUD, monitor bleeding, and everything else in gynecology: your friend, the speculum! Cold, metal (sometimes plastic), rachety, pinchy... you know the drill. In this episode Executive Producer, Beth Bonilla, talks to Fahti Khosrowshahi, CEO and Founder o…

Postpartum Psychosis is a rare but very real illness that affects approximately 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 postpartum people. We don't talk about it as much as other postpartum mood disorders like depression and anxiety, and perhaps because of the extreme stigma these moms experience as a result. In this episode, we break down what exactly is postpa…

In this episode of Ask A Lady Doc, we talk with Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of CurieMD, Dr. Leslie Meserve. After seeing her own mother struggle to find a doctor qualified to treat menopause, Dr. Meserve recognized that a majority of the 50 million menopausal women in the U.S. face significant barriers to treatment. These include misinform…

Abortion care is time-sensitive essential health care. Even just a few days can make a difference in what options are available - and even if the option is available at all. A global pandemic is not the time to push a political agenda that interferes with people’s lives and rights. As NARAL & The Center for Reproductive Rights states, politicians a…

In this episode of Ask A Lady Doc, we talk with Dr. Amy Voedisch, who specializes in family planning and menopause care at Stanford University, about all the ins and outs of mid-life women's healthcare. This is a no-nonsense, tell me every single thing I need to know about what perimenopause and menopause look like kind of episode with one of our f…

In so many ways, climate change disproportionately affects women's health, from increased exposures to heat, poor air quality, extreme weather events, altered vector-borne disease transmission, reduced water quality, and decreased food security. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reported that women, and especially those in p…

Let's be honest, this is a scary time to be pregnant, but despite the uncertainty of unprecedented times and a global pandemic, people everywhere are starting and building families, bravely. Here is everything you need to know about pregnancy and COVID-19, regardless if you're about to deliver or are considering when to start trying to conceive. Dr…

This is PART 2 of a special two-part In Their Shoes episode about donor conceived individuals in the age of commercially available genetic testing. This is the idea that, for example, the parent you thought was your parent your whole life, is in fact not your biological relative. In this day and age, where genetic testing through companies like Anc…

This is PART 1 of a special two-part In Their Shoes episode about donor conceived individuals in the age of commercially available genetic testing. This is the idea that, for example, the parent you thought was your parent your whole life, is in fact not your biological relative. In this day and age, where genetic testing through companies like Anc…

Here's your C-section primer on all things surgical delivery: why people have them, why they don't have them, and some detailed personal stories from women who've experienced them firsthand. Dr. Jenn & Dr. Erica cover it all, including how to address unnecessary stigma and guilt.By The V Word

Cleo Stiller is a Peabody and Emmy Award Nominated reporter and author. Her first book, Modern Manhood: Conversations About the Complicated World of Being a Good Man Today, is already #1 on the Amazon Book List and it's no surprise. Her book sheds light on all the gray areas that have emerged through the #MeToo movement, using conversations that re…

Hymens: a vestigial skin tag that has absolutely nothing to do with virginity or a female bodied person's worth, yet somehow (this week especially) we continue to ruminate on their meaning. The doctors dive into recent news of rapper T.I.'s reported "virginity testing" & accompanying his daughter to the gynecologist to ensure her purity with this m…

It's breast cancer awareness month & the perfect time to start being more aware of your own breasts. The docs talk all about normal and not normal when it comes to breast exams, and everything you need to know about mammogram screening. Special interview w/ Cristin Gardner, Director of Consumer Solutions at Mammosphere, a secure digital platform fo…

Not all periods are created equally and on this upcoming National Period Day, 2019, we're focusing our lens of de-stigmitization on the more recently acknowledged concept of Period Poverty. Depending on your socioeconomic status and resources, having your period can either be a quick blip in the month where you go through tampons/pads/menstrual cup…

Dr. Jessi Gold is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Dept of Psychiatry at Wash Univ in St Louis School of Medicine who specializes in college mental health. She writes regularly in the popular press about mental health and stigma, and with this a new academic school year starting, we reached out to her to talk about something that happens a lo…

PID, or pelvic inflammatory disease, is just what it sounds like: a nasty infection of all your lady bits all at once essentially (the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries...). PID is most commonly associated with STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea, but def happens to people who've never had sex or never had STDs as well, so what's the deal? Dr.…

There have been at least 17 deadly mass shootings in the US so far in 2019. In epidemiological terms, that’s a public health crisis. Today we speak with Shannon Watts, the Founder of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that protect people from gun violence. She started the organization the day …

What even IS a pap smear and where does HPV come into the picture? Listen in for a basic run-down of cervical cancer screening 101 (i.e. Pap smears) + Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing.By The V Word

Antonia Michaels is the host of The Wine Down podcast and the Founder of Mommy Matters, an online community of mothers supporting one another through their journey. She created the blog, podcast, and connect groups to help others build their tribe and become the best version of themselves. Dr. Erica interviews her about her own personal reproductiv…

Everyone and their mom has fibroids, but we still push this issue under the rug like it's shameful. Why? The medical field has long stigmatized heavy bleeding and pain, especially for women of color. Dr. Jenn & Dr. Erica break down all the basics and talk with special guest, Dr. Erica Marsh, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Chief …

Dr. Nawal Nour is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Global Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Born in the Sudan and raised in Egypt and England, Dr. Nour is Committed to the eradication of FGC, and travels throughout the country conducting workshops to educate African refu…

Brittany Daniel is an American television and film actress, best known for her role as Jessica Wakefield in the 1990s syndicated teen drama Sweet Valley High and Kelly Pitts on the CW/BET comedy-drama The Game. In 2011, she was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and as of 2014, is cancer-free. She talks openly about the mental health h…

It's time we stop stigmatizing the very thing that commemorates our life as women. Menopause isn't something to be feared, shamed, embarrassed by, or ignored. We should be celebrating this reproductive life milestone just like we celebrate puberty and pregnancy. Listen to this primer on menopause and then go throw someone you love a #MenopauseParty…

Angela Garbes is the best-selling author of the book, Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy, which was the NPR Best Book of 2018. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, New York magazine's The Cut, and been featured on NPR's Fresh Air. Like a Mother explores the emerging science and long-standing cu…

In start-up land, there's no end to advances in healthcare technology, but what really IS at-home fertility testing, should you be doing it, if so-when, and what are the potential down sides? Special interviews with Afton Vechery, CEO and Co-Founder of Modern Fertility, and Lea Von Bidder, Co-Founder of Ava Fertility.…

Does it feel real enough for you yet? In this special episode on abortion bans, we break down the brief history of how we got here; review the new, very evil types of abortion laws that old white male governors (and Kay Ivey) have recently passed; and hear from the Physicians for Reproductive Health "Voices of Courage" event awardees: Dr. Stephanie…

Megan Koester is a comedian, writer, actress, and activist. She recently wrote an article for Experience Magazine on her decision to get sterilized and all the hurdles she faced in accessing this care. Tune in for some real talk on deciding to not have kids and the barriers our society puts up against that.…

In the much awaited sequel to our Transwomen episode, we again visit gender affirming treatments and the overall welfare of transgender individuals, focusing this time on transmen or transmasculine people. Special interview with Sam, a transman who recently completed his gender affirming process.By The V Word

UTIs, or urinary tract infections, are SUPER common in vagina-owning people, and most womxn will experience at least one in their lifetime. Listen in & get all your burning (get it) questions answered as Executive Producer, Bethney Bonilla, talks with Dr. Aviva Weinberg, a Urologist, surgeon, artist, mother, and UTI expert at Kaiser Permanente.…

Gina Gutierrez is the CEO and Co-Founder of Dipsea, a female-founded tech company and story studio that creates audio stories and experiences to set the mood and spark imagination. As Gina says, feeling turned on is more than a wing up to sex. It's a way to feel more alive, heighten intimacy, unlock confidence, and cultivate well being. We couldn't…

What even IS PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and why is it so dang hard to diagnose/understand. The doctors break down everything you need to know about this super strange but super common syndrome, including how to get pregnant and how NOT to get cancer!By The V Word

Here is literally EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about heart disease and why it's so crazy common in women. Producer Aysha Choudhary has this interview Dr. Abha Khandelwal, Chief of the Cardiovascular Medicine Clinic at Stanford University.By The V Word

Guess what's right behind the entertainment industry in filed TimesUp claims? You guessed it--healthcare. Turns out the medical field has a wicked history of gender/race/age/ethnicity/sexual orientation discrimination among its employees, and people are FINALLY doing something about it. Interview with TimesUp Healthcare Co-Founder and all around ba…

Caitlin Barlow is a producer, writer, and actor on the television series, Teachers. She's a member of the six-woman comedic troupe, The Katydids, and a new-ish mom who talks openly on social media about all the hilarious truths of motherhood. In this, "In Their Shoes" interview, she tells Dr. Jenn about the reality of postpartum body expectations i…

Time for a little love up north. Let's discuss all things boobs and why, outside of breast feeding and breast cancer, there isn't much discussion in medicine about breasts as they affect sexual and mental health. Special interview with internationally acclaimed photojournalist, Yvonne Stanley, on her project, The Boob Book, and how YOU can be a par…

She calls herself an Endo Warrior and on social media, the @Endo_Goddess_, and for good reason. Sofia Arellano tells her first hand account of what it's like to live with the notorious pain that is endometriosis. As she says, "Endo is like a bomb has gone off inside you."By The V Word

Candiace Dillard is an all around badass. You may know her as a cast member of Real Housewives of Potomac or from her year at Miss United States 2013. She's also held leadership roles at the White House under the Obama administration and is the CEO and Founder of her own consulting and hair product lines. Listen in for this In Their Shoes exclusive…

Here is literally EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about pelvic pain caused by endometriosis. Why is it such a mysterious diagnosis and why can it be so hard to treat? Producer Aysha Choudhary interviews Dr. Deirdre Lum, Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Stanford University.By The V Word

In honor of International Women's History Month, let's do a deep dive into where, how, and from whom your birth control came. The pill specifically has a crazy story, involving (surprise surprise) racism, misogyny, and some accidents! Stay tuned.By The V Word

Human trafficking includes sexual slavery and forced labor, and is a lot closer to home than you may have thought. Let's dig deep into all the ways this pervades women's health, and talk one-on-one with a survivor of child sexual trafficking. Special interview with Holly Gibbs, author of the book, Walking Prey: How America's Youth are Vulnerable to…