Women’s Healthcast
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
From the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a podcast about issues and innovations in women’s health.
Episodes
- Vulvovaginal Health After Menopause
Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, or GSM, is incredibly common – some research suggests more than 80 percent of people might experience symptoms like vaginal dryness, pain with intercourse, or urinary incontinence after menopause. And u…
- Health and Aging: Weight and Wellness, Part 2
Over the last few months, the Women’s Healthcast has focused on how aging can affect our health. For the last two episodes in the Health and Aging series, we consider the impact of aging on metabolism – including societal implications. In…
- Health and Aging: Weight and Wellness, Part 1
Over the last few months, the Women’s Healthcast has focused on how aging can affect our health. For the last two episodes in the Health and Aging series, we consider the impact of aging on metabolism – including societal implications. Dr.…
- Health and Aging: Protect Your Pelvic Floor
For the last few months, the Women’s Healthcast has been taking a look at health and aging, covering everything from perimenopause to sex to heart health . In our second-to-last episode of the Health and Aging series, we’ll focus on an all…
- Health and Aging: Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease – things like heart disease and high blood pressure – can have huge impacts on our overall health. For women in particular, life events like pregnancy and menopause can raise our risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr. A…
- Health and Aging: Let’s Talk About Sex, Part 2
A lot about our lives can change as we get older, and that includes our sex lives. Our last episode covered some of the physical changes that can impact sex as we age. For this episode, Madelyn Esposito joins the Women’s Healthcast to talk…
- Health and Aging: Let's Talk About Sex, Part 1
For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. A lot about our lives can change as we…
- Health and Aging: Gynecologic Cancer
For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. Since September is Gynecologic Cancer…
- Health and Aging: Perimenopause
For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. And what better topic to kick off this…
- Introducing the Health and Aging miniseries
It’s no secret that our bodies change as we age, and how we care for them might need to change, too. How many of us feel like we have all the information we need to stay healthy as we get older? For the next few months, this podcast will d…
- Reproductive Autonomy in 2025
Reproductive autonomy is defined as an individual’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health and access reproductive health services without interference or coercion. In 2025, there are a lot of social and policy factors a…
- Replay: Finding Out about Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are incredibly common – between 20 and 70 percent of people with uteruses will develop fibroids during their lifetimes. And while these growths typically aren’t dangerous, they can still cause some issues. Since July is Fi…
- Know Your STIs: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two of the most common sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, in the United States. For Wisconsin in particular, rates of both diseases are on the rise. Dr. Jess Dalby joined this episode of the Women’s Healt…
- Preparing for Your First Period
For many young people, the idea of starting to get a period is at least a little bit stressful. Dr. Katie O’Brien , a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, helps kids and families in her c…
- All About IUDs
In August 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated recommendations for pain management during intrauterine device placement. Dr. Molly Lepic and Dr. Abigail Cutler joined this episode of the Women’s Healthca…
- Health Equity in Endometrial Cancer
Incidence and mortality rates for endometrial cancer within the United States are on the rise. We also see a significant disparity in survival rates for endometrial cancer between Black and white patients in the U.S. Charlotte Gamble joine…
- Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Pelvic floor physical therapy is a common treatment option that can be immensely helpful for people experiencing pelvic floor issues like incontinence or prolapse. But some patients may be reluctant to consider pelvic floor PT, or unsure a…
- Fourth Trimester: Policy Impacts on Postpartum Health
As part of the Women’s Healthcast series about the fourth trimester, we’ve talked about physical recovery , breastfeeding , birth control after pregnancy , postpartum mental health , and long-term health concerns after birth . For the fina…
- Fourth Trimester: Heart Health After Pregnancy
One in eight people in the United States have high blood pressure or hypertension during their pregnancies. What does that mean for their health moving forward? Our guests joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about blood pressure and card…
- Fourth Trimester: Postpartum Mental Health
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. In this series, the Women’s Healthcast will air episodes about physical recovery, postpartum mental health, birth control a…
- Fourth Trimester: Pregnancy Prevention
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. On the Women’s Healthcast, we’re airing a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery after birth, postp…
- Fourth Trimester: Breastfeeding
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery,…
- Fourth Trimester: Perineal Tears
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery,…
- Fourth Trimester: Physical Recovery
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery,…
- Introducing the 4th Trimester Mini-Series
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. This can be a time of significant physical and emotional change, and also a period of time where it’s hard to prioritize yo…
- Contraceptive Coercion
Reproductive coercion – any behavior that interferes with someone’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health – can happen in the context of intimate relationships, family relationships, or even in health care settings. Lau…
- REPLAY: Promoting Pelvic Floor Health
November is Bladder Health Month. To celebrate, we’re replaying an interview with Angie Sergeant, a nurse practitioner in the UW Health Women’s Pelvic Wellness Clinic. In this interview from 2020, Angie talks about risk factors for pelvic…
- Health Equity Innovations
Health disparities in the United States are a pressing issue – and we see gaps in health outcomes across all aspects of ob-gyn care, too. What role does the health care system have in reducing health disparities? Dr. Denise Howard sat down…
- E-Visits for Contraception
Can starting a new birth control method, or changing your method, be as easy as opening an app, answering a few questions about your health, and picking up your prescription? E-visits for contraception are increasingly popular, whether off…
- Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning
Palliative care – medical care to help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses – is often a key component of cancer care and treatment. During Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Catherine Zhang j…
- Perineal Tears: Cause and Recovery
Perineal tears, or perineal lacerations, are a very common complication that can happen during childbirth – somewhere between 60-70 percent of people who give birth experience some degree of tearing in the skin or muscles between the vagin…
- Over-the-Counter Birth Control
In July 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a birth control pill for over-the-counter use, meaning most consumers could buy it from a pharmacy without a prescription. The pill will likely be available sometime in…
- What’s Next in Menopause Management?
Vasomotor symptoms, also known as hot flashes, are one of the most common and most disruptive symptoms of the perimenopause transition. For some people, they can happen more than seven times a day. And once hot flashes start, people experi…
- Equity and Access in Fertility Care
In early April 2023, the World Health Organization released a new report that suggests one in six adults – or roughly 17.5% of the world’s adult population – will be affected by infertility in their lifetime. Despite how common infertility…
- Back to Basics: Pregnancy Prevention
There’s a lot to consider when choosing the right birth control -- what will work with your lifestyle? What are your goals? Are there other health issues you should consider before starting a method? Where can you go to find the right birt…
- Back to Basics: STIs and Safer Sex
Sexually transmitted infections (or STIs) are incredibly common – over half of people in the U.S. will have an STI at some point in their life. Despite being so common, we still approach STIs with a lot of stigma and shame, and maybe even…
- Back to Basics: Consent and Bodily Autonomy
Understanding bodily autonomy and consent can be crucial tools for navigating healthy relationships of all kinds, including romantic relationships. But helping young people build a strong sense of self and understand boundaries and autonom…
- Back to Basics: Sex, Gender, Sexuality
Our understanding of gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, and sexual orientation has expanded so much over time. On this Back to Basics episode of the Women’s Healthcast, guest experts Dr. Ryan Luellwitz and Dr. Paula Cody make s…
- Back to Basics Bonus: Period Products
Just about half the world’s population has had or will have a period at some point. But despite how common menstruation is, there can still be some confusion or even stigma around period products like pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and mor…
- Back to Basics: Menstrual Cycle and Periods
Welcome to Back to Basics, a new series from the Women’s Healthcast answering some of the most common questions about sexual and reproductive health. Guest experts Dr. Ryan Luellwitz and Dr. Paula Cody will bring us back to the basics of a…
- Back to Basics: Anatomy and Puberty
Welcome to Back to Basics, a new series from the Women’s Healthcast! Over the next several episodes, we will answer some of the most common questions about sexual and reproductive health and provide resources for parents and supportive adu…
- Back to Basics in 2023
Starting in January 2023, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Back To Basics series with the aim of answering some of the most common questions about sexual and reproductive health and providing resources for parents and supportive adults wh…
- Surgical Sterilization
Since the spring of 2022, ob-gyn clinics around the U.S. have reported an increase in questions about tubal ligation, also known as surgical sterilization or salpingectomy. Dr. Laura Hanks joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about why th…
- Robotic-Assisted Surgery
Dr. Laura Hanks joined the Women’s Healthcast to tell us more about how robotic surgery works, what kinds of procedures in the ob-gyn world can and can’t be performed with this method, and how to weigh the risks and benefits when deciding…
- Vasectomy: Asked and Answered
Over the last few months, Google searches about vasectomy – the procedure for male sterilization – have skyrocketed. Dr. David Paolone joined the Women's Healthcast to tell us more about how vasectomy works. He discussed what preparation a…
- Privacy, Security, and Cycle Tracking Apps
Lots of questions about menstrual tracking or cycle tracking apps popped up after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in June 2022. Questions like: are these apps secure? Could data tracked in these a…
- Choosing Lubricants and Vaginal Moisturizers
Vaginal moisturizers, lubricants, and vaginal estrogen can be helpful tools for improving sexual wellbeing, but how many of us know how to choose the right ones? Dr. Jon Pennycuff joined the Women’s Healthcast to discuss why people use vag…
- The State of Abortion Rights in 2022
We’re releasing this episode on June 1, 2022, and sometime in the next few weeks, the United States Supreme Court will issue a decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Their decision in this case could have huge e…
- Finding Out About Fibroids
Uterine fibroids are incredibly common – between 20 and 70 percent of people with uteruses will develop fibroids during their lifetimes. And while they’re often benign, they can still cause some troublesome symptoms. Dr. Bala Bhagavath joi…
- Effective Advocacy in Healthcare Settings
Preparing for a doctor’s visit can feel intimidating. How do we make sure all our questions are answered and our concerns are taken seriously? How many of us know how to be effective self-advocates in medical settings? On this episode of t…