28ish Days Later

The perimenopause is a challenging time for many women but there is help and there are ways you can prepare.

In this episode, India sits down with her mum to discuss her own transition to menopause. And we hear from Dr Marion Gluck and Dr Radhika Vohra to discuss the history and role of HRT in treating perimenopausal symptoms.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

India and Dr Anita Mitra discuss the causes and symptoms of Premenstrual Stress (PMS), and Maisie Hill offers up advice for PMS in the autumn season of the cycle. We also hear from two women who live with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and explore the reality of the condition.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

We've entered the luteal phase and welcome a fascinating temporary organ into the reproductive system. It only lasts 14 days and it's one big job is to pump out progesterone. India also finds out what progesterone is doing to our brains and our bodies.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

On day 15 of the cycle, India looks at fertility and the process of trying to conceive - and explores the tragic reality that not all pregnancies are successful. Dr Dornu Lebari takes us through a fertility consultation, and discusses the stigma that surrounds reproductive health. Dame Lesley Regan speaks with India about early miscarriage.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Oestrogen has peaked and ovulation is imminent. Professor Evelyn Telfer from the University of Edinburgh discusses the formation and release of eggs, as well as key new research into whether women can make new eggs.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

It’s day 13 of the cycle and India rides the first oestrogen wave and chats all things cervical mucus with the Gynae Geek Dr Anita Mitra from its texture to its many functions. Maisie Hill, author of Period Power, also joins India to discuss ovulation, the season ‘Summer’ and how to manage it.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Professor Richard Legro, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania, tells his story of attempting to test the effectiveness of sildenafil (aka Viagra) to treat period pain. Ultimately unsuccessful - but not because it didn't work - but rather the people with the money didn't think it was important enough.

India is also joined by Dr Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Manmade World. She tells her story of being diagnosed with the chronic illness Lupus. The pair discuss the origins of hysteria, with a particular focus on the myth that black females have a greater insensitivity to pain.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

India meets Emily Jacobs, an Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at University of California Santa Barbara, to discuss sex bias within medical science. Emily shares with India her extensive research into hormones and the brain.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

The world of tracking apps has grown in the last decade, but where does all that data go? India speaks to the Chief Medical Officer of Clue, Dr Lynae Brayboy about the importance of tracking periods, and the link between tracking apps and research.

Later, India is joined by Eva Blum-Dumontet, a Senior Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence at Royal Society who formerly carried out key research into data and tracking apps. Eva offers a word of warning over the type of data these apps ask for.

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Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

This episode is all about the experiences across life that can shape how we view our cycle - particularly our first bleed. India is joined by author and creatrix Lisa Lister who tells a story of empowerment.

Along the way India chats to a tropical island resident called Nirai and a refugee named Marie who is struggling with period poverty.

Credits:

Special thanks to all contributors and audio diarists.

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.