In this Case Study episode, Kate brings on Deanna Hart-Nokes, who just went off hormonal birth control for the second time in 20 years, and has been experiencing some mysterious symptoms. Kate deep-dives into the clinical research to understand how hormonal birth control works, and what might be causing Deanna's increased period pain, soreness, and increased sensation.

CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.

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Fibroids are a super common cause of severe period pain - up to 80% of people with a uterus will get fibroids at some point! So...why don't we know why they grow? Why don't they get caught and treated sooner? Kate talks with Jonelle Henry from The White Dress Project, an organization that spreads awareness, education, and resources about fibroids. Jonelle tells her own story of how fibroids impacted her life as a high-powered political journalist, having to leave the room where the president was addressing the press to manage a period that fibroids made unbearable.

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Kate talks to Laura Federico and Morgan Miller, authors of The Cycle Book, all about cycle tracking. What is it? How do I do it? Am I already doing it if I'm tracking my period with an app?

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Kate is getting endometriosis excision surgery today! She shares some details, and a story of her (hopefully last) experience with "death cramps".

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Kate talks to her friend Taylor Hallam, who has struggled with ovulation pain and ovarian cyst ruptures since getting off 19 straight years of hormonal birth control. Taylor has questions, and Kate dives into the research to find answers. What causes ovarian cysts? What are they filled with? Why do doctors often say they're "normal" and offer no options other than birth control? Are there other ways to treat ovarian cysts?

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Kate answers some questions that listeners asked her to research for them, including:

What do I do when my doctor says my lab results are "normal"?

Does the MTHFR gene mutation affect periods?

Why are my cramps excruciating one month and fine the next month?

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CRAMPED is back with new episodes - but we need your help! Subscribe to our Patreon to make our work possible at www.patreon.com/cramped

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While we're on a break from releasing new CRAMPED episodes, we're recommending some other fantastic podcasts to check out. Today we're featuring an episode of Sex Ed with DB, a feminist podcast all the sex ed you never got, centering LGBTQ+ and BIOPOC experts, hosted by Danielle Bezalel (aka “DB”), MPH.

This episode, "The Ultimate Period Episode with Dr. Jen Gunter" fulfills a sneaky goal of Kate's, which is to get Dr. Jen Gunter to be on CRAMPED even after declining to be interviewed.

DB is joined by the one and only Dr. Jen Gunter—OB-GYN, bestselling author, and certified period mythbuster—for the ultimate period episode. They dive into Dr. Jen’s trilogy of books, including her latest, Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation, to unpack what most people get wrong about periods, where the shame comes from, and why it’s time to push back against medical misogyny once and for all.

Check out Sex Ed with DB anywhere you get your podcasts!

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While we're on a break from releasing new CRAMPED episodes, we're recommending some other fantastic podcasts to check out. Today we're featuring an episode of The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, from Foreign Policy and Good Trouble Productions.

According to the World Bank, as many as 500 million people every month lack access to menstrual products or facilities. This cuts across all countries, including big pockets of the U.S. and the UK. 

The inability to afford period products is often called “period poverty.” Not only does period poverty make many girls’ lives harder; it also affects their ability to stay in school. Many miss school days during their period and it can contribute to them leaving entirely. In India, for example, around 23 million girls drop out of school every year because they do not have a bathroom at school where they feel comfortable managing their period. 

On this episode from Season 6 of The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women, hear about the solutions to period poverty and how truly transformational it would be for girls. First, reporter Elna Schutz talks to activists who have successfully advocated for affordable period products in South Africa, including students. Then host Reena Ninan speaks with Sia Towo, director of the nonprofit Femme International, about how to end period poverty. Her organization offers menstrual health education, conducts research, and distributes period products in East Africa.

The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women is a podcast from Foreign Policy, supported in part by the Gates Foundation. Follow and listen to more episodes: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hidden-economics-of-remarkable-women-hero/id1572532247.

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In season 1's final episode, Kate calls up biological anthropologist Kate Clancy to find out why we're even in this pain to begin with. Then Kate throws a period party, and gives the details on how she's been treating her period pain and endometriosis.

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