Hormones were only discovered about a hundred years ago. But since then, they’ve taken on a lot of significance, both in science and in western culture. Before we find out how hormones affect just about everything, let’s look at the history of these powerful molecules.  Our guest this week is Randi Epstein. She’s a doctor, a medical writer and the author of: “Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything.”   For more information on today’s episode visit helloclue.com/hormonal. And to find out how to support the work here at Clue, go to  Clue.Plus. Want to know the answer to the question at the beginning of the show? Go to "Helloclue.com: Getting wet: discharge vs. cervical fluid vs. arousal fluid." For more on menstrual and medical history:   Helloclue.com: A short history of modern menstrual productsHelloclue.com: How did menstruation become taboo?  

Grains of Salt: Hormone History in the Modern Age

Hormones affect everyone and everything: from our skin, to stress, to sports. But for most of us, they're still a mystery. Even the way we talk about hormones makes no sense. ("She's hormonal.")

So let's clear some things up. Each week, Rhea Ramjohn is asking scientists, doctors, and experts to break it all down for us. And this season? We're talking about birth control. 

Season 2 launches Oct 13 with eight weekly episodes.

Sexuality

Health

Health & Fitness

This season on Hormonal we’ve learned a lot about birth control. From the origin of the pill, to how side effects can be beneficial, to the history and future of Reproductive Justice. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to learn, especially when it comes to those pesky myths that just never seem to completely disappear.  This week on the Hormonal podcast, we are assembling a super squad of science-backed Mythbusters. They’re ready to tackle questions from real users like you.  On the mythbusting squad we’re welcoming back Dr. Lynae Brayboy, Clue’s Chief Medical Officer–and also joining us is Amanda Shea, Clue’s Head of Science, and Dr. Hajnalka Hejja, Clue’s Science Lead for Product.  "It feels like it's constantly being reinforced that we should have an exactly 28-day cycle that comes at the exact day we expect, month after month after month. And then it's completely not true." For more information on today’s episode visit helloclue.com/hormonal. And to find out how to support the work here at Clue, go to  Clue.Plus.  Episode Links  HelloClue.com:  The birth control implant: myths and misconceptions HelloClue.com:  Antibiotics and Birth Control: Myths and Facts HelloClue.com:  How to use Clue if you’re on the hormonal birth control pill HelloClue.com: The top 3 PMS myths HelloClue.com:  36 superstitions about periods from around the world HelloClue.com:  Tampons: questions & misconceptions HelloClue.com:  Can you swim on your period? HelloClue.com:  The myth of moon phases and menstruation 

Who you gonna call? Mythbusters!

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended healthcare systems around the world, especially reproductive healthcare. People who relied on face-to-face visits with their doctor or timely appointments are now facing cancellations and rescheduling. And those who had employer-based care in countries that have limited alternatives, like the United States, are now asking themselves, “What now?” We wanted to know more about how COVID-19, as well as the pandemic and recession associated with it, are influencing people’s birth control options and choices.  On this episode of Hormonal, we’re joined by Gillian Sealy. She's the interim CEO of Power to Decide–a nonprofit in the U.S. focused on preventing unplanned pregnancy and helping young people find a birth control option that works for them. She joins us today from Tampa Bay, Florida. For more information on today’s episode visit helloclue.com/hormonal. And to find out how to support the work here at Clue, go to  Clue.Plus. “[In our recent survey,] birth control users [ages] 18 to 34 said that birth control has allowed them or their partner to worry about one less thing during the COVID pandemic.” Episode Links  #ThxBirthControl 2020:  Survey Says HelloClue.com:  How coronavirus impacts pregnancy, breastfeeding, and postpartum HelloClue.com:  Does Coronavirus (COVID-19) affect your periods or cycle health? HelloClue.com:  Is it safe to get pregnant during coronavirus? HelloClue.com:  Will coronavirus impact access to contraception?   

Risky business: Birth Control during COVID-19

Nothing quite brings your fertility front and center like a pregnancy. Whether a pregnancy ends in a baby or not, it causes big changes to your body. Hormonal changes, like an increase in estrogen and prolactin, can cause or are directly related to physical changes, such as breast and milk duct growth.  What do people who’ve just had a pregnancy, need to know about their birth control options afterwards?  To discuss this, we’re joined by two midwives: Imogen Raye Minton is a home birth midwife and co-founder of the Queer Feminist Midwifery Collective here in Berlin; and Yasmeen Bruckner is a certified nurse, midwife and women's nurse, health practitioner at the University of Washington Northwest Campus Midwives Clinic. For more information on today’s episode visit helloclue.com/hormonal. And to find out how to support the work here at Clue, go to  Clue.Plus. "There is this like this thing, this idea, that everything should be back to normal by six weeks. And I really try to encourage people to think about how long it took them to grow a baby in their body and the incredible feat it is to birth a baby no matter how you birth your baby." Further Reading  HelloClue:  How to use the Clue app to help you become pregnant HelloClue:  Postpartum: Sex, fertility, and contraception HelloClue: Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum HelloClue: PCOS and pregnancy CDC: Dental Dam Use   

Bringing sexy back

The birth control pill, which many of us just call "the pill," officially turns 60 years old this year. Instead of just breaking out the cake and candles, we’re telling you the story of the pill. Where did this remarkable invention even come from? And what doors did it open up for our parents and grandparents?  Additionally, when considering the history of remarkable inventions, how do we address the harm that was done along the way? “College jobs, families, sex. So much came from the pill. And it came because people suffered for it. That that women, black and brown women in particular, were treated like second class citizens. And, you know, you just, that’s a sad part of the world that we live in.” Jonathan Eig is the author of  Birth of the Pill and joins us from Chicago, Illinois to delve into this fascinating, amazing, and shadowy story.  For more information on today’s episode visit helloclue.com/hormonal. And to find out how to support the work here at Clue, go to  Clue.Plus. Episode Links  HelloClue:  How we think about birth control at Clue HelloClue: Birth control pills 101 HelloClue:  How to use Clue if you’re on the hormonal birth control pill Planned Parenthood:  Birth Control Pills 

Happy Birthday, birth control!

Inequality is all around us and manifests in tricky ways. When it comes to healthcare in particular, for many of us, reproductive care is a large part of how we interact with the healthcare system.  So how do systems of oppression such as racism, ableism, sexism, and so many more, make it harder for some of us to access reproductive care?  To talk about this, we’re going to explore the theory of reproductive justice. And who better to explain it than Dr. Loretta Ross. She’s a professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, co-founder of the Sister-Song Collective in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the co-originators of the concept of reproductive justice. For more information on today’s episode visit helloclue.com/hormonal. And to find out how to support the work here at Clue, go to  Clue.Plus.  “You have to put access in the context of people’s lives; just because you can buy a condom at any gas station doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to persuade your partner under patriarchy to use it.” Further Reading:  SisterSong Collective HelloClue Webinar:  Reproductive Health Disparities Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda HelloClue:  What it’s like going to the doctor when you’re trans HelloClue:  What to expect at the OB/GYN when you’re trans HelloClue:  Will coronavirus impact access to contraception? The Center for Reproductive Rights   

Grains of Salt: Hormone History in the Modern Age

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