Health Starts With Her

Health Starts With Her

By Dr. Tara ShirazianMedicineHealth & Fitness
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Health Starts With Her episodes

  • Postpartum Depression & Intrusive Thoughts

    Postpartum depression can bring terrifying feelings that many women carry in silence—overwhelming sadness, fear, shame, or thoughts they’re afraid to share with anyone. The pressure to feel happy or to be a “good mother” can make speaking up feel even harder. If this is your experience, you are not alone, and you do not have to face it alone. There are treatments, resources, and people who can help you feel better. You deserve to be heard, supported, and cared for.

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with Dr. Maria Sarmiento, a reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist at Northwell, and Teneisha Oliverre, a certified doula and project coordinator at NYU Langone Medical Center, for an honest conversation about postpartum depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and finding support during one of life’s most vulnerable transitions.

    Teneisha shares her deeply personal experiences after two pregnancies, reflecting on isolation, shame, and the pressure to manage motherhood alone—and how therapy, community, and a stronger support system changed her second postpartum journey. Dr. Sarmiento brings a clinical perspective on recognizing symptoms, navigating treatment, and understanding the role of sleep and support.

    This conversation explores the questions so many women and families are asking:
    • What can postpartum depression and anxiety look like?
    • How can hormonal changes and sleep deprivation affect the postpartum experience?
    • What are intrusive thoughts, and how can they relate to postpartum OCD?
    • Why do shame and stigma keep so many mothers from seeking help?
    • Where are the gaps in postpartum screening and follow-up care?
    • How can therapy, medication, and reproductive psychiatry support mothers?
    • What role can doulas, partners, families, and communities play?
    • What does it mean to ask for help—and accept it?

    ______________________________________________

    Stay Connected
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe to the channel for more conversations about women’s health, fibroids, reproductive health, hormones, and medical issues impacting women worldwide.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher
    ______________________________________________

    Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
    Special thank you to the organizations helping support conversations about women’s health:

    Supernus Pharmaceuticals / Biogen
    Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Biogen have partnered together to bring a treatment option to people experiencing postpartum depression. By combining expertise in brain health and biotechnology, we’re working with the healthcare community to help improve awareness and education of postpartum depression.

    Cerene Endometrial Cryotherapy
    https://www.cerene.com/

    Saving Mothers
    https://savingmothers.org/

    CHAPTERS
    00:00 Opening: The realities of postpartum depression
    00:25 Meet the host and guests
    02:23 Understanding postpartum depression and anxiety
    03:47 Tanisha’s first postpartum experience
    08:54 Hormonal changes and risk factors
    13:16 Intrusive thoughts and postpartum OCD
    15:35 How doulas can support mothers
    17:03 Gaps in postpartum care
    20:57 Tanisha’s breakthrough: Therapy and support
    22:48 Building a postpartum care team
    25:07 What is a reproductive psychiatrist?
    26:08 Hormonal shifts and questions about treatment
    28:14 Breaking the stigma around seeking help
    28:42 What every mother and community should know
    32:35 Closing: Maternal mental health matters

    Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts and intrusive thoughts involving harm. If you or someone you know needs crisis support in the U.S., call or text 988 or visit the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

    Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with your physician or qualified healthcare provider about any questions or concerns regarding your health.

    34 min
  • GLP-1s Beyond Weight Loss: Endometriosis, Inflammation & Women’s Health

    Could GLP-1 medications play a role in women’s health beyond weight loss? From endometriosis and inflammation to perimenopause and metabolic health, this episode of Health Starts With Her explores the questions patients are asking—and where more research is needed.

    Endocrinologist, Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen, and clinical nutritionist and endometriosis advocate, Savannah Regensberger, join us to discuss GLP-1 medications, body composition, and the importance of nutrition and strength training. Savannah also shares her personal experience using a GLP-1 while managing endometriosis.

    In this episode, we discuss:
    • Personal experiences with endometriosis symptoms and the limits of existing research
    • Visceral fat, inflammation, and why body composition matters
    • Differences between GLP-1 medications
    • Protein, fiber, and preserving muscle during weight loss
    • Weight stigma and the misconception that medication is “cheating”
    • Long-term treatment, maintenance, and questions to bring to your doctor

    ⸻

    Special thank you to our sponsor for this episode: 
    Saving Mothers: https://savingmothers.org/

    ⸻

    Stay Connected:
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe for more conversations on women’s health, including fertility, hormones, fibroids, PMOS, and reproductive health.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher

    ⸻

    CHAPTERS
    00:00 GLP-1s beyond weight loss
    00:34 Meet the guests
    01:52 Savannah’s experience with endometriosis and GLP-1s
    05:19 Body composition, visceral fat, and inflammation
    09:00 Finding relief and returning to exercise
    11:13 How GLP-1 medications differ
    12:55 Access to care and monitoring treatment
    15:22 Nutrition and preserving muscle
    17:02 The “quick fix” myth and weight stigma
    20:11 Relationship with food and eating disorders
    21:38 Patient selection and safety questions
    23:01 Pregnancy and preconception discussion
    25:39 Endometriosis advocacy and patient questions
    27:36 Why taking medication isn’t “cheating”
    29:09 Do you have to stay on a GLP-1 forever?
    32:42 Final thoughts

    34 min
  • How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor | Fibroids, Treatment Options & Being Heard

    What happens when you know something is wrong with your body — but you don’t feel heard by your doctor?

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with Jamie Hosman, Nurse Advocate at Hologic, and Holly Gorman, Nurse Practitioner at the Center for Fibroid Care at NYU Langone Health, for an important conversation about patient advocacy, fibroids, medical dismissal, and helping women understand their treatment options.

    They discuss why heavy bleeding and other fibroid symptoms are so often normalized, how a lack of education can prevent women from receiving the care they need, and why treatment should never feel like a one-size-fits-all decision.

    Together, they explore:
    • Why women often normalize heavy bleeding and fibroid symptoms?
    • What happens when patients feel dismissed or unheard?
    • The importance of understanding all of your fibroid treatment options
    • Medications and minimally invasive treatments for heavy bleeding and fibroids
    • Why shared decision-making matters?
    • How to prepare for a doctor’s appointment and ask better questions?
    • When it may be time to seek a second opinion?
    • What “watch and wait” really means for fibroids?
    • How education, community, and access can empower women to take control of their health

    The biggest takeaway: You know your body better than anyone else. Ask questions. Understand your options. And if you don’t feel heard, it’s okay to seek another opinion.

    There is power in knowing you are not alone.

    ⸻

    Special thank you to Hologic for supporting this episode of Health Starts With Her.

    Connect with a Hologic Nurse Advocate - https://gynsurgicalsolutions.com/nurse-advocate/

    ⸻

    Stay Connected:
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe for more conversations on women’s health, including fertility, hormones, fibroids, PMOS, and reproductive health.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher

    ⸻

    Chapters:
    00:00 Why Patient Advocacy Matters
    01:30 Meet Jamie Hosman and Holly Gorman
    03:51 The Most Common Fibroid Symptoms
    05:00 Why Women Normalize Heavy Bleeding
    06:30 When the Medical System Doesn’t Offer Enough Options
    08:00 Why Women Aren’t Hearing About All Their Treatment Options
    10:00 Doing Your Own Research and Asking Better Questions
    11:00 How the Medical Community Can Improve Patient Access
    13:00 Why the Emergency Room Is an Important Touchpoint
    14:30 Understanding the Full Spectrum of Fibroid Treatment Options
    15:30 Lifestyle, Diet and Vitamin D
    16:30 Medications for Fibroid Symptoms and Heavy Bleeding
    18:30 Tranexamic Acid (TXA) and Other Non-Surgical Options
    20:00 RFA, Endometrial Ablation and Minimally Invasive Treatments
    22:00 Trust, Surgery and Barriers to Care
    23:30 “Why Didn’t My Doctor Tell Me About This?”
    25:00 How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctor
    26:00 How to Prepare for a Medical Appointment
    27:30 Why Women Feel Dismissed and Unheard
    28:30 The Anger, Exhaustion and Despair Behind Medical Dismissal
    29:30 How Education Can Give Patients Hope
    31:15 What Does “Watch and Wait” Really Mean for Fibroids?
    34:30 Other Ways to Advocate for Your Healthcare
    35:30 How Telehealth Can Expand Access to Fibroid Care
    37:00 What Every Woman Should Know About Advocating for Herself
    38:00 When to Get a Second Opinion
    38:30 The Power of Community and Knowing You’re Not Alone
    40:00 Final Takeaway: Your Symptoms Matter

    41 min
  • Lupita Nyong’o & Dr. Lauren Mims Open Up About Their Fibroids: Symptoms, Surgery & Treatment Options

    Fibroids affect millions of women, yet symptoms like heavy bleeding, painful periods, fatigue, anemia, and pelvic pain are still too often normalized or dismissed.

    In this powerful episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian, OBGYN and Gynecologic Surgeon, sits down with Academy Award-winning actress and author Lupita Nyong’o, recently seen in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and Dr. Lauren Mims, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at NYU, for an honest conversation about their personal experiences with uterine fibroids.

    Lupita shares how she spent years believing painful periods and cramping were simply “normal” — until worsening symptoms led to a fibroid diagnosis and surgery. Ten years later, when her fibroids returned, she began asking deeper questions about prevention, research, treatment, and why women are still left searching for answers.

    Lauren shares her own journey from severe fatigue and iron-deficiency anemia to multiple surgeries, recurring fibroids, and finally finding an approach to care that considered not just her diagnosis, but her quality of life.

    Together, they explore the questions so many women are asking:

    • What are the early signs and symptoms of uterine fibroids?
    • When are heavy periods, blood clots, fatigue, and anemia a sign that something is wrong?
    • Why are women’s pain and bleeding so often normalized or dismissed?
    • Why are Black women disproportionately impacted by fibroids?
    • Can fibroids be detected and treated earlier?
    • What fibroid treatment options exist beyond major surgery?
    • How do medications, myomectomy, radiofrequency ablation, and other treatments differ?
    • What role can lifestyle, stress, vitamin D, and ongoing monitoring play in fibroid care?
    • Why are second opinions and shared decision-making so important?

    This conversation is about more than fibroids. It’s about learning to listen to your body, challenging the idea that debilitating periods are “normal,” understanding your treatment options, and advocating for care that considers your entire life — not just your diagnosis.

    ⸻

    Special thank you to our sponsors for this episode that are helping support conversations about women’s health:

    Hologic
    Learn more about Sonata here: https://gynsurgicalsolutions.com/know...

    Sumitomo Pharma:
    https://www.sumitomo-pharma.com/
    https://www.uterinehealthguide.com/

    Saving Mothers: https://savingmothers.org/

    ⸻

    Stay Connected:
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe for more conversations on women’s health, including fertility, hormones, fibroids, PMOS, and reproductive health.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher

    ⸻


    Chapters:
    00:00 Why Women’s Pain and Fibroid Symptoms Are Dismissed
    01:20 The First Signs and Symptoms of Fibroids
    04:09 Lupita Nyong’o: Why I Thought Painful Periods Were Normal
    08:29 When the Medical System Dismisses Women’s Pain
    11:35 Lauren Mims’ Fibroid Diagnosis and Journey Through Surgery
    17:40 Lupita Nyong’o on Her Fibroid Diagnosis and Search for Answers
    21:14 The Emotional Toll of Living With Fibroids
    22:24 Can Fibroids Be Prevented or Detected Earlier?
    23:41 Lupita on Fibroid Recurrence and Taking Control of Her Health
    27:01 Black Women, Stress and the “Strong Black Woman” Expectation
    29:17 Why Fibroids Are a Chronic and Recurrent Disease
    29:59 Fibroid Treatment Options Beyond Surgery
    32:24 Lupita and Lauren Share Their Experiences With Medication
    37:03 Radiofrequency Ablation for Fibroids Explained
    41:17 Why Long-Term Fibroid Care Matters
    42:23 How to Know When Your Period Is Not Normal
    44:38 Know Your Options and Get a Second Opinion
    45:54 The Power of Sisterhood, Community and Advocacy

    50 min
  • Endometriosis: Pain, Healing, and Taking Your Power Back with Savannah Regensburger and Bai Ruskus

    Endometriosis and adenomyosis can affect every part of a woman’s life — from chronic pain, inflammation, and digestion to mental health, fertility, body image, and daily wellbeing.

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with Savannah Regensburger, clinical nutritionist, researcher, speaker, and Co-Founder of I Am Endometriosis, and Bai Ruskus, chef, best-selling author, activist, and Co-Founder of I Am Endometriosis, for an honest conversation about living with endometriosis, navigating medical dismissal, finding community, and using nutrition as a tool for support.

    Together, they share their personal journeys with painful periods, delayed diagnosis, medical gaslighting, adenomyosis, fibroids, mental health challenges, inflammation, and the emotional toll of trying to advocate for care in a system that often overlooks women’s pain.

    This conversation explores the questions so many women are asking:

    • What are the early signs of endometriosis?
    • Why are painful periods so often dismissed as “normal”?
    • How can endometriosis affect mental health?
    • What is the connection between endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, and inflammation?
    • Why can diagnosis be validating — and also emotionally overwhelming?
    • How can nutrition support women living with endometriosis?
    • What does it mean to advocate for yourself in the medical system?
    • Why does community matter so much when living with a chronic condition?

    Endometriosis is complex, isolating, and often misunderstood — but women deserve answers, support, and care that sees the full picture.

    ⸻

    Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
    Special thank you to the organizations helping support conversations about women’s health:

    CooperSurgical: https://www.coopersurgical.com/
    CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women’s healthcare company dedicated to putting time on the side of women, babies, and families at the healthcare moments that matter most in life.

    Cerene Endometrial Cryotherapy: https://www.cerene.com/

    ALTEVA RCM: https://www.altevarcm.com/
    ALTEVA works side-by-side with physicians and healthcare groups to improve financial outcomes, reduce administrative burden, and create smarter revenue strategies in an increasingly difficult payer environment. Their mission is simple: support providers, protect patients, and help independent practices grow with confidence

    ⸻

    Stay Connected:
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe for more conversations on women’s health, including fertility, hormones, fibroids, PCOS, and reproductive health.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher

    ⸻

    Chapters:
    01:46 First Symptoms of Endometriosis
    05:21 Painful Periods at a Young Age
    09:57 Growing Up With Chronic Pain
    14:37 Feeling Dismissed by the Medical System
    16:41 Medical Trauma and Losing Trust
    19:25 Why Medicine Is Slow to Change
    22:29 Getting an Endometriosis Diagnosis
    26:20 The Emotional Weight of Diagnosis
    26:55 Silent Endometriosis and Infertility
    28:16 Advocacy, Education, and Patient Power
    29:07 Endometriosis and Coexisting Conditions
    29:43 Adenomyosis and Understanding Symptoms
    32:26 Breakthrough Moments
    35:20 Advice for Women Newly Diagnosed
    37:37 Why Community Matters
    38:27 Fibroids and Other Coexisting Conditions
    40:33 Nutrition, Inflammation, and Endometriosis
    42:24 Simplifying Food and Healing
    44:35 Final Thoughts
    44:50 Closing Message

    46 min
  • Endometriosis: Symptoms, Misdiagnosis & Learning to Trust Your Body

    Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, yet so many live for years with pain, misdiagnosis, and symptoms that are dismissed or misunderstood.

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with Dr. Tamar Zelovich, Co-Founder & CEO of SymptoLab, and Christine, a strategist in packaged goods and one of Dr. Shirazian’s patients, to talk about the real impact of endometriosis.

    Together, they share their personal journeys with painful periods, IBS-like symptoms, fertility challenges, adenomyosis, surgery, chronic pain, and the emotional toll of searching for answers.

    This conversation explores the questions so many women are asking:
    • What are the symptoms of endometriosis?
    • Why is endometriosis so often misdiagnosed?
    • How can endometriosis affect fertility?
    • What is the connection between endometriosis, IBS, fibroids, and adenomyosis?
    • What treatment options exist beyond surgery?
    • How can women advocate for themselves when they feel dismissed?

    Endometriosis is a chronic and often debilitating condition, but women deserve to be seen, heard, and supported. This episode is a reminder to trust your body, keep asking questions, and know that you are not alone.

    Watch the full episode to learn more about endometriosis, diagnosis, treatment options, patient advocacy, and the importance of building a care team that listens.

    ⸻

    Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
    Special thank you to the organizations helping support conversations about women’s health:

    CooperSurgical: https://www.coopersurgical.com/
    CooperSurgical is a leading fertility and women’s healthcare company dedicated to putting time on the side of women, babies, and families at the healthcare moments that matter most in life.

    Cerene Endometrial Cryotherapy: https://www.cerene.com/

    ALTEVA RCM:
    ALTEVA works side-by-side with physicians and healthcare groups to improve financial outcomes, reduce administrative burden, and create smarter revenue strategies in an increasingly difficult payer environment. Their mission is simple: support providers, protect patients, and help independent practices grow with confidence

    ⸻

    Stay Connected:
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe for more conversations on women’s health, including fertility, hormones, fibroids, PCOS, and reproductive health.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher

    ⸻

    Chapters:
    00:00 Endometriosis: Living With Pain, Misdiagnosis & Searching for Answers
    01:28 Christine’s Endometriosis Journey
    04:16 Tamar’s Endometriosis Journey
    06:03 How Endometriosis Impacts Daily Life
    09:31 Feeling Dismissed by Doctors
    13:09 Endometriosis as a Multi-System Disease
    20:21 Getting Diagnosed With Endometriosis
    23:07 Fibroids, Adenomyosis & Endometriosis
    26:13 Medical Dismissal, Fertility & Finding the Right Care Team
    30:05 Why Endometriosis Requires Long-Term Management
    32:15 Treatment Options Beyond Surgery
    33:37 Breakthrough Moments in Their Endometriosis Journeys
    37:00 How SymptoLab Helps Track Symptoms
    41:19 Advice for Women Managing Endometriosis
    44:11 Hope, Research & the Future of Women’s Health
    49:18 Final Thoughts on Endometriosis
    49:49 Closing Message

    51 min
  • Understanding IVF and It's Fertility Outcomes

    Fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS, egg quality, male factor infertility, and blocked fallopian tubes can all play a role in fertility — but every IVF journey is deeply personal.

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, we’re talking about IVF, fertility, and gynecologic disease — including the physical, emotional, and mental health realities many women face when trying to build their families.

    Host Dr. Tara Shirazian is joined by Dr. Lucky Sekhon, OBGYN and fertility specialist and author of The Lucky Egg, and Dr. Lauren Mims, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at NYU and one of Dr. Shirazian’s patients, who shares her personal IVF journey while navigating recurrent fibroids.

    Together, they discuss the questions so many women are asking:
    • What is IVF and how does it work?
    • Is IVF a guarantee?
    • How do fibroids, endometriosis, and adenomyosis affect fertility?
    • Can IVF make gynecologic symptoms worse?
    • What should women know before starting IVF?
    • How can patients prepare for the emotional side of fertility treatment?
    • Why is community and support so important during the fertility journey?

    This conversation highlights why fertility care is not one-size-fits-all — and why women deserve clear information, compassionate care, and support throughout the entire process.

    Whether you’re considering IVF, currently going through fertility treatment, living with fibroids or endometriosis, or supporting someone on this journey, this episode is here to help you feel more informed, less alone, and empowered to ask the right questions.  

    Watch the full episode to learn more about IVF, fertility, gynecologic disease, and the importance of self-advocacy in women’s health.

    ______________________________________________

    Stay Connected
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe to the channel for more conversations about women’s health, fibroids, reproductive health, hormones, and medical issues impacting women worldwide.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher
    ______________________________________________

    Special Thanks to Our Sponsor:

    Saving Mothers
    savingmothers.org

    ______________________________________________

    Topics Covered: 
    0:00 Intro
    1:30 Why fertility is complicated
    3:00 What is IVF?
    3:40 Common IVF misconceptions
    5:00 Why IVF can feel like a marathon
    6:00 Preparing for the intensity of IVF
    8:30 IVF, egg freezing, and gynecologic disease
    9:00 Lauren’s fibroid and IVF journey
    10:45 How fibroids, endometriosis, and adenomyosis affect fertility
    12:30 Can IVF make symptoms worse?
    13:40 Balancing IVF with existing treatment plans
    16:00 Understanding chronic recurrent gynecologic disease
    18:20 Common causes of infertility
    21:00 Are infertility rates increasing?
    22:30 IVF success rates and expectations
    24:00 Why every IVF journey is different
    28:30 What Lauren wishes she knew before IVF
    31:15 The problem with unsolicited fertility advice online
    33:15 The emotional side of IVF and fertility treatment
    37:40 How fertility specialists can support patients emotionally
    40:45 What women should know before starting IVF
    43:00 You are not alone
    44:15 Final thoughts and closing message

    46 min
  • In the Hot Seat with Nicolle Wallace: The Politics of Women’s Health, Reproductive Rights & More

    Women’s health has always been personal—but now, it’s also political.

    In this special "at-home" episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with journalist, political commentator, and host of The Best People, Nicolle Wallace, for an unfiltered conversation about the politics shaping women’s healthcare today. 

    From reproductive rights and IVF access to maternal mortality and menopause, this episode explores how policy, power, and misinformation are directly impacting the care women receive—and the choices they’re allowed to make.

    ⸻

    Together, they unpack the questions millions of women are asking right now:

    • Why is women’s healthcare so politicized?
    • How has the Dobbs v. Jackson decision changed access to care?
    • What does “patient autonomy” actually mean—and who gets to decide?
    • How are IVF, fertility care, and pregnancy outcomes being affected?
    • Why are maternal mortality rates rising in the U.S.?
    • How do social media and misinformation shape the way women understand their bodies?

    This conversation also highlights the deeper, often unspoken realities—how shame, systemic bias, and lack of education continue to shape women’s health experiences, and why community, advocacy, and access to trusted medical care matter more than ever.

    ⸻

    Stay Connected

    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe for more conversations on women’s health, including fertility, hormones, fibroids, PCOS, and reproductive health.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher

    ⸻

    Chapters:
    00:00 – Cold Open: Why women’s health is in crisis
    00:35 – Introduction: Nicolle Wallace joins
    01:30 – A personal story: emergency care & fertility
    03:13 – Why women reach crisis points
    05:00 – Access, privilege, and quality of care
    06:55 – Knowing when your doctor is listening
    07:32 – The internet: help vs. misinformation
    09:17 – Shame and stigma in women’s health
    12:18 – Power, agency, and politics
    14:28 – Dobbs v. Jackson & impact on care
    17:58 – Regional differences across the U.S.
    20:27 – When healthcare becomes political
    23:01 – IVF, fertility, and access
    25:32 – Why this affects every woman
    31:27 – Maternal mortality & global perspective
    35:28 – Menopause, hormones, and misinformation
    41:19 – HRT: what to know
    46:35 – Wellness culture & information overload
    49:59 – Community and what actually helps
    52:15 – Outro

    53 min
  • Perimenopause Explained: Symptoms, Hormones, and What No One Tells You

    Perimenopause can feel confusing, overwhelming, and often misunderstood— but you’re not alone.

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, host Dr. Tara Shirazian sits down with Cheldin Barlatt, CEO of This Is It Network, and Mary Pierce, former professional tennis champion, to talk openly about their experiences navigating perimenopause.

    Together, they share what this stage of life really looks like—from the symptoms that caught them off guard to how they’re managing hormonal changes, advocating for themselves, and finding what works.

    If you’ve ever wondered whether your symptoms could be perimenopause, this conversation is for you.

    In this episode, we cover:
    • What is perimenopause
    • Common perimenopause symptoms (and the ones no one talks about)
    • Hormonal changes and how they impact your body
    • How to manage symptoms and feel like yourself again
    • When to talk to a doctor
    • How to advocate for better care

    ______________________________________________

    Stay Connected
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe to the channel for more conversations about women’s health, reproductive health, hormones, and medical issues impacting women worldwide.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @drshirazian
    @healthstartswithher
    ______________________________________________

    Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
    Special thank you to the organizations helping support conversations about women’s health:

    Cerene Endometrial Cryotherapy
    cerene.com

    Saving Mothers
    savingmothers.org

    Sumitomo Pharma
    sumitomo-pharma.com
    Stay connected with Health Starts With Her:
    Sign up for our newsletter: healthstartswithher.com

    Timestamps: 
    00:00 – Introduction
    00:47 – Meet Cheldin Barlatt Rumer & Mary Pierce
    02:00 – Symptoms of perimenopause (what to look for)
    06:35 – What is Perimenopause? 
    07:15 – Where you prepared for this period of life
    15:30 – “Is this normal?” How to know it’s perimenopause
    16:30 – Navigating symptom changes 
    19:30 – Navigating doctors 
    20:00 – Advocating for yourself
    22:15 – Treatment options based on lifestyle and goals
    31:30 – Treatments that work 
    42:50 – Advice for women entering this stage

    46 min
  • Venus Williams Opens Up About Fibroids: Symptoms, Misdiagnosis & Self-Advocacy

    Venus Williams shares her personal journey with fibroids—opening up about the symptoms she didn’t recognize, the years of uncertainty, and how she ultimately learned to advocate for her own health.

    In this episode of Health Starts With Her, Venus sits down with Dr. Tara Shirazian to talk about the real experience of living with fibroids—from heavy, uncontrollable bleeding and pain to the frustration of not having clear answers. She reflects on how long it took to understand what was happening in her body—and why so many women are told their symptoms are “normal” when they’re not.

    This conversation is about more than fibroids. It’s about awareness, education, and the power of self-advocacy in women’s health.

    In this episode, we cover: 
    • What are early signs and symptoms of fibroids
    • What heavy bleeding and pain can actually mean
    • Why so many women go undiagnosed for years
    • The importance of understanding your body
    • How to advocate for yourself in the healthcare system

    If you’ve ever wondered whether your symptoms are normal or felt dismissed when seeking care, then this conversation is for you. Watch the full episode to learn more about fibroids, their symptoms, and the treatment options available to women today. 
    ______________________________________________

    Stay Connected
    Subscribe to our email newsletter so you never miss an episode:
    https://healthstartswithher.com

    Subscribe to the channel for more conversations about women’s health, fibroids, reproductive health, hormones, and medical issues impacting women worldwide.

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    Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
    Special thank you to the organizations helping support conversations about women’s health:

    Cerene Endometrial Cryotherapy
    cerene.com

    Saving Mothers
    savingmothers.org

    Sumitomo Pharma
    sumitomo-pharma.com

    8 min

About Health Starts With Her

From the publisher's feed

So many women feel overwhelmed when it comes to their health—and unsure of what information to trust. Health Starts With Her is an unfiltered, science-based talk show hosted by Dr. Tara Shirazian,…