Sentient Anatomy/Hymenology 101

In this episode, Dr. Verena Brown, MD talks to Dr. Tamika Bryant, MD and Dawn Scaff, MSN, RN, SANE-P about the forensic sexual assault exam and rape kit for both adult and pediatric patients. This episode holds a trigger warning given the content. 

This was such a fun episode to record! Join Dr. Verena Brown as she interviews her friends and fellow Jiu Jitsu practitioners, Judith Wellen, Wendy Bosworth, and Amanda Button as they discuss martial arts, being women practitioners, and the importance of learning self-defense. If you are in the Atlanta area and want to know more, find them at Gracie Jiu Jitsu at Imperatori or email Judith at [email protected]. 

Welcome to Season 2 of Hymenology 101! On this episode, we chat with Sheila Wray Gregoire, the face behind ToLoveHonorandVacuum.com, the largest single-blogger marriage blog. Sheila is an award-winning author of nine books, including The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex. Her latest book, “The Great Sex Rescue” was featured in the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, and the Washington Post.

Dr. Hailey Nelson is a complex care pediatrician at Valley Children’s Hospital. She is also a licensed breastfeeding consultant and the head of Valley Children’s continuity clinic.  Dr. Nelson frequently lectures throughout the state of California, recently lecturing regarding the care of medically fragile children with COVID-19. She was featured in the Huffington Post in an article about the use of face masks during the height of the pandemic. As a strong advocate for children’s safety, Dr. Nelson is the ambassador for Safe Kids Central California. Hailey currently serves as Dr. California America 2021.

Join Dr. Brown and Dr. Gretchen Frey as they discuss how to keep having a great sex life during and after menopause.  Dr. Gretchen Frey is an OB/GYN who has had a lifelong interest in integrative medicine, promoting wellness and prevention, as well as complementary therapies. Her special areas of expertise in gynecology include menopause and hormone therapy, transgender care, pelvic pain, and sexual and reproductive health. She is now retired from clinical practice and has transitioned to writing, speaking and serving as a resource in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Dr. Frey and her husband currently split their time between Colorado and Italy. They have five grown sons and a granddaughter, and they love to bike, ski, hike and travel.

Have you ever wondered what happens after a child or teen discloses abuse? Our guest, Mary Beth Nelson, will take us through one of the most important investigative steps, the forensic interview. Mary Beth Nelson has been a forensic interviewer for 18 years, conducting over 1200 forensic interviews and testifying in over 100 criminal trials involving sexual abuse, physical abuse, child witnesses to violence and child sex trafficking.  Mary Beth serves on the faculty of Child First Georgia, the forensic interview training program in Georgia.  She is a member of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force and works closely with Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children) Response Team. 

In this episode, Dr. Brown had a blast talking about sex and pleasure with Dr. Melanie Davis. This episode is both educational and explicit, so be aware of little ears. Melanie Davis, PhD, is a sexuality counselor and educator certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. As a partner in the New Jersey Center for Sexual Wellness, she works with teens and adults who seek answers, better communication, increased pleasure, and confidence. Dr. Davis is on the adjunct faculty of Widener University’s Center for Human Sexuality Studies and is the Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education Program Manager for the Unitarian Universalist Association. Counseling and education appointments are available online as well as in medical offices in Morristown and Bedminster, New Jersey. Contact Dr. Davis at www.njsexualwellness.org and www.melaniedavisphd.com.

Join Dr. Brown and Dr. Carole Swiecicki as they discuss infertility, pregnancy loss, mental health, and healing.  Dr. Carole Swiecicki, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist specializing in improving access to evidence-based services for trauma survivors.  After her own journey with infertility, she recognized a gap in women’s access to high quality mental health support that is informed by research.  She founded Remolina Support Programs, which will launch in the summer of 2021, to fill this need by providing information and support to women on their journeys to motherhood and beyond.

Join Dr. Verena Brown and Dr. Mary Romano as they discuss ways to talk to teens about sex, issues around gender diversity, consent, and contraception. Dr. Romano is an Associate Professor in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Health at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, TN.  Her research, clinical and academic interests include Adolescent gynecology, contraceptive management in medically complex patients, LARC use in adolescent/young adults, menstrual suppression in adolescents with physical/intellectual disabilities, adolescents and young adults with eating disorders and the care of sexuality and gender minority youth.

The ACE studies, or adverse childhood experiences studies, are a group of research studies that focus on how trauma in childhood affects health outcomes in adulthood, including reproduction, mental health, smoking, mortality, and many other factors.  Dr. Shanta R. Dube, PhD, this week's guest, is an expert on ACEs and adult outcomes. Dr. Dube is a behavioral and social epidemiologist with a public health career spanning over 20 years. During her 20-year career, she served as an early investigator on the landmark CDC-Kaiser Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Her research contributions from the ACE Study gained both national and international recognition across various sectors and led to a CDC award for scientific excellence. From 2014-2021, she had an academic appointment as Associate Professor at Georgia State University, School of Public Health and engaged with various agencies to provide professional training on ACEs science and trauma-informed care. Shanta also teaches Ayurveda to improve health and build resilience. She holds workshops in the US, India, and other countries, teaching in Ayurveda. Dr. Dube is a Professor and Director of Master of Public Health Program at Wingate University, Levine College of Health Sciences.