Vulvas need love too, especially when we are having painful sex. Vulva health is something that is not usually discussed, another ridiculous taboo subject! We are lucky to have vulva expert Dr Jill Krapf on the show today who is a board-certified Obstetrician Gynecologist specializing in female sexual pain disorders. We discuss everything to know about why you might experience painful sex, especially during menopause and generally how to care for your vulva.

Always honored to be featured on other podcasts. This one with Dr Kelly Casperson's "You are Not Broken".

Kate Roberts has 30 years of experience working in global development, philanthropy and business. She has tackled some of the most challenging women’s issues, including HIV/AIDS, sexual reproductive health, menstrual hygiene, sanitation, maternal health and gender-based violence. She is a founder of The Body Agency, which provides a single source for all things fem-care, normalizing the conversation around women's natural being and eliminating fem-shame once and for all.

Medicine is finally starting to catch up with the times, but there's a long way to go. On this show we talk with Dr Blair Peters, a board certified surgeon who specializes in gender affirming surgery. Historically, a majority of gender-affirming surgeries had been performed, in a sense, behind closed doors -- barely visible and hidden away from mainstream academic medicine. Dr Peter's is not just one of the first surgeons trained in gender fellowship, he is at one of the few centres in the country performing phalloplasty. Dr Peters is also an incredible advocate for the LGBTQIA community for equal rights in gender alignment healthcare.

Time to talk everything menopause. Dr Heather Hirsch is an internal medicine physician specializing in women's health and menopause care. She primarily focuses on the education and treatment of symptomatic perimenopause (the first stage of menopause) and menopause. There is so much that potentially can happen to our bodies during this time such as painful sex, bone density reduction, night sweats, low libido, sleepless nights, vaginal dryness....lovely right? The good news is that doesn't need to be the case. All I know is I wish Dr Hirsch was my doctor, she is not just lovely but brilliant too, how lucky we are to have her on the show.

Dr Shannon Clark is a double board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist focusing on the care of women with maternal and/or fetal complications of pregnancy. We talk about our dual journeys of trying to get pregnant at the age of 40, both having IVF and both successfully having children, Shannon with a donor egg, giving birth to twins! It's all too common that we are delaying our pregnancies, so this podcast discusses the options, opportunities, and risks.

Dr Louann Brizendine, M.D., is an American brain scientist, a neuropsychiatrist who is both a researcher and a clinician and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author of three books: The Female Brain, The Male Brain and most recently The Upgrade. We have a fascinating discussion about how the female brain just keeps getting better into midlife and we delve into hormones, anxiety and all the other things that creep up in midlife. 

Cycle -Syncing nutritionist Nicole Bendayan is a women's health expert who helps women overcome the havoc caused by hormones and their cycle through nutrition and lifestyle. Hormone cycles impact every aspect of a women's life from physical and mental health to productivity to relationships. We talk about all of this and more, from what to eat, how to thrive and even the benefits of sex during our periods to relieve stress and pain.

Monika Friedman is a fertility coach with focus on the mind-body connection providing emotional, lifestyle and practical support for women who are ready to take charge of their fertility.  She is also a health & life coach and yoga & meditation instructor, offering her clients a holistic approach to fertility. Her own long journey to becoming a mom included 4 rounds of IVF and a miscarriage for baby #1, then she naturally conceived baby #2 has made her passionate about helping make your path easier. We discuss our similar journeys of fertility and how to treat our bodies and mind on this journey. We talk food, hormones, heart ache and the joys and sometimes challenges of getting pregnant as holistically as possible.

Mark Davis (real name Stephen Scott) is a very famous straight adult entertainer British export with over 3,000 scenes to his name and 30 years in the sex industry. He has spent his adult life starting at just 18 as a porn star, director, Chippendale dancer and model. He is now retired, living a suburban LA life with his wife and adorable pup! In 2003 he was inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of fame and The Independent named him "Britain's biggest male porn star in America". Scott's "specialty" is Kink and BDSM.

We talk about the reality of the porn business, the dangers, the risks, the not so glamorous reality and the funny....hint....furry pandas are involved. I do not have a personal position on porn, I remain neutral to tell the story of the reality.

A passionate activist; Alyse Nelson is the Co-founder and CEO of Vital Voices, an organization that works with women leaders to develop training programs and international forums in over 120 counties. It offers a space for women to be heard and invests in women to improve the world. Prior to her work with Vital Voices, Alyse served as deputy director of the Vital Voices Global Democracy Initiative at the U.S. Department of State. Her position aided former First Lady Hillary Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s commitment to promote the advancement of women as a U.S. foreign policy objective. She is the author of the book "The Power of Women Leading Change around the world".

During this podcast we talk a lot about what its like to build an organization helping women, the hurdles and successes and how Alyse has mobilized resources for world tragedies such as the excavation of the endangered girls in Afghanistan and the Ukraine. We hear how she has enlisted the help of Diane Von Furstenberg , Hilary Clinton and of course Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the ultimate Supreme Court feminist icon! (I was lucky enough to meet her at a Vital Voices event just before she passed!). On this show you will also learn how to support our sisters in the Ukraine.