Cardiovascular disease – things like heart disease and high blood pressure – can have huge impacts on our overall health. For women in particular, life events like pregnancy and menopause can raise our risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Dr. Anupama Joseph joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to talk about heart health and aging. Dr. Joseph is an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine in the University of Wisconsin Department of Medicine. She talked about how to recognize common signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease and what we need to know about improving our heart health. 

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A lot about our lives can change as we get older, and that includes our sex lives. Our last episode covered some of the physical changes that can impact sex as we age. For this episode, Madelyn Esposito joins the Women’s Healthcast to talk about the mental and emotional aspects of sex and aging. 

Madelyn is a licensed sex therapist and program manager of UW Health’s Sexual Health Clinic. She answered questions about what sex therapy is, common changes to mental and emotional health that impact sex, and what she wishes more people knew about sex and aging. 

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For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. 

A lot about our lives can change as we get older, and that includes our sex lives. Two guest experts joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to talk about some of the physical changes related to age that can impact sexual function – and to tear down the myth that sex and aging aren’t compatible.

Dr. Jon Pennycuff is a urogynecologist and assistant professor in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Dr. Javier Santiago is a urologist and assistant professor in the UW Department of Urology. We talk about common changes in sexual function for female and male bodies, as well as their recommendations for improving sexual health.  

Let us know what aging-related topics you want to know more about in this survey: https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7

For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. 

Since September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Catherine Zhang joined the Women’s Healthcast to help us learn about how our gynecologic cancer risk changes with age. She talked about common types of gynecologic cancer, signs and symptoms to look out for, the most up-to-date screening recommendations, and ways to reduce your risk of gynecologic cancer.  

Let us know what aging-related topics you want to know more about in this survey: https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7

For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, through conversations with experts in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond.

And what better topic to kick off this series than perimenopause? For those of us who get periods, we know this phase of life is coming eventually.

Dr. Laura Bozzuto joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to help us learn about the common signs and symptoms of perimenopause, treatment options, why the supplements you see online might not be the solution, and exciting updates in the future of perimenopause and menopause care. Dr. Bozzuto is an assistant professor in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn.

Menopause Practitioner Database - The Menopause Society

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It’s no secret that our bodies change as we age, and how we care for them might need to change, too. How many of us feel like we have all the information we need to stay healthy as we get older?   

For the next few months, this podcast will dive into all aspects of aging and women’s health, in conversation with experts from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and beyond. Join us for episodes about:

We hope you’ll listen along with us as we explore women’s health and aging for the rest of this year. Let us know what aging-related topics you want to know more about in this survey: https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7

Thanks for listening to the Women’s Healthcast, from the University of Wisconsin Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

Reproductive autonomy is defined as an individual’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health and access reproductive health services without interference or coercion. In 2025, there are a lot of social and policy factors at play that impact people’s reproductive autonomy both in the U.S. and worldwide. 

Dr. Leigh Senderowicz and Amy Williamson joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to help us understand the reproductive autonomy landscape in 2025. This interview was recorded in June of 2025. 

Dr. Senderowicz is an assistant professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin. Amy is the associate director of the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, a group that conducts research and shares evidence that focuses on Wisconsinites’ access to abortion and contraception.  

Past podcast episodes mentioned in the interview: 

Reproductive Health Worldwide

E-Visits for Contraception

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Uterine fibroids are incredibly common – between 20 and 70 percent of people with uteruses will develop fibroids during their lifetimes. And while these growths typically aren’t dangerous, they can still cause some issues.

Since July is Fibroids Awareness Month, we are replaying an interview from 2022 with Dr. Bala Bhagavath. He’s a reproductive endocrinologist and reproductive surgeon. In this interview, he talks about common symptoms of uterine fibroids, the broad variety of treatment options, and whether all fibroids need to be treated.

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Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two of the most common sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, in the United States. For Wisconsin in particular, rates of both diseases are on the rise.  

Dr. Jess Dalby joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to talk about the signs and symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea, the risks of untreated disease, and how to get tested and treated for common STIs. She also talked about a recent study that found chlamydia and gonorrhea are increasing in Wisconsin, and what’s behind the rising rates.  

Dr. Dalby is an associate professor in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. She is also a medical consultant on sexually transmitted infections for the City of Milwaukee Health Department. 

Dr. Dalby co-authored a paper published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal about rising rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea: read Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infection Rates in Wisconsin, 2010-2022.

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For many young people, the idea of starting to get a period is at least a little bit stressful.  

Dr. Katie O’Brien, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, helps kids and families in her clinic feel more prepared for periods. She joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to talk about what periods are, how to choose the right period products for you, when to get help for heavy or painful periods, and more. 

Resources shared by Dr. O'Brien:

Welcome to Your Period! - by Yumi Stynes and Dr. Melissa Kang

Scarleteen.com 

Your Changing Body - KidsHealth.org

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