Women’s Healthcast

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.  

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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. 

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

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

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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In August 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated recommendations for pain management during intrauterine device placement.

Dr. Molly Lepic and Dr. Abigail Cutler joined this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to tell us more about what these recommendations mean for patients, and why pain management during IUD placement is such a hot topic.

Dr. Lepic and Dr. Cutler are both obstetrician-gynecologists in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn. They talked about the different types of IUDs, how getting an IUD works, why pain or discomfort during the procedure can be an important consideration for many patients, and what today’s pain management options look like.

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Incidence and mortality rates for endometrial cancer within the United States are on the rise. We also see a significant disparity in survival rates for endometrial cancer between Black and white patients in the U.S.

Charlotte Gamble joined this episode of the Women's Healthcast to discuss disparities in treating and diagnosing endometrial cancer. Dr. Gamble is an attending surgeon in gynecologic oncology at the Washington Cancer Institute at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, which is part of Georgetown University. She discussed the disparities seen at every stage of cancer, from diagnosis through treatment. She also talked about what needs to change to make sure all patients have equitable access to cancer care.

Have a suggestion for a future episode? Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about here! https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7