Women's Health

One in five women in the U.S. will have a stroke in their lifetime, according to the American Stroke Association. That means 55,000 more women than men will suffer a stroke each year. Stroke specialist Jana Wold, MD, explains why women are more likely to experience a stroke and the steps you can take to minimize your risk.

A woman's health is more than just her physical condition; it's actually more complicated than that. The seven domains of a woman’s health are important as an integration of her sense of wellness. Women's health expert Kirtly Parker Jones, MD, talks about women's health through the lens of physical, emotional, social, intellectual, financial, environmental, and spiritual health—the seven domains of women's health—and how they all depend on each other for a happier and healthy you.

Listen to Dr. Jones’ 7 Domains of Women's Health—the Show, wherever you podcast.

As many as 1 in 4 women will experience bladder-related issues during their lifetime, whether it be an increased frequency or urgency to use the restroom or the leaking of urine. These problems can severely impact a woman’s ability to participate in activities without fear of potential embarrassment. Most of these problems are not “just a fact of getting older,” and there are plenty of treatments out there. Urogynecologist Dr. Carolyn Swenson joins this episode of 7 Domains of Women’s Health to talk about the most common bladder problems women can face and the treatments available to get them back to living their lives.

Humans are the only species that cry emotional tears, and we don't make them until around two months old—around the same time the "social smile" appears. As humans age, we often keep the emotional tears but leave the crying out loud behind. Some cry more than others. Some don't cry at all. Anthropologist Polly Wiessner, actress-turned-reverend Carolyn Swift Jones, and Scot Singpiel and Mitch Sears—hosts of Who Cares About Men's Health?— join this episode of 7 Domains of Women's Health to talk about why we cry, what it signals to others, and crying's effects and impacts on our health.

Listen to Dr. Jones talk with the Who Cares guys about how emotional availability can improve your life on Who Cares About Men's Health.

SisterSong—leader of the reproductive justice movement—defines reproductive justice as "the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities." But how do systems of oppression such as racism, ableism, and sexism, make it harder for some to access reproductive care? In S5E20, Lina and Hạ talk with Juliette Friedland, co-chair for diversity and inclusion at Optum UnitedHealth, about the disadvantages and inequalities of reproductive health, and the history and future of obstetrics and gynecology.

Why is turning 30 a cultural phenomenon—and, usually, not in a happy way? Evolution tells us women are physiologically prime to be at our peak during our early to mid-thirties. As such, there are often expectations of social milestones such as marriage and raising a family. For some women, turning 30 signifies "the end of youth." Dr. Kirtly Jones discusses the biological and social significance of turning 30 for women, and how the milestone age impacts the seven domains of our lives.

An aging brain heavily impacts all the domains of healthy living. As we grow old, we hope to age with a clear mind. But dementing illnesses can impair our abilities to remember, think, or make decisions, and are unfortunately common among the aging. Medical clinical social worker Liz Garcia-Leavitt joins this episode of 7 Domains of Women's Health—the last in a three-episode discussion on aging—to talk about women's aging brain and how dementing illnesses affect both the patient and their loved ones.

Why do we live long, and why don't we live longer? The aging process is inevitable, but a decline in function in many domains of a woman's health is not inevitable. Our bones, joints, and muscles at age 60 will not be like they were at age 20, but knowing what contributes to the aging process can help us prepare for the aging process. Geriatric gynecologist Dr. Karen Miller joins this episode of 7 Domains of Women's Health—the second in a three-episode discussion on aging—to talk about women's aging bodies, and how to age with a healthy physical body, mind, and soul.

Across identities and ethnicities, sexual liberation can look different to different people. But, the expectations, objectification, and sexualization placed onto women from societal pressures to appeal to the standard norm are common. And, on top of power-dynamic struggles, the narrative around sex-positivity for women of color can be very different from some of the mainstream feminist conversations. In S5E12, Harjit, Lina, and Mariam talk about how the sexualization of those who identify as women impacts our life stories, and the importance of unapologetically exploring your sexuality on your own terms.

We all age, and we all hope to age gracefully. When you look at the mirror in the morning, what is the face that looks back? Is it a smile or a frown? Are there wrinkles of wisdom? What does the age of your face say about your health? Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Payam Tristani joins this episode of 7 Domains of Women's Health—the first in a three-episode discussion on aging—to talk about our aging face, and how to age with the face that makes you happy.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen; Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen? They're Santa's reindeers, by the way. And as new research suggests, they're probably female. Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones talks about the fun research out of Texas A&M University and why it matters to women's health.

So often, pain affects how we live our lives and can determine whether the day is good or bad. For 50% of the people on this planet—those born with female parts—the pelvic region can often be a location for a lot of pain. Determining the source of the pain, whether it's acute or chronic, is crucial in its treatment. Dr. Howard Sharp, director of the Women’s Pelvic Care Center at University of Utah Health, joins this episode of 7 Domains of Women's Health to talk about pelvic pain.