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CRAMPED

Kate Helen Downey

Tired of suffering from "death cramps" for 20 years, Kate Helen Downey has to find her own answers. She interviews top doctors and researchers, and delves into topics from period poops to endometriosis surgery to TikTok wellness scams, all to figure out why menstrual pain is so often dismissed and untreated. What she finds will change how you think about your own body and the medical system. Because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.

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  • 36 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 32 min
  • English

Episodes 36

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  • S2 · E55
    Thursday · 39 min

    Having a Period & Getting Healthcare while Houseless

    My friend and neighbor Emptea joins me for a conversation about menstruating while living outside the housing system, being visibly gender nonconforming in a gynecologist’s office, and getting an IUD removed by a provider you can tell doesn't like you. Along the way, we talk about the experiences that cracked our assumptions about how the world works, and what it means to take care of each other when institutions aren’t doing it. As always, it's a pretty short walk from talking about periods and healthcare to talking about capitalism and exploitative systems that aren't built for our benefit. Turns out...they're all connected! CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Get in touch with Emptea for organizing or to support their mutual aid efforts at empteacup@protonmail.com Thank you to Magic Wand for sponsoring CRAMPED this month! Visit magicwandoriginal.com to find where to buy. Legendary power since 1968! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • Thursday · 1 min

    Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

    Kelly Ripa has a podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera! It dives deep into Kelly's life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. I hope you check it out and that you enjoy it as much as we do.

  • #54
    November 3 · 1 hr 2 min

    Is There a Conspiracy to Keep Women in Pain? with Unladylike

    The more we learn about period pain, the less sense it makes that it's so under-researched and under-treated. Am I paranoid or is it almost...suspicious? I invited Cristen Conger of the Unladylike and Conspiracy, She Wrote podcasts to help me pull this thread. Who was in charge of our pain in the Middle Ages and the colonial era, and why did our care providers change? Why was menstrual pain seen as in important issue to address in the 1930s and 40s, and then dropped? Why were amphetamines first tested for dysmenorrhea?? And is there a shadowy cabal plotting to keep our uteruses hurting? CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Listen to Unladylike: https://www.unladylike.co/episodes and Conspiracy, She Wrote: https://www.conspiracyshewrote.com/ Thank you to Magic Wand for sponsoring CRAMPED this month! Visit magicwandoriginal.com to find where to buy. Legendary power since 1968! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E53
    October 27 · 11 min

    Guillotines, Axe Murders, and Menstrual Blood: A CRAMPED Halloween

    Join the Patreon (even at the free tier) to listen to the full episode! https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED Did Lizzie Borden get away with murdering her father and stepmother in 1892 partly because Victorian investigators were too squeamish about menstrual blood to examine a bucket of bloody rags found in her basement? This Halloween episode traces the surprisingly rich history of menstrual blood and crime, from French Revolution prisoners faking pregnancies to escape the guillotine to the current state of forensic science on distinguishing period blood from murder blood, which is more complicated than you might hope. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Thank you to Magic Wand for sponsoring CRAMPED this month! Visit magicwandoriginal.com to find where to buy. Legendary power since 1968! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • October 22 · 29 min

    You Might Like: Pleasure People (produced by Kate!)

    This whole year, I've been secretly working on a 6-episode audio series about the Magic Wand Study - and now it's out! I teamed up with DB from Sex Ed with DB, and CRAMPED Season 1's sound designer Kelly, to make this deep dive into Magic Wand's 1000-person IRB-approved pleasure study, one of the biggest studies ever done on pleasure in people with vulvas. Here's episode 1 for your aural pleasure - head over to the Pleasure People feed to listen to episode 2 (out now as well!) and subscribe to listen to whole series. About Pleasure People: Pleasure People is the series that uncovers the science of pleasure through real research and the people who lived it. A thousand people. Three weeks. One question science rarely asks outright: what does daily pleasure actually do for you? In this 6-part limited audio series, hosted by veteran sex educator Danielle Bezalel, Pleasure People follows eight participants of a first-of-its-kind intervention study that tracked pleasure's impact on sleep, stress, relationship satisfaction, and so much more. You'll hear directly from these participants about what it was like to have pleasure assigned and the lasting impact the study had on their lives. The findings will surprise you. Danielle is joined by Magic Wand study lead researcher Dr. Candice Hargons and legendary sex researcher Emily Nagoski, Ph.D. to unpack the layered effect pleasure has on quality of life, and why self-pleasure has gotten such a bad rap. Listen to Episode 2 & the rest of the series here: https://pod.link/6819871177 Check out the Magic Wand Study here: https://magicwandstudy.com/ Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E52
    October 20 · 56 min

    Wulf Women: The Endo Surgeon Directory Built by a Patient Who Got Burned

    Deb's story sounds like a lot of crampers' stories: she was on birth control, started having pain and GI issues, and sought answers from her doctor. Despite doing her research, she ended up getting a surgery that not only didn't help...it made her pain and other symptoms worse. After finally getting the help she needed, she created a resource to empower endo patients to choose an experienced excision specialist - the Wulf Women directory. Wulf Women website: https://wulfwomen.com/ Deb's IG: https://www.instagram.com/wulfwomen/ Deb's Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wulfwomen Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Want to participate in endometriosis research AND get paid to send your tampons in the mail?? Join the NextGen Jane study at https://www.nextgenjane.com/clinical-studies to get up to $500 over the course of the study, and tell them CRAMPED sent you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E51
    October 13 · 36 min

    Rediscovered: The Rete Ovarii, Not So Vestigial After All!

    Maybe you've heard - if you've got ovaries, you've got a whole new organ! Well, "new" as in "recognized by science for the first time since the 1800s". It's been in there, doing stuff, this whole time. So what's the deal with the Rete Ovarii? What's it doing in there? Why did this organ get "mysteriously orphaned" after its discovery? And how do you minimize coffee jitters when dissecting a fetal mouse's ovary with tweezers and a microscope? I ask all these questions and more to Dilara Anbarci, PhD post-doc and author of the research paper that's going viral. Rediscovering the Rete Ovarii - Dilara's paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10659334/ Dilara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somethingaboutdilara/ Dilara's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dilaraphd?lang=en Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Want to participate in endometriosis research AND get paid to send your tampons in the mail?? Join the NextGen Jane study at https://www.nextgenjane.com/clinical-studies to get up to $500 over the course of the study, and tell them CRAMPED sent you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E50
    October 6 · 31 min

    PCOS is now PMOS: Why Did It Take 20 Years of Debate To Get A Medically Accurate Name?

    You probably saw the news: the condition formerly known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is now Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovary Syndrome (PMOS). So...what does that mean exactly? Why did the name need to be changed? And why did it take 20 years to actually make it happen? Dr. Helena Teede, the Director of the Monash Centre for Health Research Implementation in Australia, has been leading this effort. She gives us the lowdown on why PCOS was a medically inaccurate name, how the name of a condition can make it harder to diagnose patients, and how she lead 22,000 people worldwide in a collaborative process to re-name a condition that hundreds of millions of people experience. More info on PMOS at: https://www.askpmos.org/ Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Want to participate in endometriosis research AND get paid to send your tampons in the mail?? Join the NextGen Jane study at https://www.nextgenjane.com/clinical-studies to get up to $500 over the course of the study, and tell them CRAMPED sent you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E49
    September 29 · 18 min

    Endo Excision Surgeon Dr. Iris Orbuch: Why She Can't Take Insurance

    Join the Patreon (even at the free tier) to listen to the full episode! https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED Why do so few endometriosis excision surgeons take insurance? In this 2024 interview with leading endo excision surgeon Dr. Iris Kerin Orbuch, we get a transparent look into the finances behind a surgical practice, and what's causing insurance companies to undervalue an extremely complicated and skilled surgery. Dr. Orbuch also opens up about why she went 16 years with endometriosis symptoms and pain before getting diagnosed and treated FOR THE DISEASE SHE WORKED ON EVERY DAY! CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Want to participate in endometriosis research AND get paid to send your tampons in the mail?? Join the NextGen Jane study at https://www.nextgenjane.com/clinical-studies to get up to $500 over the course of the study, and tell them CRAMPED sent you! Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2637-cramped See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E48
    September 22 · 45 min

    Your Uterus Sends a Monthly Report. Someone's Finally Reading It! w/ Ridhi Tariyal

    I talk to co-founder and CEO Ridhi Tariyal about the information in menstrual effluent that's missing from a regular blood draw, and how NextGen Jane is using it to come at endometriosis from both ends: a non-invasive diagnostic using a tampon, and the hunt for new drug targets to help treat it. We also talk about rats chewing through menstrual cups, the "menstrual defense" for murder, and how our periods are the key to understanding immune system dysfunction. She blew my mind with menstrual science! Oh, and NextGen Jane will pay you to send them your tampons, and they're looking for multiple categories of participants: Sign up for the NextGen Jane studies: https://www.nextgenjane.com/clinical-studies Or email the team at research@nextgenjane.com CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2637-cramped See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • September 22 · 1 min

    Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

    Kelly Ripa has a podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera! It dives deep into Kelly's life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. I hope you check it out and that you enjoy it as much as we do.

  • S2 · E47
    September 15 · 34 min

    The GYRL Lab is Doing The Viagra For Cramps Follow-Up Study!

    In 2013 a Penn State study found that Viagra was extremely effective for period pain. But the sample size was too small, and requests for funding to continue the study were denied. 13 years later, our friends at the GYRL lab in Evanston, IL are picking up where Penn State left off. Dr. Kevin Hellman (from Season 1) returns to answer all my questions, like why do you think Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) might work to reduce period pain? How is your study going to find answers? And why did it take 13 years for a promising initial study to get more interest? CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice (or financial advice). Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped The GYRL Lab: https://www.cureperiodpain.org/ The 2013 Sildenafil Citrate dysmenorrhea study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3795469/ Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E43
    September 8 · 47 min

    The Personal Finances of Period Pain w Tori Dunlap

    One thing I've learned in the last 23 years of severe period pain - it's EXPENSIVE! Between the medications and devices to manage the pain, lost wages from extra sick days, and doctors and procedures that aren't covered by insurance, the cost gets overwhelming real quick! And as a little bit of a personal finance nerd, I started to notice...none of the big personal finance advice people are talking about how to handle medical expenses for conditions that cause severe period pain. So I called up Tori Dunlap, founder of the Her First 100k financial education platform, and host of the Financial Feminist podcast. Tori answers my questions about financial rage, how to plan for unpredictable medical expenses, and whether an expensive surgery or treatment is an appropriate use of our emergency funds. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice (or financial advice). Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Her First 100k Financial Feminism & Money Education: https://herfirst100k.com/ Financial Feminist Podcast: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-podcast/ Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E42
    August 27 · 10 min

    Are There Heavy Metals in Our Tampons, and Is That...OK?

    Join the Patreon (even at the free tier) to listen to the full episode! https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED Back in 2024, there were a ton of headlines about heavy metals being found in tampons. So...what happened with that? ARE there heavy metals in our tampons? And is that...bad for us? Where'd we land with that? I take you on a ride down a research rabbit hole about the 2024 UC Berkeley study that kicked this all off, the FDA's follow-up study, and the computational model that gives us as much of an answer as we're going to get. UC Berkeley study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004355 FDA study: https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/209/6/kfag065/8698879?login=false CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E41
    August 18 · 45 min

    New Non-Invasive Tests for Endometriosis w Dr. Gail Busby

    Huge news for anyone with painful periods who's ever thought "I wonder if I have endometriosis??" - now you can either spit in a tube, or stick some electrode pads on your belly, and know within a few minutes or days, with a high degree of certainty, if you do in fact have endometriosis!! If you live in the UK, Canada, or some countries in Europe, that is. Not in the US...yet. So what are these tests? How accurate are they? When will we get them in the US? Dr. Gail Busby, a UK gynecologist who advocated for these tests to be available through the NHS, tells us all about it. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped The Pelvic People make a device called Kiwi to help with tight pelvic floor muscles - visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E40
    August 11 · 44 min

    FIBROIDS: Everything You Need To Know

    I don't want to freak you out, but between 70-90% of people with uteruses WILL get fibroids at some point in their menstruating years. So what do we need to know?? Dr. Soyini Hawkins, gynecologist, minimally invasive surgeon, and founder of the Fibroid and Pelvic Wellness Center of Georgia, answers my technical questions. Tanika Gray Valbrun, founder of The White Dress Project and award-winning journalist, goes deep on community, education, and how we can advocate for ourselves and each other. They've co-authored a book: From Fibroids to Freedom, From Silence To Strength: https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-fibroids-to-freedom-from-silence-to-strength-tanika-gray-valbrun/6a392db8b6fe38d4?ean=9781399817295&bkshp-astro=t The White Dress Project: https://www.thewhitedressproject.org/ (and on IG at @wecanwearwhite) Dr. Hawkins' Fibroid and Pelvic Wellness Center of Georgia: https://fibroidandpelvicwellness.com/ Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped Visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • August 4 · 56 min

    Unladylike: Where Does Perimenopause End and Capitalism Begin?

    Enjoy this episode of Cristen Conger's excellent podcast Unladylike! The perimenopause boom is old news, but where did it come from, and why does it make some ob-gyns wary? Cristen investigates what we do – and don’t – know about perimenopause and what to expect when you’re expecting The Change(s). And as an industry “growth opportunity” at the intersection of beauty, aging and healthcare (usually in that order), how do we tell the difference between our own perimenopause needs and what’s being sold to us? Highlights include: perimenopause, the TikTok personality; the study that set hormone therapy back a generation; and why the menopause market is now coming for women in their thirties. More Unladylike here: https://www.unladylike.co/ sources: How Perimenopause Became the New Midlife Catchall for Aging Women. (Elle) Insights into Perimenopause: A Survey of Perceptions, Opinions on Treatment, and Potential Approaches. (Women) Is it Perimenopause or Is It Aging? (The Vajenda) Perimenopause is the new buzzword in the business of women’s health (Stat News) The missing piece of menopause science. (Nature) The perimenopause movement sells women the lie that they are ruled by their hormones. (Stat News) Towards a more accurate global picture of perimenopause. (Bulletin of the World Health Organization) Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped Visit https://thepelvicpeople.com/CRAMPED and use code CRAMPED for 10% off anything on the site! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E39
    July 28 · 17 min

    The Impact of Endometriosis on Male Partners Study, w/ Comedian Jenny Zigrino

    Join the Patreon (even as a free member!) to listen to the full episode: https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED Comedian Jenny Zigrino was posting so many hilarious videos about endo studies on Instagram that I invited her over to my house to do a deep dive on 2017's "A qualitative study of the impact of endometriosis on male partners". As you can imagine, we get heated. Plus we get deep into Jenny's experience with endo, a frank conversation about pain with sex, her recent autoimmune diagnosis, and the treatment that has helped her endo a lot lately. Join the Patreon at a paid tier to make CRAMPED my full-time job! Without 374 people joining a paid tier this month, I will have to cut down CRAMPED episodes to 1-2 a month. Keep it weekly! Go to the CRAMPED Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/CRAMPED) Make sure you are logged in Click the Membership tab at the top of the page. Pick the paid tier you want and click Join Follow Jenny Zigrino on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyzigrino/?hl=en The study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5850214/ Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • S2 · E38
    July 21 · 35 min

    The HER Agenda: Three Bills About Period Pain, w/ Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari

    Representative Yassamin Ansari has passed out from cramps in a New York bodega and in a hair salon with foils in her hair. She KNOWS period pain. She is also the Arizona congresswoman who just introduced the HER Agenda to Congress, a package of bills proposing 12 days of paid reproductive health leave, better pain management for gynecological procedures, and more research into PMDD. Kate talks to her about her pain meds, how the HER Agenda came together, and the single most useful thing a cramper can do right now to help get it passed. Join the CRAMPED Patreon: https://patreon.com/cramped See the co-sponsors of H.R.8158 - the Reproductive Healthcare Leave Act: https://bit.ly/4fkDYUv Find your representative & contact info: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Thank you to Beducated for sponsoring CRAMPED! Take the Beducated Quiz: https://beduc.at/pd2659-cramped See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  • July 21 · 1 min

    Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

    Kelly Ripa has a podcast called Let's Talk Off Camera! It dives deep into Kelly's life, candidly discussing her marriage, family, career, and how she manages to juggle it all in the public eye. I hope you check it out and that you enjoy it as much as we do.

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