Show notes
What happens when the womb is treated as separate from the rest of women’s health? In this episode of hol+, Dr. Taz sits down with Dr. Kemi Doll, double board-certified gynecologic oncologist, equity scientist, researcher, coach, and author of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing, for a powerful conversation about womb health, uterine cancer, fibroids, HRT, health equity, and why so many women are still being taught to normalize symptoms that deserve care.Together, they explore why womb health is not only about pregnancy, fertility, or menopause, but a lifelong part of women’s physical, emotional, hormonal, and whole-body health. Dr. Doll shares how her grandmother’s death in childbirth, her mother’s near-death experience, and her own work as a gynecologic cancer surgeon shaped her mission to bring the uterus back into the center of women’s health.Dr. Taz and Dr. Doll also discuss why uterine cancer is rising, why Black women are twice as likely to die after a uterine cancer diagnosis, and how gaps in research, screening, and diagnostic tools may leave women of color especially vulnerable. They unpack the role of ultrasound, endometrial thickness, post-menopausal bleeding, and why women need clearer conversations with their providers when something feels off.This conversation also takes a closer look at the explosion of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, and the questions every woman with a uterus should be asking. Dr. Doll explains why estrogen without proper progesterone protection can increase uterine cancer risk, why some women may not understand the role progesterone plays, and why monitoring the uterus matters when using hormones.If you’re listening to this and thinking, “I know something is off in my body, but I don’t know where to start,” join the Circle here: 👉 https://holplus.co/circleWomb health is not just about periods, pregnancy, fibroids, or menopause. It is shaped by hormones, stress, inflammation, medical history, race, research gaps, diagnostic bias, body literacy, emotional suppression, and the way women are taught to silence or normalize pain. In this episode, Dr. Taz and Dr. Doll look at the womb as a vital part of women’s health that deserves attention across every stage of life.Learn more about support related to this conversation:Cancer Support: https://holplus.co/services/cancer-support/ Hormone Imbalance: https://holplus.co/conditions/hormone-imbalance/Dr. Doll shares why fibroids often begin earlier and become more severe for Black women, why many women are not believed until symptoms become unbearable, and how chronic stress, anger suppression, vitamin D deficiency, and delayed care can all become part of a larger womb health crisis. She also explains why some women may still have options beyond surgery, while others need honest, compassionate conversations about myomectomy, hysterectomy, fertility preservation, and quality of life.Dr. Taz and Dr. Doll also explore the connection between traditional medicine, Chinese medicine, science, and what Dr. Doll calls “womb suffering.” They discuss why women need better language for their symptoms, why bringing an advocate to medical appointments can help, and why prioritizing your womb in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond may change the trajectory of your health.If you are navigating fibroids, heavy bleeding, endometriosis, pelvic pain, post-menopausal bleeding, HRT, menopause, hysterectomy decisions, fertility concerns, or the feeling that your symptoms have been dismissed, this episode offers validation, education, and a deeper way to understand what your body may be trying to tell you.About The Guest:Dr. Kemi Doll is a double board-certified gynecologic oncologist, equity scientist, researcher, coach, speaker, and author dedicated to advancing healing, liberation, and leadership for Black women in medicine and beyond. Her groundbreaking research on racial disparities in endometrial cancer has been funded by the NIH, PCORI, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, BET, and Good Morning America. She is the author of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing.About Dr. Taz:Dr. Tasneem Bhatia (Dr. Taz) is a triple board-certified integrative medicine physician,bestselling author, and founder of hol+ a multi-location integrative medicine practice.Learn more: https://doctortaz.com/aboutStay Connected:Connect further to Hol+ at https://holplus.co/ - Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of hol+.Book a Hol+ Consultation: https://holplus.co/locations/virtual/Follow Dr. Taz on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drtazmd/https://www.instagram.com/liveholplus/Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://holplus.transistor.fm/subscribeSubscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrTazMD/podcastsConnect with Dr. Kemi Doll:https://kemidoll.comhttps://www.instagram.com/kemidoll/Get your copy of A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to HealingHost & Production TeamHost: Dr. Taz; Produced by ClipGrowth.com (Producer: Pat Gostek)Chapters00:00 Uterine Cancer Is Rising02:27 Why Dr. Taz Wanted This Conversation03:32 Dr. Kemi Doll’s Personal Connection to Womb Health06:04 Why Womb Health Goes Beyond Pregnancy07:16 Why Medicine Has Missed the Womb09:05 The Uterus, Menstruation, and Scarless Repair11:25 Uterine Cancer, Diagnosis, and Delayed Care12:42 What Doctors Look for on Ultrasound13:15 Why the Research May Not Protect Black Women14:26 Why There Is No Standard Uterine Screening15:19 Why Women Normalize Pain and Heavy Bleeding18:08 HRT, Estrogen, Progesterone, and Uterine Cancer Risk20:41 The Womb Health Crisis for Black Women21:43 Why Fibroids Affect Black Women Differently24:20 Anger Squelching, Chronic Stress, and Fibroids25:45 Chinese Medicine, Liver Stagnation, and Estrogen28:23 Estrogen, Progesterone, and Fibroid Growth30:15 Vitamin D and Slowing Fibroid Growth31:25 Medical Options Beyond Surgery35:06 When Fibroids Become Harder to Treat Holistically40:08 Why Women’s Pain Gets Dismissed50:01 How Young Women Can Advocate for Themselves53:45 Bringing an Advocate to the Doctor54:00 Prioritizing Womb Health in Your 30s58:05 Menopause, HRT, and Protecting the Uterus