Women’s Healthcast

Paths to Parenthood: Third-Party Reproduction

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There can be many paths to becoming a parent. Third-party reproduction – or using donor eggs, donor sperm, donor embryos, or gestational carriers as...

Vulvovaginal Health After Menopause

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause, or GSM, is incredibly common – some research suggests more than 80 percent of people might experience symptoms ...

Health and Aging: Weight and Wellness, Part 2

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last few months, the Women’s Healthcast has focused on how aging can affect our health. For the last two episodes in the Health and Aging s...

Health and Aging: Weight and Wellness, Part 1

17 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last few months, the Women’s Healthcast has focused on how aging can affect our health. For the last two episodes in the Health and Aging s...

Health and Aging: Protect Your Pelvic Floor

03 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the last few months, the Women’s Healthcast has been taking a look at health and aging, covering everything from perimenopause to sex to heart h...

Health and Aging: Heart Health

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cardiovascular disease – things like heart disease and high blood pressure – can have huge impacts on our overall health. For women in particular,...

Health and Aging: Let’s Talk About Sex, Part 2

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 impa...

Health and Aging: Let's Talk About Sex, Part 1

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Health and Aging: Gynecologic Cancer

10 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Health and Aging: Perimenopause

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Introducing the Health and Aging miniseries

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 inform...

Reproductive Autonomy in 2025

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Reproductive autonomy is defined as an individual’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health and access reproductive health service...

Replay: Finding Out about Fibroids

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Uterine fibroids are incredibly common – between 20 and 70 percent of people with uteruses will develop fibroids during their lifetimes. And whi...

Know Your STIs: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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

Preparing for Your First Period

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 gy...

All About IUDs

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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

Health Equity in Endometrial Cancer

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Incidence and mortality rates for endometrial cancer within the United States are on the rise. We also see a significant disparity in survival rates ...

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pelvic floor physical therapy is a common treatment option that can be immensely helpful for people experiencing pelvic floor issues like incontinence...

Fourth Trimester: Policy Impacts on Postpartum Health

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As part of the Women’s Healthcast series about the fourth trimester, we’ve talked about physical recovery, breastfeeding, birth control after preg...

Fourth Trimester: Heart Health After Pregnancy

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One in eight people in the United States have high blood pressure or hypertension during their pregnancies. What does that mean for their health movin...

Fourth Trimester: Postpartum Mental Health

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. In this series, the Women’s Heal...

Fourth Trimester: Pregnancy Prevention

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. On the Women’s Healthcast, we’...

Fourth Trimester: Breastfeeding

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women...

Fourth Trimester: Perineal Tears

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women...

Fourth Trimester: Physical Recovery

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women...

Introducing the 4th Trimester Mini-Series

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. This can be a time of significant ...

Contraceptive Coercion

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Reproductive coercion – any behavior that interferes with someone’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health – can happen in th...

REPLAY: Promoting Pelvic Floor Health

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

November is Bladder Health Month. To celebrate, we’re replaying an interview with Angie Sergeant, a nurse practitioner in the UW Health Women’s Pe...

Health Equity Innovations

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Health disparities in the United States are a pressing issue – and we see gaps in health outcomes across all aspects of ob-gyn care, too. What role ...

E-Visits for Contraception

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can starting a new birth control method, or changing your method, be as easy as opening an app, answering a few questions about your health, and picki...

Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Palliative care – medical care to help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses – is often a key component o...

Perineal Tears: Cause and Recovery

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Perineal tears, or perineal lacerations, are a very common complication that can happen during childbirth – somewhere between 60-70 percent of peopl...

Over-the-Counter Birth Control

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a birth control pill for over-the-counter use, meaning most consumers could buy ...

What’s Next in Menopause Management?

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Vasomotor symptoms, also known as hot flashes, are one of the most common and most disruptive symptoms of the perimenopause transition. For some peopl...

Equity and Access in Fertility Care

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In early April 2023, the World Health Organization released a new report that suggests one in six adults – or roughly 17.5% of the world’s adult p...

Back to Basics: Pregnancy Prevention

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a lot to consider when choosing the right birth control -- what will work with your lifestyle? What are your goals? Are there other health i...

Back to Basics: STIs and Safer Sex

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sexually transmitted infections (or STIs) are incredibly common – over half of people in the U.S. will have an STI at some point in their life. Desp...

Back to Basics: Consent and Bodily Autonomy

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding bodily autonomy and consent can be crucial tools for navigating healthy relationships of all kinds, including romantic relationships. Bu...

Back to Basics: Sex, Gender, Sexuality

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our understanding of gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, and sexual orientation has expanded so much over time. On this Back to Basics epis...

Back to Basics Bonus: Period Products

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just about half the world’s population has had or will have a period at some point. But despite how common menstruation is, there can still be some ...

Back to Basics: Menstrual Cycle and Periods

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Back to Basics, a new series from the Women’s Healthcast answering some of the most common questions about sexual and reproductive health...

Back to Basics: Anatomy and Puberty

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Back to Basics, a new series from the Women’s Healthcast! Over the next several episodes, we will answer some of the most common question...

Back to Basics in 2023

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Starting in January 2023, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Back To Basics series with the aim of answering some of the most common questions about ...

Surgical Sterilization

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Since the spring of 2022, ob-gyn clinics around the U.S. have reported an increase in questions about tubal ligation, also known as surgical steriliza...

Robotic-Assisted Surgery

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Laura Hanks joined the Women’s Healthcast to tell us more about how robotic surgery works, what kinds of procedures in the ob-gyn world can and ...

Vasectomy: Asked and Answered

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last few months, Google searches about vasectomy – the procedure for male sterilization – have skyrocketed. Dr. David Paolone joined the ...

Privacy, Security, and Cycle Tracking Apps

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of questions about menstrual tracking or cycle tracking apps popped up after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an ab...

Choosing Lubricants and Vaginal Moisturizers

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Vaginal moisturizers, lubricants, and vaginal estrogen can be helpful tools for improving sexual wellbeing, but how many of us know how to choose the ...

The State of Abortion Rights in 2022

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’re releasing this episode on June 1, 2022, and sometime in the next few weeks, the United States Supreme Court will issue a decision in the case ...

Finding Out About Fibroids

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Uterine fibroids are incredibly common – between 20 and 70 percent of people with uteruses will develop fibroids during their lifetimes. And while t...

Effective Advocacy in Healthcare Settings

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Preparing for a doctor’s visit can feel intimidating. How do we make sure all our questions are answered and our concerns are taken seriously? How m...

Seems Sus: Health Claims and Social Media

13 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As health misinformation grows and spreads online, more and more doctors are spending time on social media breaking down health myths. On this episode...

Healthy Pregnancy at Any Weight

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, Dr. Katie Antony joins us to talk about some of the concerns or considerations for pregnant people with overweight or obesity, and h...

Know Your STIs: Syphilis

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, rates of the sexually transmitted infection syphilis have been climbing across the country. In Wisc...

Sexual Health and Cancer Survivorship

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As our ability to detect and treat cancer has improved, more people are living longer after their cancer diagnosis. For survivors of breast and gyneco...

REPLAY: Understanding Your Breast Health

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

About one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re replaying this int...

REPLAY: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

September is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Awareness Month, so we're replaying this popular interview with Dr. Laura Cooney!  Polycystic Ovary Syn...

REPLAY: Cervical Cancer Prevention, Detection, Treatment

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cervical cancer is the third most common type of gynecologic cancer in the United States. Since September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, we’...

COVID Vaccines and Women’s Health Myths

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Vaccines for COVID-19 became available in late 2020, and were immediately followed by a rash of myths and misinformation online. Many of the most perv...

Reproductive Health Worldwide

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Reproductive health care trends, norms and policies in the United States shape global reproductive health in a big way. UW Ob-Gyn Health Disparities R...

The Science of Clinical Trials

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, we speak with Dr. Elisavet Paplomata to learn more about clinical trials. We talk about why researchers d...

When to Seek a Second Opinion

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's not uncommon for people to ask their doctors for second opinions, especially when facing a challenging diagnosis or intense treatment. On this ep...

Trans Health and Ob-Gyn

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Ruth Yemane is one of the UW-Madison Department of Ob-Gyn’s leading experts in gender affirming surgery and gynecologic care for transgender peo...

REPLAY: Infertility 101

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of Infertility Awareness Week, which is April 18-24 this year, we’re replaying one of our most popular episodes. In February 2020, we talke...

The Doctor Will Tweet You Now

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More and more, you can find doctors and other health care professionals talking about their expertise on social media, whether that’s answering ques...

Emergency Contraception

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Discussions around emergency contraception often include some myths and misunderstandings. Dr. Molly Lepic joined the women’s Healthcast to help cle...

Vulvar Health, Care and Cleaning

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Walk through any drugstore and you’ll find a whole aisle dedicated to “feminine hygiene” – wipes, cleansers, washes and more. But, do we actua...

Pregnancy, Vaccines, and COVID-19

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

2020 was a year shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the women’s health realm, we have been especially concerned about what COVID means for pregnancy...

Promoting Pelvic Floor Health: PT, Pessaries and More

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How much do you know about your pelvic floor? Angie Sergeant, nurse practitioner in the UW Health Women's Pelvic Wellness Clinic, joined the Women's H...

Strengthening Your Health Literacy

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Health literacy – how well we can find, understand, and apply information to help us make health decisions – affects many areas of our lives. Read...

Understanding the Economics of Health

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Economic policy has a significant effect on our individual health. And policies are not always equitable. Dr. Tiffany Green joined the Women's Healthc...

Endometrial Cancer

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Dr. Ryan Spencer talks about endometrial cancer, the mos...

Closing the Preterm Birth Gap

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As we learned on the last Women’s Healthcast, preterm birth is fairly common. But the rate of preterm birth is elevated for Black women in the Unite...

Preterm Birth

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Preterm birth is fairly common, with one in eight women going into labor prior to 37 weeks of gestation, which qualifies as preterm.  On this episode...

Cultivating Curiosity in Medical Education

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After giving her keynote lecture “What’s My Impact?” at the UW-Madison Department of Ob-Gyn’s Resident Research Day in early 2020, Dr. Amy You...

How to Manage Chronic Hypertension

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, affects nearly half of U.S. adults. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, maternal-fetal medicine...

REPLAY: Safe Spaces: Making Ob-Gyn Care LGBT-Friendly

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate LGBT Pride, we’re re-airing one of our most popular episodes: Safe Spaces: Making OB-Gyn Care LGBT-Friendly. For many LGBT people, past...

Is it Safe to See the Doctor? Clinical Safety and COVID-19

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our healthcare system mounted a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, which included pausing or delaying some non-essential or electi...

Stress, Anxiety, and COVID-19

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stress, anxiety, grief, peace, joy, fear - pick an emotion, and it's likely been part of your COVID-19 pandemic experience. On this episode of the Wom...

Best of the Women's Healthcast

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For 50 episodes and more than two years, the Women’s Healthcast has brought you informative interviews with a wide variety of women’s health exper...

COVID-19 and Pregnancy

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

COVID-19 – also referred to as coronavirus – has drastically changed the way many of us live our lives. This episode is intended as a quick update...

Gynecology for Teens: What to Expect

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that many teen girls and young women may receive unnecessary pelvic exams and Pap tes...

Body Image and Eating Disorders

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

February 24-March 1, 2020 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. On this episode, UW Health pediatrician Dr. Paula Cody talks about how common ...

Infertility 101

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Infertility – the inability to get pregnant after one year of trying, or after six months for women over age 35 – is very common. 10 percent of wo...

Ectopic Pregnancy: Fact and Fiction

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An ectopic pregnancy is any pregnancy that implants and starts to grow outside the uterus. These pregnancies can be dangerous, and require immediate t...

Universal Contraceptive Care

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve talked a lot about birth control on this podcast before – how different methods work, what to think about when choosing birth control, how n...

Women's Health 2020

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What were some of the biggest policies and issues that affected women’s health in 2019? What’s on the horizon for 2020? And how can we head into a...

Telehealth and the Future of Birth Control

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine if getting a birth control prescription was as easy as picking up the phone or opening an app and answering a few questions about your health....

Understanding Your Breast Health

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

About one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Laura Bozzuto joined the W...

Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Miscarriage is both fairly common (occurring in somewhere between 15 and 25% of pregnancies) and under-discussed. Since October is Pregnancy and Infan...

Midwives Change Lives

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This year, National Midwifery Week is September 29 through October 5. What better opportunity to learn more about the difference midwives can make in ...

Cervical Cancer: Prevention, Detection, Treatment

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cervical cancer is the third most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, with nearly 13,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Since September ...

Opioids and Pregnancy: Focusing on Harm Reduction

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Opioid use during pregnancy is happening more and more across the country, which can lead to some complications for moms and babies. On this episode, ...

Rhythm Method 2.0

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We use smartphones for so many things throughout the day – they can be cameras, grocery lists, work stations, more. But…can they also be birth con...

Grit, Robotics, and Other Surgical Education Stories

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Physicians and surgeons go through many years of training to hone their skills. But have you ever wondered what that training looks like? How do surge...

Diabetes and Pregnancy

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Diabetes can complicate pregnancy in some very important ways, including increased risk for high blood pressure and premature birth. And, pregnancy ca...

Safe Spaces: Making Ob-Gyn Care More LGBT-Friendly

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For many LGBT people, past discrimination or concerns about discrimination from medical professionals can deter them from seeking health care. Pride M...

Does Vitamin D Affect Fertility?

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Vitamin D has a lot of important jobs in the body, from promoting bone strength to supporting the immune system. And ongoing research suggests vitamin...

Sexual Health After Cancer

22 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cancer treatments can come with a variety of physical and emotional side effects. As awkward as it may be to talk about, that includes side effects th...

Beyond the Baby Blues

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Most women - up to 75 percent, according to Dr. Julianne Zweifel - will experience some mood changes in the first couple weeks after having a baby. Bu...