Category: season 2
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Episode 29. Undesirable: The History of Forced Sterilization in the U.S.
Tying tubes, nonconsensual hysterectomies, withholding medical care without contraception use…these are just a few ways that forced sterilization has occurred in the United States. The history of forced sterilization is sewn into the fabric of US history, and has played an insidious role in this country. This episode, we learn about the eugenics movement, its…
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Episode 28. Cells & Periods: The Adventures of Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi
It’s the 1800s and the realm of medicine hasn’t quite adjusted to modern thought quite yet. Physicians still believe that dirty air is what is causing that rash on your arm and that when you menstruate, your brain is too exhausted and confused to hold a job. That is at least until Dr. Mary Putnam…
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Episode 27. From Tradition to Rebellion: The History of Body Piercings
A little poke of a needle and a moment of pain in the name of what? Beauty? Wealth? Tradition? Maybe all of the above? The history of body piercings is a long one, dating back millennia and spanning many civilizations. In this week’s episode, we dive into why Egyptian pharaohs would execute anyone with a…
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Episode 26. The ‘Not So’ Atypical Patient: Women’s Heart Health
In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, killing 1 in 5. But how did we get here? Cardiology and heart disease is an extremely well studied field yet it still feels like women are being left behind as they die at alarming rates. Join us in this episode…
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Episode 25. The Lap that Cradles Civilization: Women and Ayurvedic Medicine
Would you consider yourself a fiery person? Grounded? Dynamic? Maybe a combination of the three? If you looked at your health from the perspective of Ayurvedic medicine, it would probably be some combination of the three with one aspect being dominant. And this combination would be unique to you! But it would also have an…
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Episode 24. The “Classical” Woman: Ancient Theories of Female Anatomy
In a time when most anatomy theories were based on animals, not humans, it’s not surprising that ancient physicians may have gotten a fact or two wrong. But it is truly impressive how a single theory can incorrectly span the entire female anatomy. Gotta respect the hustle I guess. In this episode we are talking…
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Episode 23. Too Tough & Not Enough: Trans Women in Sports
The issue of trans women in sports is absolutely not a new one, but has recently been in the headlines of many news stories over the last couple of years. This week, we dive into the history of trans girls in sports, looking at the background of gender divisions in sports, how gender binaries have…
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Episode 22. The Rest Cure: Prescribed Torture?
When you go to the doctor with a psychiatric concern, you would expect them to hear you out and find the treatment regimen that is right for you. But in 1800s Victorian America, this wasn’t exactly the case. Neurologist Dr. Mitchell created the “Rest Cure” for his patients that required women to lay completely still…
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Episode 21. Dr. Margaret Chung: Certified Boss Mom
What’s the ideal number of kids you would have, if any? Two? Ten? Well how about adopting thousands of grown men as your “sons”. That’s essentially what Dr. Margaret Chung did and it is one of the many reasons we are sharing her story in this episode. Dr. Chung was the first Asian-American female physician…
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Episode 20. The Hands of a Woman: Surgery Spotlight
In today’s medical schools, half of the students are female. In surgical residencies, one-fourth of the residents are female. Of those female surgical residents, one-fourth of them will drop out from burnout. Women pursuing surgery today are faced with numerous challenges and obstacles, but yet they persist. And it was no different for the millennia…
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