The Hairy Chin Podcast

Spencer Moore, Female Health Advocate

The Hairy Chin is an award-winning women’s health advocacy podcast centered on patient education and women empowerment. Hosted by Spencer Moore, a patient advocate with over 30 years of experience navigating complex healthcare systems in the US and Spain, this show empowers women to develop practical self-advocacy skills. The podcast shares patient education, expert insights, and patient stories focused on doctor communication, navigating healthcare, organizing medical information, preparing for followup appointments, and understanding treatment plan clarity. This podcast is dedicated to helping women confidently participate in their care, no wellness trends or detoxes here. Whether managing chronic illness, autoimmune disease, or seeking breast cancer advocacy support, The Hairy Chin offers structured advocacy series and uplifting journeys to foster empowerment and clarity throughout your healthcare experience.

  1. Oct 16

    Mobile Mammograms: How The Rose Is Bringing Breast Cancer Screening to Texas Women with CEO Angie Lane

    A mammogram takes about 10 minutes. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I talk with Angie Lane, CEO of The Rose in Houston, about everything it takes to get women to those 10 minutes, and what happens after. With its Pink Fleet of mobile mammography units, The Rose finds 75 percent of the breast cancers it detects at stage zero or 1A. The Rose has spent 40 years taking down the barriers to breast cancer screening. Its five mobile units travel across 45 Texas counties and park at places like schools, where a woman can be screened in about 10 minutes. We also get into what happens after the mammogram: what a callback does and doesn’t mean, and how The Rose’s patient navigators guide women through diagnosis, treatment, and the scary question of cost. I share my own early-stage diagnosis, found on my first mammogram, and we talk about why your past mammograms matter every time you’re screened. Chapters [00:02:30] How two women started The Rose 40 years ago [00:03:20] The Pink Fleet: mammography on wheels [00:05:43] Healthcare deserts and insurance deserts [00:07:35] Mammograms in the school parking lot [00:09:00] Why 75 percent of cancers found are early stage [00:12:00] Fear and radiation worries [00:13:20] What happens after an abnormal mammogram [00:15:00] Patient navigators and paying for care [00:17:30] "I don't have time for cancer" and bad actors [00:21:10] Empower Her Sponsorship [00:22:50] Why your past mammograms matter [00:24:37] What other communities can learn [00:30:00] Closing: Get screened and support The Rose Visit The Hairy Chin Substack blog for links and more information about this episode.

    Mobile Mammograms: How The Rose Is Bringing Breast Cancer Screening to Texas Women with CEO Angie Lane
  2. Oct 7

    What 9 Years of Low Ferritin and an Iron Infusion Taught Me About My Health

    If you struggle with unexplained fatigue, heavy periods, iron deficiency, low ferritin, brain fog, or symptoms that persist even when your bloodwork is considered “normal,” this episode is for you. I’m talking about what ferritin actually tells us about iron stores, new 2026 guidelines for diagnosing iron deficiency, symptoms associated with low iron, oral iron supplements and iron infusions, and what I learned from looking back at nine years of my own ferritin results. For almost a decade, my ferritin remained low while I struggled with severe fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, executive dysfunction, and worsening ADHD symptoms alongside endometriosis and heavy menstrual bleeding. I share how my ferritin was treated over the years, why I eventually received a 1,000 mg Ferinject iron infusion, what the difficult first few weeks afterward were like, and the significant changes I’ve noticed in my energy, focus, cognitive stamina, and ability to get through my day in the three months since. This isn’t a story about an iron infusion being a cure-all. It’s about one part of my health that needed to be addressed and what the experience taught me about understanding my bloodwork, asking questions, looking at my health history as a whole, and becoming a more active participant in my healthcare. Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

    What 9 Years of Low Ferritin and an Iron Infusion Taught Me About My Health
  3. Sep 28

    What To Actually Do 'When Women Get Sick' with Author & Advocate Rebecca Bloom

    An eye-opening and practical conversation about what happens when women get sick with author and advocate Rebecca Bloom. Substack Episode Blog: What To Actually Do 'When Women Get Sick' with Author & Advocate Rebecca Bloom (links included) Substack Blog: How I Make an MRI a Little Less Awful Former benefits attorney and women's health advocate Rebecca Bloom joins Spencer to talk about her book "When Women Get Sick: An Empowering Approach for Getting the Support You Need" and what it actually takes to get through a diagnosis without going it alone. For over 27 years, Rebecca has advised women with breast and ovarian cancer on health insurance, benefits, and work through Bay Area Cancer Connections. Her book pairs the practical pieces most patients never learn, like how to read your health insurance summary plan, with the real stories of the women she's worked with. Spencer and Rebecca talk about what patient advocacy looks like on the ground, why the patient voice is still missing from so many rooms where healthcare decisions get made, and why the skills of self-advocacy apply whether you're navigating the US system or healthcare abroad. [15:29] Why Storytelling Matters in Health Advocacy [17:00] Don't Go It Alone: The Lasagna Problem and Your Health Chief of Staff [23:02] The Lasagna Problem [27:34] Talking about MRIs [36:06] Body Shame as a Barrier to Women's Healthcare [43:21] Creativity, Stress, and Healing [43:24] What Kind of Relationship Do You Want With Your Doctor? [44:46] AI in Healthcare and the Doctor-Patient Relationship [50:00] Every Health Journey Has Potholes Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

    What To Actually Do 'When Women Get Sick' with Author & Advocate Rebecca Bloom
  4. Sep 18

    PMOS Is the New PCOS: What That Means and Why Your Dentist Isn't Surprised

    The Hairy Chin Substack has arrived! PCOS was just renamed PMOS. Dental hygienist turned integrative health coach Christine Horton joins Spencer to unpack the name change and the oral-systemic health link that not many people are talking about. In May 2026, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) was officially renamed PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome) in The Lancet, after 14 years of research into a condition affecting one in eight women, 70 percent of whom go undiagnosed. Spencer and Christine, founder of Fusion Health Coaching, break down what the new name actually means for diagnosis, funding, and care. Then they go somewhere most PCOS conversations don't: the mouth. Christine's background is in dentistry, and she explains oral systemic health, the relationship between gum inflammation and A1C. It runs both ways: treating inflammation in the mouth can lower A1C, and lowering A1C can improve oral health. For women with PCOS or PMOS, who run higher baseline inflammation and higher rates of insulin resistance, this is a piece of the puzzle most doctors and dentists still aren't connecting. [00:53] PCOS Diagnosis Story: How Christine Found Out at 16 [09:21] PCOS Renamed PMOS: What Changed and Why [14:41] PCOS Symptoms and Statistics: 1 in 8 Women, 70% Undiagnosed [19:51] AI vs. the Doctor-Patient Relationship in PCOS Care [32:17] Metabolically Diverse: Reframing PCOS, Insulin Resistance, and Weight [36:44] PCOS Awareness Association and PCOS Awareness Month (Sept 26) [40:14] Oral Systemic Health: The Dentistry and A1C Connection [52:08] Where to Find Christine Horton, Fusion Health Coaching About Christine Horton: Christine Horton is a dental hygienist and certified health coach, and the founder of Fusion Health Coaching, where she blends medical, dental, and lifestyle expertise to work with women navigating PMOS/PCOS, insulin resistance, and metabolic health. She also works with the PCOS Awareness Association, co-hosting their monthly support group and supporting their annual conference. Website: fusionhealthcoach.comInstagram: @pcosglowhygienistPCOS Awareness Association: pcosaa.orgPCOS Awareness Month virtual conference: pcoscon.org Explore More From The Hairy Chin: The Hairy Chin on YouTubeThe Hairy Chin on IGThe Hairy Chin WebsiteSpencer Moore on LinkedIn Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

    PMOS Is the New PCOS: What That Means and Why Your Dentist Isn't Surprised
  5. Jun 17

    Women's Health Is a Lifespan Crisis: The Melinda French Gates' Donation and the Women Who Never Entered the Workforce

    Free sign up for The Hairy Chin Newsletter: https://thehairychin.beehiiv.com/ In this episode, I'm talking about why I believe women's health does not start at midlife, and why two things taking over my feed right now brought that belief straight to the surface. The first is Melinda French Gates committing $215 million to women's health. The second is a McKinsey report estimating that closing the women's health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy annually by 2040. I get into the McKinsey report in detail, including the finding that only 5% of women's health burden comes from reproductive and maternal health, and what that means for women living with endometriosis, PCOS, chronic migraine, PMDD, and autoimmune disease who have been navigating healthcare for decades without answers. I talk about the real economic loss that happens when women never make it to the starting line, not because they were quietly quitting the workforce, but because chronic illness made it impossible to fully enter it. I also share something personal. I'm 43, entering perimenopause, and I have a history of hormone-positive breast cancer. HRT is the conversation right now and it's not an option for me. I talk about what it's like to be in that gap, and why female empowerment in women's health has to include all of us, not just midlife. This episode is for anyone who wants the full picture of female potential, across every decade, every diagnosis, every condition that's been quietly limiting what women can do. Timestamps: [00:00:15] Melinda Gates' $215M Commitment & McKinsey Women's Health Report [00:01:00] Women's Health Does Not Start at Midlife: Lifespan Perspective [00:01:20] Real Stories: Chronic Illness, PMDD, PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis and Cancer in Younger Women [00:02:50] Economic Impact: The Menopause Penalty and Workforce Exit [00:04:00] McKinsey Report Findings: The True Women's Health Gap. Endometriosis, PMDD, PMS, Migraine [00:05:45] Economic Cost of Undiagnosed Chronic Illness Before Midlife [00:06:54] Melinda Gates' Donation Focus and Positive Impact [00:08:00] Personal Perspective: Navigating Perimenopause with Breast Cancer History [00:08:42] Underserved Women: Chronic Illness and Workforce Barriers [00:09:01] Self-Employed as a Health Decision [00:10:15] Closing: The Need for Lifespan-Wide Women's Health Advocacy About Host Spencer Moore: Spencer Moore, founder of The Hairy Chin, is a passionate advocate for patient education, female empowerment, and authentic patient stories that inspire and inform women on their health and wellness journeys. She shares practical advocacy skills, authentic patient stories, and conversations with medical professionals that motivate and guide women navigating their health, making her a trusted voice in women's wellness. Explore More From The Hairy Chin: The Hairy Chin SubstackThe Hairy Chin on YouTubeThe Hairy Chin on IGThe Hairy Chin WebsiteSpencer Moore on LinkedIn Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

    Women's Health Is a Lifespan Crisis: The Melinda French Gates' Donation and the Women Who Never Entered the Workforce
  6. Jun 11

    How To Clarify Next Steps: Ask This One Question Before Leaving Your Doctor Appointment

    Free Sign up for The Hairy Chin Newsletter: https://thehairychin.beehiiv.com/ In this episode, I talk about a familiar but often overlooked moment after most doctor's appointments: walking out without a clear plan. We've spent this season focusing on how to prepare for appointments, organize symptoms, and advocate for ourselves inside the exam room. But preparation only gets us so far if we leave without understanding our next steps. I share some of my own experiences with prescriptions, medical testing, follow-up appointments, and those important details that can easily slip through the cracks when we're tired, overwhelmed, or just eager to leave. Navigating healthcare can feel like a full-time job, and unfortunately, much of the follow-through falls on us as patients, even though most of us were never taught how to manage it. Most importantly, I introduce the one question I now ask myself before leaving any appointment. It's a simple but powerful question to help you better understand your treatment plan, keep track of next steps, and feel more confident advocating for yourself throughout your healthcare journey. Timestamps [00:00:01] Preparing for Doctor's Appointments [00:00:57] Navigating the End of Appointments [00:05:44] Understanding Your Next Steps [00:07:24] The Importance of Clarity in Healthcare About Host Spencer Moore: Spencer Moore, founder of The Hairy Chin, is a passionate advocate for patient education, female empowerment, and authentic patient stories that inspire and inform women on their health and wellness journeys. She shares practical advocacy skills, authentic patient stories, and conversations with medical professionals that motivate and guide women navigating their health, making her a trusted voice in women's wellness. Explore More From The Hairy Chin: The Hairy Chin NewsletterThe Hairy Chin on YouTubeThe Hairy Chin on IGThe Hairy Chin WebsiteSpencer Moore on LinkedIn Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

    How To Clarify Next Steps: Ask This One Question Before Leaving Your Doctor Appointment
  7. Jun 3

    Traveling Abroad: Preparing Medical Information for International Travel

    Download the Advocacy Abroad Toolkit here. If no link is available yet, sign up for The Hairy Chin Newsletter below for updates on its release. https://thehairychin.beehiiv.com/ In this episode, I'm sharing the upsetting experience of my Mom's fall on a rainy bridge in Spain, and what that taught us about preparing for medical emergencies while traveling. According to the International Society of Travel Medicine, up to 50% of travelers experience a health issue while traveling, and many of those risks can be prevented through preparation before departure. Preparation doesn't prevent accidents or illness, but it gives you clarity and confidence. And when you're far from home, that really does mean a lot. If you're planning international travel and want to know how to advocate for your health abroad, you're traveling with medications or chronic conditions, you want to reduce anxiety about medical emergencies while traveling, or you're traveling with family and want to be prepared for health emergencies, then this episode is for you. Timestamps: [00:01:20] The Hairy Chin Advocacy Abroad Toolkit Download [00:01:40] When My Mom Got Hurt Abroad [00:03:36] Preparation Eliminates Panic [00:03:50] Know Country Emergency Numbers [00:04:16] Understanding Health Insurance Coverage [00:04:38] Paying Medical Bills Upfront and Reimbursements [00:05:17] International Travel Insurance [00:06:01] Resources, the Embassy, Consulates, and the STEP Program [00:06:49] The Emergency Information Sheet [00:07:22] Traveling with Medications [00:08:03] Allergies [00:08:47] Translation Apps and Offline Language Packs About Host Spencer Moore: Spencer Moore, founder of The Hairy Chin, is a passionate advocate for patient education, female empowerment, and authentic patient stories that inspire and inform women on their health and wellness journeys. She shares practical advocacy skills, authentic patient stories, and conversations with medical professionals that motivate and guide women navigating their health, making her a trusted voice in women's wellness. Explore More From The Hairy Chin: The Hairy Chin NewsletterThe Hairy Chin on YouTubeThe Hairy Chin on IGThe Hairy Chin WebsiteSpencer Moore on LinkedIn Disclaimer: The Hairy Chin does not provide medical advice. All content is for informational purposes only. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal medical concerns.

    Traveling Abroad: Preparing Medical Information for International Travel

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About

The Hairy Chin is an award-winning women’s health advocacy podcast centered on patient education and women empowerment. Hosted by Spencer Moore, a patient advocate with over 30 years of experience navigating complex healthcare systems in the US and Spain, this show empowers women to develop practical self-advocacy skills. The podcast shares patient education, expert insights, and patient stories focused on doctor communication, navigating healthcare, organizing medical information, preparing for followup appointments, and understanding treatment plan clarity. This podcast is dedicated to helping women confidently participate in their care, no wellness trends or detoxes here. Whether managing chronic illness, autoimmune disease, or seeking breast cancer advocacy support, The Hairy Chin offers structured advocacy series and uplifting journeys to foster empowerment and clarity throughout your healthcare experience.

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