CRAMPED

Kate Helen Downey
  • 4.9 (207)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Biweekly

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.

  1. 5h ago ·  Bonus

    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.

  2. 6h ago

    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.

    Introducing Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa

  3. 2d ago

    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.

  4. Oct 13

    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.

  5. Oct 6

    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.

  6. Sep 29

    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.

  7. Sep 22

    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.

  8. Sep 15

    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.

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4.9
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Kate Helen Downey
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kate Downey
  • Show Website
    CRAMPED

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