Not So Private Parts

What happens when you give guys the mic and let them ask anything they've ever wondered about vaginas, periods, sex, and more? In this candid, no-holds-barred episode, 19-year-old cohost Spencer McFarlane takes on anonymous questions submitted by men and boys -- from "Is discharge normal?" to "Why do vaginas smell different?" to "How do I make sure sex is good for both of us?" -- and gets real answers from a gynecologist (aka my mom) and me, a young woman who cares deeply about reproductive health. No shame, no judgment, just honest answers and a whole lot of learning.P.S. Have questions about vaginas, vulvas, sexual encounters with someone with a vagina... check out OMGYES.com . We mention it in the episode. This is a website Val used in college to start to learn more about what's going on in the vagina when it comes to healthy sex and masturbation. 

In this episode, Val and cohost Kristina Rosengren are joined by reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Sindhu Vangala for an open and compassionate conversation about postpartum depression. Together, they explore the emotional and psychological challenges many new parents face, breaking down stigma and offering both clinical insight and personal anecdotes.From signs and symptoms to support systems and treatment options, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the postpartum period or supporting someone who is.Learn more about our special guest, reproductive psychiatrist: Dr. Sindhu VangalaLearn more about The Women's PlaceFor more educational resources, support options, and a provider directory, check out: Postpartum Support InternationalACOG on Postpartum DepressionPostpartum Support GroupsNSW Gov on Postpartum Depression

In this episode, the girl and her gyno-mom are discussing something that might be a bit more uncomfortable than most topics but is incredibly important: Hemorrhoids.They'll break down what hemorrhoids really are, why they develop, and what can be done to prevent them from getting worse. They'll also share some easy lifestyle changes that can make a big difference in reducing the risk.To help understand it all, the episode features an expert in hemorrhoid treatment, Dr. Denise Poulos, also known as the Roid Queen.Dr. Poulos is here to provide the lowdown on everything from diet and hydration to over-the-counter solutions. Additionally, the episode will explore some procedures, like hemorrhoid banding, that can help eliminate hemorrhoids for good.Whether listeners are looking for ways to prevent hemorrhoids or finally find relief, this episode provides all the information needed to take control of their health and feel more comfortable. Dr. Poulos' tips and insights are not to be missed!Check out some important links related to this episode.The Advanced Hemorrhoid CenterThe CRH O'Regan banding processThe Bristol Stool Chart

In the second part of our series on urinary incontinence, we explore the medical options available to improve its impact on daily life. From behavioral changes and medications to Botox treatments for overactive bladder, pessary usage, nerve stimulation, and even surgical options — we cover a range of effective solutions.Dr. Denise Poulos, a trusted expert with over 30 years of experience in the urogynecology field, shares insights from her extensive practice, having cared for thousands of women dealing with urinary incontinence. With her guidance, we learn that there are many treatment options out there to help manage and improve the condition.Check out Understanding Urinary Incontinence with Dr. Denise Poulos (Part 1)here To learn more about Dr. Denise Poulos and her practice, Women's Health Institute of Illinois, click here

A Crash Course on Female Reproductive HormonesEstrogen, Androgens, Testosterone, Oh My!Do you feel a bit jipped when you look back at your middle school introduction into women's health? Well, so does Val and her cohost for this episode, Georgia Brindley.Luckily, in this episode they are joined by adolescent gynecologist, Dr. Abby Drucker, who gives a crash course on the main players in female reproductive endocrinology.Listen in on their candid conversatoin covering:What are our main reproductive hormones?What controls them? & how do they work?How do they work together to create our menstrual cycle?What happens when our hormonal feedback loop gets a little offtrack?How does hormonal BC effect our hormones?What is PCOS?The gals really cover a lot in today's conversation. Hope you enjoy!Special thanks to Georgia, our first cohost on Not So Private Parts, and to our very smart & cool guest, Dr. Abby Drucker. Our community shout out for this episode is: Support the GirlsClick the link to learn more about their organization and the incredible work they do supporting women and girls across Australia with access to bras and underwear. 

Val sits down with Dr. Poulos to tackle the often-overlooked topic of incontinence.Together, they explore what incontinence is, breaking down the difference between urge and stress incontinence, and offering a clear understanding of how they impact daily life. Dr. Poulos shares expert insights on the potential causes of incontinence, from lifestyle factors to medical conditions.This is part one of a series of two episodes on Incontinence.

Val is honored to have the opportunity to sit down with Melanie Verwoerd, an author, podcaster, and advocate for supporting women and the medical community to better understand hysterectomies, among many other impressive accomplishments. In this conversation, they explore Melanie's personal journey, from the shocking discovery during a routine gynecological checkup of a potentially cancerous growth on one of her ovaries, to undergoing a radical hysterectomy just days later. She also details her learnings acquired throughout the recovery process and the advocacy work she has pursued since to enable more women to understand how to "Never Waste a Good Hysterectomy". Links to check out:Find out more about our guest: Melanie VerwoerdFind her Book and Podcast: Never Waste Good HysterectomyBook & PodcastLearn more about Melanie's new organization, "When Women Rise", a four-night luxury women's retreat intended for women of all ages, who feel that they need time for reflection, rest and healing. Not So Private Parts WebsiteNSPP Instagram

The Pelvic Floor plays an important role in our bodies. It's an incredible collection of muscles & ligaments that support our bladder, uterus, & rectum.It plays a role in sexual function, in childbirth, in supporting our daily and lifelong activities of peeing and pooping!It turns out there's even physical therapists specifically trained to support those who may need to work on loosening or strengthening those muscles of the pelvic floor.The ladies at Not So Private Parts were thrilled to have a chat with Kendra Erven, a Chicagoland Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist who's been working in the field for over 25 years. (That's a heck of lot of pelvic floors people!)Join us and learn what is the pelvic floor, what does it do, what issues can arise that stem from the pelvic floor and what can we do about them!Our community shout out for this episode is Dignity Period! Stay tuned at the end of the episode to hear from the Executive Director, Angie Wiseman, and learn the story and impact behind Dignity Period's mission.

Maybe you had a brief lesson on the menstrual cycle in middle school or high school. But how much do you actually remember?In this episode, Val is joined by the incredible women's health physician's assistant, Kavi Rajendran, to discuss the science behind the menstrual cycle.Follicular, Ovulation, Luteal? You may have heard of these, but what's happening in your body throughout each phase. What's up with your hormones as each stage progresses? What does this mean for your ovaries or the lining of your uterus?Class is in session and Kavi is here to for a fun, educational lesson in all things related to the menstrual cycle.More Links:Learn more about our guest , women's health physicians assistant, Kavi Rajendran:Advocate - Kavitha Rajendran, PA - Physician Assistant - Oak Lawn, IL 60453Hear a bit more about this episode's community shout-out, The Period Collective:The Period Collective

In this episode, the girl and her gyno-mom meet up with Dr. Traci Kurtzer. Dr. Kurtzer is an amazing physician and community advocate. She works at Northwestern in the Center of Sexual Medicine and Menopause and is the Medical Director of Trauma Informed Care and Education at Northwestern.She joins the ladies to discuss a very important topic: Trauma Informed Care. They cover what trauma entails in this context, the four R's of Trauma Informed Care, simple steps that physician offices can make to ensure patients feel safe and comfortable in their care journey, ways that patients can advocate for themselves within the doctor's office and much, much more.The episode also includes an interview with Saunte Harden-Tate, the Director of Community Engagement at CAASE (Chicago Alliance Against Ending Sexual Exploitation), detailing what the works they do involves and why it is so important for the Chicagoland community.Other Links:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/Learn more about our Community Shout out: Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE)CAASE – Ending Harm, Demanding Change.Learn more about our special guest: Dr. Traci Kurtzerhttps://www.nm.org/doctors/1710950464/traci-a-kurtzer-mdResources:https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notes

It's estimated that 180 million people worldwide are affected by Endometriosis, yet on average, there is an 8 year gap between people presenting with symptoms and being diagnosed.Join the girl and her gyno-mom, and their special guest, endometriosis advocate, Amy Corfeli, as they discuss:What is endometriosis?Common symptoms and co-conditionsThe diagnosis processThe impact on being dismissed by the medical communitySelf-management optionsMedical management options& more!Amy Corfeli, cohost of her own women's health podcast, "In Sixteen Years", shares her personal experience regarding Endometriosis, as well as a wealth of knowledge gathered from years of doctors' visits, research and interviews with endometriosis patients, experts, surgeons and more.More Links:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/Learn more about our Community Shout out: Kimether from "Endo Thick Of It" and "The Rebellious Uterus"Endo Thick Of It with Brandon and Kimether Podcast Series - Apple PodcastsThe Rebellious Uterus (@therebelliousuterus) • Instagram photos and videosLearn more about our special guest: Amy Corfeli & her podcast and website "In Sixteen Years"In Sixteen Years – Endometriosis SupportResources:https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notes

Have you ever rushed to the bathroom with the urge to pee only to find that there's only a few measly trickles? or have you sat down on the toilet to find that your pee is burning and irritating as it comes out?You may have a bladder infection. Also referred to as a Urinary Tract Infection or a UTI.If you've ever experienced this, you're not alone. It's estimated that around 60% of women will have at least one UTI in their lifetime. And we become more prone to UTI's as we enter our post-menopausal lives.And whilst both men and women can experience a UTI, women are 30x more likely to develop a UTI (we'll get into why in the episode).Join Dr. Denise Poulos, her daughter Val (the girl & her gyno-mom), and their special guest, Dr. Abbey Drucker, as they delve into:What's causing UTI's and what can we do about them?Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/Learn more about our Community Shout out: Access Periodhttps://www.accessperiod.com/Learn more about our special guest: Dr. Abbey Druckerhttps://www.childrensnebraska.org/provider/abigail-c-drucker-md/Resources:https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notes

The girl and her gyno-mom are back for a second Season. Join Dr. Denise Poulos, a gynecologist based in the Chicagoland area, and her daughter Val, as they continue the conversation surrounding women's reproductive health.The duo will be walking through topics such as: Urinary Tract Infections, Yeast Infections, Endometriosis, Hysterectomy, Trauma Informed Care, Pelvic Floor Health and that's only the beginning. There will be two episodes coming out a month. 24 in total!Season 2 is filled with some pretty rad guests. We're talking women's health medical experts, hysterectomy & endometriosis advocates, fellow women's health podcasters and authors as well as representatives from women's health community organizations.Season 2 is also featuring cohosts! These are listeners from the Not So Private Parts community, that will be joining the conversation about topics important to them!If Season 1 was a caterpillar, then Season 2 feels like a butterfly!

The girl and her gyno-mom have finished up Season 1 of Not So Private Parts. WoooHooo!Dr. Poulos and her daughter, Val, are thrilled at the opportunity to get their women's health project off the ground.Join them in this episode, in which the mother-daughter duo look back at the topics covered in each episode of the inaugural season of Not So Private Parts.They speak to their biggest learnings and final take away lessons regarding:Birth control, discharge, painful periods, heavy periods, menopause, infertility and more.This Wrap Up episode may be a nice place to start if you're new to the pod and want to get a taste of what info is covered in each episode of Season 1.This way you can cherry pick your favorite topics and get straight to the learning and the fun!Resources:https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notesInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/

Val and her gyno-mom (Dr. Denise Poulos) are joined again by the brilliant reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Victoria Snegovskikh.The ladies discuss:What makes couples infertile? Is infertility on the rise and why?Is infertility just a women's issue?Is there such a thing as the right lube to use whilst trying to get pregnant?Dr. Victoria breaks down various fertility treatments such as fertility medication, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and in-vitro fertilization.Dr. Victoria truly does have a way of breaking down seemingly complex infertility jargon in a way that's easy to comprehend.Resources:https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notesInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/Learn more about Dr. Victoria Snegovskikh and her practice:Q&A with Dr. Victoria Snegovskikh from RMI - Reproductive Medicine Institute

In our previous Menopause episode, we dove down into the depths of menopausal symptoms, touching on hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, etc. Luckily, in today's episode we march straight back up, discussing various forms of menopausal management that can support women through this transition and help dampen the adverse side effect of menopause.Dr. Polous explains menopausal hormone therapy, or MHT, which is the process of supplementing women with hormones that are lost during the menopausal transition.There are a range of MH therapies that can be used to lessen the effects of hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, etc.MHT is even often prescribed for prevention of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis.Dr. Polous discusses who would be a good candidate for MHT and how to go about having this discussion with your doctor.Show-Notes for this episode and others: https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/

Val is joined by Dr. Victoria Snegovskikh, a reproductive endocrinologist & infertility specialist based in Chicago, who has been working in the space for over 20 years supporting couples to achieve their family building dreams.Dr. Victoria breaks down what being “fertile” actually means and how fertility changes as we age.Here's a word from Val about this episode:“As a woman in my late twenties, I feel that society is always alluding to my biological clock ticking, but no one has ever really explained what that means and the science behind it. Dr. Victoria graciously and knowledgeably breaks down what all the terminology floating around fertility is all about”Show-Notes for this episode and others: https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/

Pause…..and let's have a chat about Menopause.Did you know that ⅓ of a woman's life is postmenopausal. Yet sometimes it feels like any learnings or conversations about this stage of a woman's life is kept quiet.Join us in this episode in which Dr. Denise Polous and her daughter, Valerie Elser, discuss an often stigmatized topic: perimenopause and menopause.The mother-daughter duo dive into what perimenopause and menopause are, uncover the science behind some of the symptoms, and hear from real women about what these symptoms felt like for them.Show-Notes for this episode and others: https://www.notsoprivateparts.net/show-notesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/notsoprivatepartspod/

Listen in with Val and her mom, gynecologist Dr. Denise Elser-Poulos, as they discuss a phenomena all too familiar to many women (80% of women to be exact): Painful PeriodsHear as listeners describe what painful periods feel like for them and ask their questions regarding what causes painful periods and what can be done to minimize the pain.The two will walk through primary and secondary dysmenorrhea, or as the gals label it “cramps from the get-go” and “cramps that hit later”.Dr. D breaks down some common causes of "cramps from the get-go" and "cramps that hit later" and what women can do to support themselves through the painful days of your cycle.Special thanks to our listener who touched on their experiences: Grace, Carmen, Katie and Val V

Join Gyno-Mom, Dr. Denise Elser Poulos and her daughter, Val, for a mini-episode all about getting to know the mother-daughter duo behind Not So Private Parts. You'll be able to hear about Dr. D's path toward becoming a women's health physician, what excites her most about the field of urogynecology, and what topics she's most excited to break myths about on the show. Val candidly dives into what it's been like growing up with a mom as a gynecologist, what drove her to ask her mom to embark on this project, and what topics she is most excited to chat about with her mom.

Gyno-Mom, Dr. Denise Elser Poulos, and her daughter, Val, discuss a topic that Dr. D is very excited about: Heavy Menstrual Flow. It turns out heavy menstrual flow is quite common, affecting about 1 in 5 females. The mother-daughter duo delve into how to tell what amount of bleeding is right for you and how much is too much. What the symptoms are that go along with a heavy period and what are the processes or procedures that women can talk with their gynecologist about to lessen the effects of their heavy flow. This episode also features an interview with a Not So Private Parts listener, talking about her experience with heavy flow.

Gyno-mom, Dr. Poulos, her daughter, Val, and their special guest women's health physician's assistant, Kavitha (Kavi) Rajendran, candidly chat about an ooey-, gooey, taboo topic: Discharge. They delve into what discharge is, what is normal discharge and how it changes throughout your menstrual flow and throughout your life. They also dive deeper into when you should go and get your discharge checked out by a professional.

Gyno-mom, Dr. Poulos, and her daughter, Val, discuss a huge host of birth control options available for women: from vaginal rings, injectable birth control, the birth control implant, natural cycle planning, condoms, sterilization, and Plan B. They'll dive into the details behind each form of birth control in the hope that hearing about all the options will demystify the wide array of birth control available and support woman to understand which form of birth control works best for you.

Gyno-mom, Dr. Poulos, and her daughter, Val, discuss the two most commonly used forms of reversible birth control, the pill and the intrauterine device (or IUD for short). They go over the basics behind these two birth control types touching on the science behind them, the hormones involved, the many benefits of birth control, common side effects, and how to talk with your doctor about which birth control is right for you. Hear some myths busted and hear from real women about their experiences surrounding the pill and the IUD.