COVID Vaccines and Women’s Health Myths

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 pervasive myths – that the vaccine causes infertility, that it’s unsafe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, that it can cause miscarriage – are specifically focused on women’s health and reproductive health.

Dr. Michael Beninati joins this episode of the Women’s Healthcast to put a stop to some of the most dangerous misinformation, and talk about the research that shows why these myths just aren’t true.

Some of the resources Dr. Beninati mentions for up-to-date and accurate COVID-19 and vaccine information: 

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

American Society for Reproductive Medicine

U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

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Reproductive Health Worldwide

Reproductive health care trends, norms and policies in the United States shape global reproductive health in a big way. UW Ob-Gyn Health Disparities Research Scholar Dr. Leigh Senderowicz joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about the roots of international family planning programs, how to recognize reproductive coercion, and why we should pay attention to the way U.S. policies can affect individual health across the world.

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The Science of Clinical Trials

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 do trials, why people might choose to enroll in them, safety precautions in place for trial participants, and what she’s doing to increase clinical trials available to patients at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. Dr. Paplomata is an assistant professor in the division of hematology and medical oncology in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s Department of Medicine.

Learn more about clinical trials:

UW Health trials: https://clinicaltrials.uwhealth.org

Clinical trials in the U.S.: https://clinicaltrials.gov

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When to Seek a Second Opinion

It's not uncommon for people to ask their doctors for second opinions, especially when facing a challenging diagnosis or intense treatment. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Dr. Ellen Hartenbach discusses why people ask for second opinions, what happens after a second opinion is given, and how to approach the conversation with your own health care team. Dr. Hartenbach is a gynecologic oncologist in the UW Carbone Cancer Center.

Learn more about the UW Carbone Cancer Center and Cancer Connect second opinion services: https://www.uwhealth.org/services/cancer

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Trans Health and Ob-Gyn

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 people. On this episode, we discuss Dr. Yemane’s recommendations for safe, trust-filled patient-provider relationships, and what surgical, clinical and preventive health care can look like for trans and nonbinary people.

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REPLAY: Infertility 101

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 talked with Dr. Bala Bhagavath about common causes of infertility, and the range treatment options available for people interested in expanding their families. Dr. Bhagavath is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, and director of UW Health’s Generations Fertility Care clinic in Madison.

He is also a member of the Building Families Alliance Wisconsin steering committee. You can learn more about this group focused on fertility-friendly policy in Wisconsin and defining statewide standards for fertility care at buildingfamilieswi.org.

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The Doctor Will Tweet You Now

More and more, you can find doctors and other health care professionals talking about their expertise on social media, whether that’s answering questions on an Instagram Live, or adding a medical twist to the latest TikTok dance trend. Dr. Kenan Omurtag joined the Women's Healthcast to talk about why doctors and health professionals are increasingly moving to social platforms, and what the benefit is to health care consumers.

Dr. Omurtag is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist in the Washington University at St Louis Department of Ob-Gyn. You can find him on Instagram @drkenanomurtagmd.

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Emergency Contraception

Discussions around emergency contraception often include some myths and misunderstandings. Dr. Molly Lepic joined the women’s Healthcast to help clear up some common questions about emergency contraception, including when to use it, how it works, what types are available, and where people can find emergency contraception when they need it. Dr. Lepic is an ob-gyn in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about! Email the Women's Healthcast team with your suggestions.

Vulvar Health, Care and Cleaning

Walk through any drugstore and you’ll find a whole aisle dedicated to “feminine hygiene” – wipes, cleansers, washes and more. But, do we actually need those products? Dr. Laura Jacques joined this episode of the Women's Healthcast to talk about optimal vulvar health, care, and cleaning. She discussed how to care for vulvas and vaginas, what products are safe to use, how vulvar health can change with age, and more. Dr. Jacques is a general ob-gyn physician in the UW-Madison Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about! Email the Women's Healthcast team with your suggestions.

Pregnancy, Vaccines, and COVID-19

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. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Dr. Igor Iruretagoyena joined us to talk about COVID and pregnancy – whether pregnant people are at higher risk of severe illness with COVID, if pregnant people are eligible for vaccination, and other things to think about if you’re considering pregnancy during a pandemic. Dr. Iruretagoyena is the director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UW Health.

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine COVID-19 information for women and families

American College of Ob-Gyns information for patients

If you have requests or suggestions for health care topics to cover in 2021, let us know!