Ep. 94 Hormones, Sex & Health at 44: Also UTIs, HPV, Hysterectomies + All the Things Nobody Prepared Me For

This week’s episode was supposed to be a deeper dive into perimenopause, but as I started talking, the conversation went somewhere completely different. And honestly, I think it went exactly where it needed to go.I open up about some very personal parts of my health journey, including living with HPV, abnormal pap smears, precancerous cervical cells, and a recent conversation with my doctor about potentially having a partial hysterectomy. That conversation brought up so many questions for me about what happens to our bodies as we age and the parts of womanhood we don’t talk about nearly enough.I also share what I’ve noticed changing in my 40s when it comes to sex, libido, vaginal health, and how those changes have affected the way I see myself as a woman. We talk about vaginal estrogen, recurrent UTIs during perimenopause, my recent experience with an infection I initially ignored, and why listening to our bodies and advocating for our health matters so much.In this episode, we discuss:Living with HPV and my history of abnormal pap smearsWhy my doctor brought up a partial hysterectomySex, libido, vaginal dryness, and intimacy in your 40sVaginal estrogen and vaginal health during perimenopauseMy recent UTI experience and why I wish I had acted soonerLearning to listen to your body and advocate for yourselfIf you’ve been experiencing changes in your body that you don’t understand, putting off an appointment, or simply wondering why no one ever taught us about some of these things, I hope this conversation encourages you to ask questions, listen to your gut, and take your health seriously.Our bodies are such a gift, and sometimes, watching them change can be harder and more emotional than we expect.Here’s to asking more questions and learning as we go. ❤️WANT TO JOIN A COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THIS? Sign up for my next 30 Day Challenge: CORE, PELVIC FLOOR + HORMONE STRENGTH, starting August 31, 2026…go to heidipowell.net/reset or click HERE.Here are the key moments from the episode:00:00 Why I’m Going Deeper Into My Perimenopause Journey03:19 What I’ve Learned From Living Through Perimenopause at 4405:55 HPV, Cervical Cancer Risk & What Women Need to Know08:43 Why I Refuse to Skip My Annual Pap Smear11:42 The Partial Hysterectomy Decision I’m Now Facing14:28 Sex, Libido & Vaginal Changes During Perimenopause17:15 The Emotional Reality of Watching Your Body Age20:20 The Bladder Symptoms I Mistook for Something Else23:28 My UTI Got Worse: When I Finally Went to Urgent Care25:08 Why UTIs Can Become a Bigger Problem During Perimenopause27:28 Vaginal Health Signs Women Shouldn’t Ignore28:24 The Health Checks I Want Every Woman to Stop Putting OffConnect with Heidi:Website: https://heidipowell.net/Email: [email protected]: @realheidipowellFacebook: Heidi PowellYouTube: @RealHeidiPowellJoin Heidi’s next Hormone Reset Challenge: heidipowell.net/resetTrain with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/