Sarah Kervin, MM, MS, CCC-SLP: Menstruation and the Voice

In this episode of On The Voice, Sarah Kervin, MS, CCC-SLP, joins hosts Mackenzie Bykowski, MM, and Jenna Battipaglia, MS, CCC-SLP, PAVA-RV. Sarah is a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice at Weill Cornell Medicine, currently pursuing her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at NYU, and remains an active working musician throughout NYC. Her path to the field wound through opera, jazz studies, and years of gigging and teaching — including a five-year stretch commuting between New York and a faculty position at Berklee — before a vocal fold injury of her own led her into voice therapy and, eventually, into the clinical and research side of voice science.Sarah walks us through her current research on the known effects that sex hormones have on the voice, including a deeply personal case study in which she scoped and tracked her own voice daily for over 500 days to capture how vocal function shifts across the menstrual cycle. The conversation also covers what's known — and what's still unclear — about how pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and menopause can affect the speaking and singing voice, and why so much of this research is still in its early days. Sarah makes the case for validating what voice users feel in their own bodies, even when the data hasn't fully caught up yet.Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional medical, legal, financial, or other advice. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts. Individual experiences and results may vary — always consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.