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Slate Health

by Slate Podcasts

A feed featuring episodes from across the Slate podcast network about health, wellness, and the science and business behind it all. You’ll see episodes from shows like What Next: TBD, The Waves, and How To!, containing coverage and conversations that go deeper than the headlines.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jun 12, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. Amicus | Punished For Their Pregnancies

    Women were prosecuted for experiencing miscarriage or stillbirth even before the Supreme Court swept away the protections of Roe v. Wade. But these prosecutions have ramped up since, in both red and blue states. The stakes are ramping up too, with legislators introducing bills that would treat...

  2. ICYMI | Kendra Fell In Love With Her Psychiatrist—Then She Met TikTok

    On today’s episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario to talk about Kendra, the woman whose 25-part TikTok series about falling in love with her psychiatrist has captivated the internet. However, what viewers thought would be the next Reesa Teesa “Who The…

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  3. Decoder Ring | Mailbag: Drug Names, Cow Abductions, and the “Ass-Intensifier”

    In this episode we’re opening our mailbag to answer three fascinating questions from our listeners. How did “ass,” a word for donkeys and butts, become what linguists call an “intensifier” for just about everything? How do pharmaceuticals get their wacky names? And why do we all seem to think…

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  4. What Next: TBD | This Is Your Brain On Ketamine

    Ketamine has gone from a recreational psychedelic to an approved treatment, and it has caught on in Silicon Valley in a big way. Are the long-term effects of using ketamine—recreationally or therapeutically—sufficiently known? Are we witnessing them right now? Guest: Shayla Love, staff writer for...

  5. Outward | Creating A Home for Trans Surgery Recovery

    This week, Jules Gill-Peterson sits down with Owen Dempsey, the founder of Quest Healing House, a post-op recovery home providing safe, affordable lodging and wraparound support for transmasculine people. They discuss how Quest House, began, the urgent need for trans-led recovery spaces, and how...

  6. A Word | A Mother of a Crisis

    A sizable number of pregnancies end in a loss, whether to miscarriage, still-birth or abortion. But until very recently, discussions of these losses were kept out of public—and policy—conversations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Colleen Long and Rebecca Little…

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  7. Well, Now: Being a “Likeable Badass” Could Improve Your Health

    How do women gain social influence? Understanding this is crucial because research shows they often face unique challenges in having their voices heard and their expertise recognized, even in highly qualified fields like medicine. The consequences of this could be dire, both for female patients…

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  8. How To!: Man Up About Male Birth Control

    Contraception is a huge burden for women and people with uteruses to bear. What would it look like—on a personal, cultural, and medical level—if more men took on that responsibility? Today on How To!, a conversation about gender equity for reproductive care, from changes in sexual education to…

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  9. What Next: Protecting Abortion, Electing Trump

    Donald Trump’s position on abortion was opaque enough that even states that passed protections for abortion rights still voted for him by a large margin. But even if a national abortion ban—something JD Vance has spoken in favor of—is probably untenable politically, how else could the incoming...

  10. A Word: Yvette Nicole Brown: Caring and Community

    Yvette Nicole Brown spent years working in Hollywood before she got her big break. Then she rose to fame with her comedic turns in Community and Drake & Josh. But her latest –and perhaps most important– role is as caregiver to her father. That experience is at the heart of her storytelling as…

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  11. Well, Now: How to Prepare for Back-to-School Season

    Summer is ending and school is officially back in session. For many, a new school year is the perfect time to create new goals and establish a routine. On this week’s episode of Well, Now, we are joined by primary care pediatrician, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez. She discusses the importance of...

  12. Outward: Is Telehealth the Answer for Gender Affirming Care? with Sohini Desai

    This week Jules speaks with journalist Sohini Desai about their latest article for Slate ‘Trans Health Care Is Under Attack. But Are Concierge Providers Really the Solution?’ Together they break down what these services offer and whether they can make a meaningful difference for trans people...

  13. Outward: What's A Gender Doula?

    In this episode, Jules talks to Gender Doula Eli Lawliet. They break down what it means to offer non-medical support to people during transition, the long history of trans support networks, and the value of ritual and spirituality during transition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  14. A Word: A Decade of Disappointment

    The city of Flint, Michigan made headlines in spring of 2014, after public officials recognized dangerously high lead levels in the water supply. After ten years and three presidents, many African American Flint residents say their health is still being compromised by their water, and civil…

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  15. AMICUS PREVIEW: Abortion Gaslighting is Back at SCOTUS

    Listen to a preview of this urgent extra episode of Amicus. The full episode is available to our Slate Plus members. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive SCOTUS analysis and weekly extended episodes of Amicus, but you’ll also access ad-free...

  16. Well, Now: We Don’t Need to Cure Autism

    April is Autism Acceptance Month, and how we’ve come to understand autism has evolved over the past several decades. For years, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was thought of as something that needed to be cured. Through better data and years of activism, that misunderstanding is changing. On this...

  17. Well, Now: Eating Disorders Are Rising Among Boys. Why?

    Eating disorders are one of the most deadly psychiatric disorders. But for decades, much of the criteria to diagnose one applied only to cisgender girls and those assigned female at birth – like a loss of menstruation. This meant that many cisgender boys and those assigned male at birth fell...

  18. How To!: Help a Loved One With Dementia

    Forgetfulness. Repetitiveness. Confusion. Dementia is a long, painful road for both the person living with it, caregivers, and their additional loved ones. Mara’s mom just received her diagnosis and Mara is wondering what is next for their family. She turned to our host Courtney Martin for...

  19. Well, Now: Life After Lockdown

    On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization named Covid-19 a pandemic, and public health around the globe changed forever. Countries shut down their borders, businesses closed and furloughed workers, and millions of students went to remote learning. Two years in, more than one million...

  20. Well, Now: How the Food on Your Plate Can Fight Climate Change

    It’s impossible to ignore the impact of climate change. Sea levels are rising, and natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires are increasing in strength and number each year. A major contributor to a warming planet is the way we’re processing our food. So on this week’s episode of Well, Now…

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  21. A Word: Ghost in the Medical Machine

    The promise of artificial intelligence in medicine is that it can reduce the influence of human error and bias in health care. But there’s growing concern that A.I. in medicine –as in other fields– can reflect the biases and lack of diversity among its creators. And that can have life threatening...

  22. Well, Now: Football’s Pre-NFL Concussion Problem

    Super Bowl LVIII is this Sunday, amid decades of controversy surrounding football’s impact on traumatic brain injuries. But for many athletes, these long-term effects can be felt well before making it to the pros: on high school and college teams. On Well, Now this week: Maya and Kavita talk with...

  23. Well, Now: How ER Taught Thousands Of Viewers About Cervical Cancer

    It’s award season in Hollywood, and it’s got the Well, Now team thinking about wellness and the entertainment industry. Can a medical drama really teach us accurate health information? Or is it all just high-stakes surgeries with beautiful actors? Maya and Kavita talk this out with physician,...

  24. Well, Now: What “Wellness” Is and Isn’t

    On this week’s episode of Well, Now we get to the heart of what “wellness” actually means. Depending on who you ask, you get a lot of different answers. So Maya and Kavita sit down with veteran journalist Isabel Burton to define the term. Burton was the executive editor of renowned...

  25. Well, Now: A Toast to Dry January

    On the first episode of Well, Now – Slate’s new podcast on health and wellness – hosts Dr. Kavita Patel and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Maya Feller tackle resolutions. A popular one? Sobriety. Or at least Dry January. With more people becoming “sober curious” Kavita and Maya visit a sober...

  26. Introducing: Well, Now

    We all want wellness, but what does that mean exactly? Is it achieving diet and exercise goals, or finally reaching a place where you’re happy with your body as it is? Is wellness the thing that will keep you out of the doctor’s office, or give you information you need to advocate for yourself…

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  27. Working: How An Artist Navigates the Health-Care System

    This week, host Isaac Butler is joined by actor, writer, director Erik Jensen for a frank conversation about his recent cancer diagnosis and the challenges artists face holding on to health-care coverage, especially in the age of streaming. They go on to discuss Jensen’s continued creative...

  28. A Word: “Good” Hair; Bad Health

    In recent years, several states and localities have passed “crown” laws, statutes that keep employers from discriminating against African Amercans for wearing their hair in natural styles. That’s because, historically, having straight hair has often been a requirement for professional advancement...

  29. The Waves: How To Get Through Menopause

    Hot flashes, fatigue, and vaginal dryness were some of Katie’s first clues that her body was changing. Half the population will experience menopause, yet misinformation still abounds—with doctors ill-prepared to talk to patients about this major life transition. On this episode of How To!,...

  30. The Waves: Incompetent Cervix - The Misogynist History Behind Naming The Female Body

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow welcomes back author and science journalist Rachel E. Gross to talk about the misogynist origins of many names and diagnoses in the female reproductive system. Gross is the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and the New York Times...

  31. The Waves: America’s Dangerous Obsession with Trans Women

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, why can’t celebrities and sports organizations leave trans people alone? On the heels of the International Chess Federation excluding trans women from competing, and some terrible statements from singer Ne-Yo (remember Ne-Yo?) Waves host Scaachi Koul wants to...

  32. Big Mood, Little Mood: Anxious Surrogate

    Danny Lavery welcomes Leslie Cohen-Rubury, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and host of “Is My Child a Monster?”, A Parenting Therapy Podcast. Lavery and Cohen-Rubury offer advice to someone who’s parents might interfere with her decision to be a surrogate mother for her friends. Another letter...

  33. A Word: Trouble the Waters

    It can take years for a water crisis in a predominantly Black city or town to make national news. But contaminated water often harms communities for generations. Beyond the ongoing health threats, dirty water can stifle business and economic development, driving down educational achievement,...

  34. The Waves: A Year Without Roe

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, one year after the Supreme Court decision that set off a national crisis in reproductive health care, we’re taking a look at what the end of Roe has wrought. Countless lives have been affected: There's the people who've traveled across the country to get their...

  35. The Waves: Your Period Deserves Respect

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking about menstruation. Period. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy. Kate recently published her extensive study on menstruation, Period and they dig into why Western culture has constantly looked…

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  36. The Waves: Why Medical Mysteries Plague Women

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re unpacking medical mysteries. Science writer and Slate contributor Eleanor Cummins is joined by Allison Behringer. Allison is the host and creator of the KCRW podcast, Bodies. Now in its fourth season, every episode of Bodies digs into a person’s medical...

  37. How To!: Deliver Bad News Better

    ‘I’ve got bad news’ is a sentence no one wants to hear. But at some point, all of us will either have to deliver bad news or will be on the receiving end. So what can make these gut-wrenching conversations go less horribly? On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Dr. Robert...

  38. A Word: Autism Beyond Awareness

    April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance month, and might be the only time of year when many Americans think about neurodiversity. But for many families, receiving an autism diagnosis for a child can set off an all-consuming search for doctors, therapists, and education that can work for their...

  39. Hi-Phi Nation: Love in the Time of Replika

    We explore the lives of people who are in love with their AI chatbots. Replika is a chatbot designed to adapt to the emotional needs of its users. It is a good enough surrogate for human interaction that many people have decided that it can fulfill their romantic needs. The question is whether...

  40. A Word: Home is Where the Hurt Is

    April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the African American community has a complicated relationship with corporal punishment of kids. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Stacey Patton, a writer, child abuse survivor, and the author of Spare the Kids: Why Whupping…

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  41. Hi-Phi Nation: The Digital Future of Grief

    When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So together they made an AI version of her, training it on her speech patterns and memories. Now he is scaling his findings so that anyone can continue their relationships with loved ones after...

  42. The Waves: We Need to Talk About Postpartum Psychosis

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by New Yorker editor Jessica Winter to talk all about postpartum psychosis. They dig into how the medical world is failing new moms during one of the “worst psychiatric emergencies” and why we need to talk about it...

  43. The Waves: Two Feminists Talk Weight Loss

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus talks with longtime health and foodwriter Tamar Haspel about her views on weight loss, and why it’s important for feminist to not shy away from the topic. They dig into why crank diets don’t work and often fail in trials, how...

  44. How To!: ‘Chaos Cook’ With Samin Nosrat

    Cooking is one of the most basic human activities. We’ve probably been doing it since the discovery of fire and, yet, it’s more than just fuel. It’s culture. It’s comfort. It’s increasingly content. The problem is when we have such high expectations for something so simple and vital, we can find...

  45. The Waves: How ADHD Disorients Women

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by stand-up comic Blaire Postman to discuss their journeys as women with ADHD, from receiving a diagnosis to the many ways it affects their everyday lives. In Slate Plus, how Blaire navigated living with ADHD…

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  46. How To!: Love Your Face

    Earlier this year, our listener, Rell, nearly failed a promotion. Not because she was unprepared or unqualified, but because she didn’t maintain enough eye contact with the interviewers. Rell’s eye hasn’t been fully receiving information since she was born, a condition that’s outwardly visible…

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  47. The Waves: Who’s Getting Rich Off Menopause?

    On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate Money co-host Emily Peck is joined by New York Times writer, Amy Larocca to discuss, as Amy says, the “menopause gold rush.” They dig into when exactly menopause starts, how younger women embracing their bodies has trickled up to their moms, and the...

  48. How To!: Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

    January is barely two weeks old and already some of our ambitious New Year’s resolutions may be starting to fade. No shame! Approximately 90% of resolution makers don’t reach their goal. Which means there’s gotta be a better way. Our listener this week, Emily, is discouraged about her unhealthy...

  49. Nobody Knows Anything

    In the final episode of Trumpcare Tracker, Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann ponder the latest, mysterious developments in the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. Senate leadership is still pushing for a vote next week, even though nobody knows which bill they’ll be considering. On...

  50. Is It Really Dead?

    Jim Newell and Jordan Weissmann recall the sudden collapse of the Republican health care bill on Monday night and wonder if master tactician Mitch McConnell can still bring it back from the dead. Could President Donald Trump change senators’ minds, and is there any hope for a bipartisan…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

A feed featuring episodes from across the Slate podcast network about health, wellness, and the science and business behind it all. You’ll see episodes from shows like What Next: TBD, The Waves, and How To!, containing coverage and conversations that go deeper than the headlines.

HOSTED BY

Slate Podcasts

Produced by Slate Magazine

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Slate Health have?

Slate Health currently has 378 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Slate Health about?

A feed featuring episodes from across the Slate podcast network about health, wellness, and the science and business behind it all. You’ll see episodes from shows like What Next: TBD, The Waves, and How To!, containing coverage and conversations that go deeper than the headlines.

How often does Slate Health release new episodes?

Slate Health publishes regularly with 378 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

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You can listen to Slate Health on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Slate Health?

Slate Health is created and hosted by Slate Podcasts.
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