The Speculum Podcast

You know that sticky goo that you often find in your undies? We explore that goo in this episode. On average women produce 1 teaspoon of vaginal discharge each day. What is it? Why do we have it? When is it abnormal? Check out this episode for answers to these common questions. Tweet your questions to @ovawoman. Visit our blog, vlog and podcast at ovawoman.com. Special thanks to Megan Hadley for audio support! Articles Discussed: Medline Plus entry on vaginal discharge: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003158.htm “Vaginal discharge—causes, diagnosis, and treatment” by the British Medical Journal http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7451/1306 Palo Alto Medical Foundation entry on vaginal discharge http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/femalehealth/discharge.html Disclaimer: Information contained on this podcast and website is not intended to be medical advice, nor does it replace care given by your health care provider. Please consult your health care provider when seeking medical care.

Fartun Weli's voice bridges communities and inspires compassion. Fartun moved to the United States from Somalia in the late 1990s. She went through early menopause at the age of 30 and felt isolated and judged. She broke the silence in her community and spoke out about infertility. Fartun is now the founder and executive director of Isuroon, a women's health organization that primarily serves African immigrants. Learn more about Isuroon by visiting http://www.isuroon.org/.

Sara Flamm is a Mormon woman living in France. In this episode she shares with humor, honesty and warmth her intimate health journey. From growing up with eight brothers to giving birth in France, Sara reminds us to keep learning about our bodies.

When I hear smears I typically think about bagels, but this episode is all about the cervical smear. Paps Smears. What does it mean to have an abnormal Pap smear? When do you really need to get a Pap smear? What can't Pap smears test for? These are just a few of the questions we investigate. Helpful Article: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003911.htm Disclaimer: Information contained on this podcast and website is not intended to be medical advice, nor does it replace care given by your health care provider. Please consult your health care provider when seeking medical care.

In this episode we discuss douching. We explore the history, the current practice and the impact of douching. We also hear from our friend and nurse midwife, Missy Saftner about the harmful effects of douching. We’ll cut to the chase and give you the big takeaway: douching is bad for vaginas. Your vagina isn’t supposed to smell like flowers. If you notice that your scent has changed, see your provider. Douching only covers scent, it is important to figure out the root cause. Disclaimer: Information contained on this podcast and website is not intended to be medical advice, nor does it replace care given by your health care provider. Please consult your health care provider when seeking medical care.

I am 29 years old and I recently realized my vagina and vulva are not the same. I am aware that this sounds ridiculous, but after talking with many women there are a lot of misconceptions about female genitalia. This episode explores the importance of knowing your anatomy. Disclaimer: Information contained on this podcast and website is not intended to be medical advice, nor does it replace care given by your health care provider. Please consult your health care provider when seeking medical care.