Episodes

  • The Pelvic Floor: A Doctor and Her Patient Hold it Together

    The Pelvic Floor: A Doctor and Her Patient Hold it Together
    Apr 30 2025
    A small leak during a big laugh might hint towards a bigger story. In this episode exploring the pelvic floor, Dr. Olga Ramm and patient Nicole Curutchet answer the age-old question- what's really going on down there? Nicole Curutchet starts off by sharing her experience of developing pelvic floor prolapse, which felt like a “tampon that's halfway coming out.” She tackles the issue of finding the right provider, and shares about her surgery and recovery. On speaking out despite stigma, she says, “this is our bodies and it's the truth, and we don't want people to suffer, so why not talk about it?” For many people with vaginas, pelvic floor leakage, pain, and other symptoms, are often dismissed as just a fact of life. Dr. Ramm and Nicole argue that it doesn’t have to be that way. A variety of treatments exist for managing pelvic disorders, including physical therapy, insertable devices, and surgery. As Dr. Ramm reveals “birth remains the most common inciting injury to the pelvic floor...It's something that affects a whole lot of us.” Dr. Ramm also discusses research that shows that trauma of all kinds impacts the pelvic floor, “almost like a linear relationship between the number of adverse events that you report and the prevalence of chronic pelvic pain.” In a topic often characterized by silence, Dr. Ramm encourages providers to proactively ask about the pelvic floor. She emphasizes the value of informing patients about all the types of care available to them and respecting patient autonomy: “You don't have to follow a specific algorithm. Let the patient make the choice based on their individual values, their goals for themselves and their own personal case scenarios that they want to avoid.” Dr. Olga Ramm’s Website: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/dr-olga-ramm UCSF Center for Urogynecology and Women's Pelvic Health: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/center-for-urogynecology-and-womens-pelvic-healthStudy That Links Duration of Pushing Phase to Degree of Obstetric Anal Sphincter, Led By Dr. Olga Ramm Injuries: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29324610/ Chronic Pelvic Pain Society of North America: https://www.pelvicpain.org/publicThe Body Keeps the Score: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score Past episodes of
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Is Permanent Contraception Always Fool Proof? Find out with Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Treder

    Is Permanent Contraception Always Fool Proof? Find out with Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Treder
    Apr 15 2025
    In this episode, Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz and Dr. Kelly Treder discuss misconceptions about tubal sterilization, including debunking notions that is it 100% fool-proof, that the surgery is reversible, that it is more effective than other contraceptive options, or that there is little to no pain post-surgery. “I think we do have fairly widespread misunderstanding of what it means to have your tubes tied. A lot of people seem to have the understanding that that would be something you could easily untie and that it would be a procedure that you could undo,” Dr. Schwartz says. They highlight how important it is for providers to share information with patients about other long-acting contraception options (arm implant, IUD, vasectomy) and their effectiveness with preventing pregnancy, side effects, cost, accessibility, and longevity compared to surgery. Because of this, it is crucial for providers to be informed about the nuances of different contraceptive options. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Treder provide firsthand insight into what difficult conversations surrounding contraceptives with patients can look like. “I think it's just our obligation to make sure that they know about all available options, that they're not arriving at this decision that they need to have a surgery because they think it's the only thing that's safe for them or the only thing that will work well for them,” says Dr. Schwartz. This episode is a follow up to S4 E5 Lesser-Known Forms of Birth Control and Downplayed Side-effects: Providing Empowering Contraceptive Carewith Dr. Karlin and health educator Mariana Horne. Click here to view the episode transcript. Resources recommended in the episode: Bedsider.org is an online resource designed to help individuals explore, compare, and access birth control options. Bedsider offers a comprehensive description of various contraceptive methods, such as IUDs, implants, pills, and sterilization using interactive tools, real-life stories, and educational content. Advancing Access is a UCSF resource that provides clear, evidence-based information on long-acting reversible and non-reversible birth control methods, including costs, benefits, and where to access care. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/index.htm - National Survey of Family Growth CAPTC related trainings and resources - Shared Decision Making in Contraceptive Counseling - Person-Centered Contraception Counseling for Family Pact Clients - Same-Day Placement of LARC: Solutions to Common Barriers Brief Bio Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz Dr. Schwartz, MD is a professor of medicine at UCSF and the chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital. She has a particular interest in identifying ways to meet the needs of diverse populations, including women with chronic medical conditions and other underserved populations. Dr. Treder Dr. Kelly Treder, MD, MPH, is a board-certified OB-GYN at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor of OB-GYN at Boston University School of Medicine. She specializes in family planning and is committed to health equity.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Positive Women’s Network: Liberation as Women Living with HIV

    Positive Women’s Network: Liberation as Women Living with HIV
    Mar 5 2025
    Marnina "the Queen" Miller, human rights activist and co-executive director at the Positive Women’s Network (PWN), recounts her journey living with HIV as a young woman in the American South, finding a sense of belonging in the national community of PWN, and spearheading initiatives for HIV advocacy and treatment for people of all backgrounds. Marnina discusses some of the unique challenges that Black women face within their communities as they search for inclusive care and acceptance after HIV diagnosis. She also delves deep into the world of policy, closely examining how political advocacy can impact HIV criminalization and reproductive rights. Marnina highlights the importance of coming together to provide comprehensive sexual health education. She emphasizes moving past equity and towards liberation from HIV stigma: “I want liberation... I don't want equity. I don't want equality. I want liberation. I want to be free of HIV stigma.” Read the transcript of the episode. About Positive Women’s Network Marnina Miller’s LinkedIn & Instagram Marnina Miller is a highly accomplished human rights activist, speaker, trainer, and social media strategist with a profound commitment to fostering positive change in society. She is currently the Co-Executive Director of the Positive Women’s Network- a nationwide group that fosters support, care, and community for women living with HIV. Link to Past Episodes with Similar Content: Monica Gandhi, MD: HIV as a Movement, Not Just an Infection The Clitoris and Its Friends: The Anatomy of Pleasure with Rachel Gross Intimacy Starts with I: Women, Self Love, and HIV with Michelle Lopez
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • Beyond Birth: Midwives’ Role in Sexual Health

    Beyond Birth: Midwives’ Role in Sexual Health
    Feb 5 2025
    In this episode of Coming Together for Sexual Health, host Tammy welcomes Dr. Bethany Golden, a nurse midwife, to discuss the many ways midwives support sexual and reproductive health beyond childbirth. Bethany shares how midwives provide holistic, patient-centered care, including contraception, abortion, STI treatment, gender-affirming care, and primary healthcare for people of all genders and ages. She talks about studies that show that most midwives provide reproductive health services and almost half provide primary care: "...so this is a large portion of what we do. And so the public perception...is that we are doing pregnancy-related care. Again, that is part of what we do, but we spend a lot of time focused on other moments in people's lives." Bethany also talks about her work with the Reproductive Health Service Corps, which is training more midwives and clinicians in abortion care. Tune in for an insightful conversation on reimagining reproductive healthcare for a more inclusive and equitable future. Guest Bio: Bethany Golden, RN, CNM (she/her), is a registered nurse and a certified-nurse midwife with deep clinical experience and knowledge of comprehensive reproductive health including abortion. As a clinician, consultant, and lecturer, and as part of research teams, she has worked in clinics, hospitals, universities, and villages in New York City, SF Bay Area, Chicago, Fiji, and Nicaragua. Most recently, as a member of the Future of Abortion Council's workforce committee and the policy advisor at Training in Early Abortion for Comprehensive Healthcare (TEACH), she initiated, co-developed, and advocated for the successful passage of bill AB1918. The law created the CA Reproductive Health Service Corps to train and diversify the entire health care team, which she currently co-directs at TEACH with Megan Kumar. Since 2002, she co-founded and continues to operate ICAS/Juntos Adelante, a not-for-profit that focuses on health and human rights in Nicaragua. Read the transcript of the episode. Check out Bethany Golden’s website Connect with Bethany Golden on LinkedIn and Instagram Bethany’s Publication: Emerging approaches to redressing multi-level racism and reproductive health disparities Related episodes of Coming Together for Sexual Health: Trauma-Informed Pregnancy Care with Becca Schwartz, LCSW & Abortion and Reproductive Justice Across State Lines Have any questions, concerns, or love letters? Send us a message on Instagram @comingtogetherpod or email us at captc@ucsf.edu Don’t forget to leave us a review on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • Monica Gandhi, MD: HIV as a Movement, Not Just an Infection

    Monica Gandhi, MD: HIV as a Movement, Not Just an Infection
    Jan 21 2025

    Monica Gandhi, MD, reflects on her decades-long work in HIV care, from providing care early in the epidemic to leading implementation of today’s groundbreaking medical advances. She discusses the science behind HIV (including how 7 people have been cured), the groundbreaking shift from complex pill regimes to long-acting injectable therapies, and how these innovations help patients facing medication challenges. Monica also draws parallels to COVID-19 as she underscores the importance of harm reduction; encourages bipartisan support while talking about policy and funding; addresses social determinants of health that impact HIV prevention and treatment. For her, HIV is not just an infection, but a movement driving healthcare and equity forward.

    • Read the transcript of the episode.
    • Connect with Dr. Monica Gandhi on Twitter and LinkedIn

    • Endemic, by Monica Gandhi

    • CAPTC HIV & PrEP Resources

    • Long-Acting Injectable PrEP

    • Previous episode with Dr. Monica Gandhi: S1 E7: How Effective Are COVID-19 Vaccines? with Dr. Monica Gandhi

    Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Medicine and an Associate Chief in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research and the Medical Director of the HIV clinic (Ward 86) at SF General Hospital. Dr. Gandhi also serves as the Associate Program Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship at UCSF. Her research focuses on HIV treatment and prevention optimization, HIV in women, adherence measurements in HIV and tuberculosis, adherence interventions, and optimizing the use of long-acting antiretroviral therapy. Dr. Gandhi has been in the HIV workforce since 1996 and brings an extremely important level of expertise to the field. Her book, Endemic, illustrates the lessons to be learned and applied to future epidemics from the HIV epidemic.

    Have any questions, concerns, or love letters? Send us a message on Instagram @comingtogetherpod or email us at captc@ucsf.edu

    Don’t forget to leave us a review on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Ina Park, MD, on Syphilis: The STI That Keeps Us Guessing

    Ina Park, MD, on Syphilis: The STI That Keeps Us Guessing
    Jan 7 2025
    Ina Park, MD, is back again for a focused look at her (second) favorite sexually transmitted infection: syphilis (favorite because it’s fascinating). She says, “it’s one of the most challenging conditions to diagnose in clinical medicine because it literally can look like anything.” Join Ina and Tammy as they explore how syphilis was almost eliminated around 2000 and then surged again to current rates of infection in the US. Ina spotlights how a rise in congenital syphilis has fueled a mobilization in public health efforts, even while she celebrates declines in rates of the most infectious types of syphilis. As national syphilis screening guidelines are adapted to increase screening, including in emergency departments, Ina is optimistic for a reduction in future syphilis rates. But here’s the takeaway for healthcare providers and patients alike: keep syphilis on your radar. A quick shot of penicillin early-on can save everyone a lot of trouble. Links: Connect with Dr. Ina Park on her website, LinkedIn, X, and Instagram Resources mentioned in episode CDC Geographic Risk Calculator Strange Bedfellows: Adventures in the Science, History, and Surprising Secrets of STDs CAPTC related training and resources STI Clinical Update Webinar – Introduction to Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis CAPTC Disease Intervention Trainings Previous episodes with Dr. Ina Park Dr. Ina Park Unwraps the CDC’s New 2023 STI Report
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Compilation: Reproductive Justice and Family Planning

    Compilation: Reproductive Justice and Family Planning
    Dec 24 2024

    Check out a compilation of three previous episodes on reproductive justice and family planning. After you hear what each of our guests has to share, take a listen to one (or all!) of the full episodes:

    • S4 E4: When People Have or Are Denied Abortions: The Turnaway Study with Dr. Diana Greene Foster

    • S4 E5 Lesser-Known Forms of Birth Control and Downplayed Side-effects: Providing Empowering Contraceptive Care

    • S4 E6 Family Planning as Gender Affirming Care with Trans and Nonbinary Patients

    Have any questions, concerns, or love letters? Send us a message on Instagram @comingtogetherpod or email us at captc@ucsf.edu

    Don’t forget to leave us a review on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • The Clitoris and Its Friends with Rachel Gross

    The Clitoris and Its Friends with Rachel Gross
    Dec 10 2024
    Did you know the visible part of the clitoris is less than one-third of its actual size? Cliterally just the tip of the iceberg! In this second part of our series with Rachel Gross, Rachel and Tammy’s excitement sparks an important conversation about this understudied organ and its friends--the vagina, vulva, and pelvic floor. Afterall, it is not common knowledge that (gasp) all sexual organs differentiate from the same embryonic root, or that close to 10,280 nerve endings were counted in one clitoris. By taking an interdisciplinary approach to sexual health, Rachel reveals how pleasure is impacted by menopause, vulvodynia, and pelvic pain. She calls attention to the whole-person approach of gender-affirming care doctors, and the importance of addressing a person’s overall experience of their bodies and pleasure. There is much to explore about pleasure and sexual health in this episode. Links: Check out Rachel Gross’s website Connect with Rachel Gross on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram Scientific American Glowing Clitoris Video Sophia Wallace Artwork S3 E13: Centering Pleasure, Problems, and Pride in Sexual Healthcare with Jenn Rogers & Bryce Furness S4 E8: Intimacy Starts with I: Women, Self-Love, and HIV with Michelle Lopez Taking a Sexual Health History Sexual Health Educator Training Program Rachel Gross has been a science reporter for over 10 years, determined to share educational resources and information with the public. Rachel’s work has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC Future, National Geographic, and more. Rachel is also the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage, a novel dedicated to re-mapping the female body based on meticulous research and exploration. Rachel is a committed sexual health educator, having lectured at various organizations and top universities in the nation. Read the transcript of the episode here. Have any questions, concerns, or love letters? Send us a message on Instagram @comingtogetherpod or email us at captc@ucsf.edu.
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins