Another Bloody Podcast

Is Dr. Mary Claire Haver's most recent book on perimenopause worth the read? In this month's edition of Another Bloody Book Club Heather and Lisa give their verdict. We talk you through some of the most surprising medical facts we discoverd while reading "The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again" and how the book resonated with our own experiences. We're huge fans of Dr. Haver's Unpaused podcast and are happy to report that the OBGYN's fiery advocacy on behalf of women is evidenced throughout her latest book. Of course, it also got us reflecting on some of the ways we've been dismissed and ineptly treated in our own perimenopausal and menopausal journeys.
For November, we'll be reading "Adult Braces," a memoir by Lindy West, author of "Shrill."
Resources:
"The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again" by Mary Claire Haver, MD, 2026
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777456/the-new-perimenopause-by-mary-claire-haver-md/
Mary Claire Haver's website
https://thepauselife.com/
"Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane by Lindy West, 2026
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lindy-west/adult-braces/9780306831836/
 

To draw attention to Breast Cancer Awarenss Month, we are rerunning one of our earliest episodes, "My New Boobs," which traces Lisa's breast cancer and breast reconstruction journey. But it's not your typical breast cancer awareness episode. Instead, it tells the story of one of our host's lifelong, love-hate — mostly hate — relationship with her formerly enormous breasts. It's also about how her quest for a smaller chest led to an early breast cancer diagnosis.
As a bonus, just in time for National Mammography Day (the third Friday of October), you'll learn about the latest breast cancer screening guidelines from the American Society of Breast Surgeons and why risk assessment needs to begin as young as 25. 
Sources"Breast Cancer Gave Me the Boobs I’ve Always Wanted," by Lisa Pierce Flores, Jenny Magazinehttps://jennymag.com/2026/06/16/breast-cancer-breast-reduction-personal-story/
"American Society of Breast Surgeons Issues Updated Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines"https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/asbrs-issues-updated-screening-guidelines
American Cancer Society Screening Recommendationshttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.html

In this episode, we talk with Aria Sickler Avery, one of the student leaders behind the Cornell University #IAmJaneDoe protests calling for increased accountability and more robust resources for survivors of sexual misconduct in the wake of the Cornell 7 sexual assault lawsuit filed nearly three weeks ago. Avery, a Cornell senior and president of the Gender Justice Advocacy Coalition, describes the mood on campus a day after a rally she helped organize that drew more than 1,000 people and where students called for changes to disciplinary procedures and for the resignation of university President  Michael Kotlikoff.
Avery discusses how the Greek community has shielded itself from accountability, why Cornell's sexual misconduct rates are higher than at peer schools, and how hard it is for survivors to get trusted health care in Ithaca, NY, while Lisa spotlights the lasting health consequences of sexual violence, including PTSD, chronic pain, and depression. 
Sources
"Cornell, Chi Phi Sued by Victim of Alleged Gang Rape, Drugging in 2024," by Careese Qusba, The Daily Sunhttps://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/09/tccsuykuvb4z
"A Timeline of the Cornell Gang Rape Allegations," CNN, Oct. 6, 2026https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/03/us/cornell-rape-case-timeline-hnk"How Cornell Punished Each of the 7 Men Accused of Sexual Assault," by Sharon Otterman, Hurubie Meko, and Debra Kamin, The New York TImes, Oct. 3, 2026https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/nyregion/cornell-men-university-discipline.html
"About Sexual Violence," Centers for Disease Controlhttps://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/about/index.html
"‘I am Jane Doe’: Thousands rally at Cornell as fraternity rape allegations roil nation," by Jimmy Jordan, Fernando Figueroa, and Megan Zerez, The Ithaca Voice, Oct. 5, 2026https://ithacavoice.org/2026/10/i-am-jane-doe-thousands-rally-at-cornell-as-fraternity-rape-allegations-roil-nation/
"Cornell Faces Mounting Pressure Over Jane Doe Allegations," by Jillian McCarthy, Ithaca Journal, Oct. 8, 2026https://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/public-safety/2026/10/08/cornell-jane-doe-case-sparks-protests-criminal-investigation/92136158007/
"Student Assembly Introduces Measures to Prevent Bias, Implement Date-Rape-Drug Test Kits Following Controversy," by Sofia Rubinson, The Daily Sun, May 7, 2024
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2024/05/student-assembly-introduces-measures-to-prevent-bias-implement-date-rape-drug-test-kits-following-controversy
"Student Assembly Elections Postponed Amid Ethics Investigation," by Sofia Rubinson and Kate Sanders, The Daily Sun, May 28, 2024https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2024/03/student-assembly-elections-moved-back-amid-ethics-investigation

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem, who died last month at 92, spent decades speaking and writing about previously taboo healthcare topics, including abortion, sexual assault, and what we know call medical gaslighting. So much about her life inspired us, but in this episode we pay tribute to the ways she spoke about women's healthcare issues in a voice that was accessible, sincere, and sprinkled with humor.
We trace her surprising path from an unstable childhood caring for her mentally ill mother to her success as a freelance writer in New York City to almost accidentally becoming the face of Second Wave feminism. We unpack why her beauty and warmth made her message land, even as it made her a target. Along the way we connect her decades of advocacy to expand sexual and reproductive agency and increase funding for women's health to the healthcare battles women are still fighting today. It's a conversation that turns personal fast, as we reflect on how we both grew up with Steinem as a radicalizing presence. Finally, we find ourselves resonating with Steinem's theory that women often grow angrier, not quieter, with age.
Sources
"Our Bodies Ourselves Mourns Feminist Champion Gloria Steinem (1934-2026)"https://ourbodiesourselves.org/the-latest/gloria-steinem
"Gloria Steinem, Personification of the Women’s Movement, Dies at 92," New York TImeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/us/politics/gloria-steinem-dead.html
Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, Third Edition, by Gloria Steinemhttps://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Acts-Everyday-Rebellions-Third/dp/1250204860/
Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem, by Gloria Steinemhttps://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Within-Self-Esteem-Gloria-Steinem-ebook/dp/B007RJ9I0A
Education of a Woman: The Life of Gloria Steinem, by Carolyn G. Heilbrun https://www.amazon.com/Education-Woman-Life-Gloria-Steinem-ebook/dp/B00589AXVE/
Gloria: In Her Own Words, directed by Peter W. Kunhardt https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2036377/

It’s been a week since a former Cornell University student filed a lawsuit against the university, Chi Phi fraternity, and the seven fraternity members who are accused of raping her in 2024. To provide some context on how sexual assault can affect women’s health across their lifespan, we’re replaying a conversation we had back in April with Sharon Walker Epps, CEO of the Rowan Center. Notably, Sharon talks about how today’s predators are using technology to target and further traumatize victims, an aspect of the Cornell case, wherein the survivor’s seven attackers used a social media app to brag about their actions and invite others to join in.
In addition, Sharon shares her own path from Wall Street to advocacy, shaped in part by her daughter’s experience as a survivor, and explains how sexual assault resource centers help people in the immediate aftermath of trauma and during the years of recovery that can follow. This is a hard but important conversation about sexual violence, recovery, and the community resources that can help survivors find a way forward.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
“The Cornell Rape Investigation: Five Takeaways,” Sharon Otterman, The New York Times, Oct. 1, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/nyregion/cornell-jane-doe-rape-investigation-documents.html
National Sexual Violence Resource Center, https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics/
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline, 24/7 confidential support, crisis counseling, and connection to local services across the U.S.: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673); https://www.rainn.org
The Rowan Center,a resource agency serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. 24/7 Hotline: 203-329-2929;
https://www.therowancenter.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24/7 confidential support for anyone experiencing intimate partner violence: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233);
Text: START to 88788; https://www.thehotline.org/
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
CyberTipline to report child exploitation, online enticement, trafficking, or abuse imagery: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678);
https://report.cybertip.org;
https://www.missingkids.org
Thorn
Works to combat online child sexual exploitation: https://www.thorn.org
KidSafe HQ
Digital safety resource created by the Rowan Center to help parents protect children online: https://www.therowancenter.org
National Human Trafficking Hotline, 24/7 confidential support and reporting: 1-888-373-7888;
Text: 233733 (BEFREE); https://humantraffickinghotline.org
Connecticut Office of Victim Services, providing financial assistance to eligible crime victims: 1-800-822-8428;
https://jud.ct.gov/crimevictim/
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline support for emotional distress or mental health crisis:
Call or text 988
24/7; https://988lifeline.org
CDC: The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, statistics on the frequency of sexual violence: https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/media/pdfs/sexualviolence-brief.pdf
National Sexual Violence Resource Center: https://www.nsvrc.org/
The Grateful Garment (Go shopping for supplies to support SA survivors!): https://gratefulgarment.org/
Find Local Help Anywhere in the U.S. Remember, local rape crisis centers, domestic violence agencies, and child advocacy organizations exist in most communities. RAINN and the National Domestic Violence Hotline can connect you.
 

This week we’re re-releasing Heather’s conversation on GLP-1s featuring Lili Zarghami, founder of the online magazine Jenny. In this candid, unfiltered conversation Heather and Lili talk about their very different experiences with the popular weight loss drugs and the complicated realities of living in a woman's body.
From illness and aging to body shaming and the quiet mental load of trying to do everything exactly "right"—and still gaining weight—they unpack the promises and pitfalls of drugs like Mounjaro.
This isn’t a before-and-after story tied up in a pink bow. It’s about what happens when weight loss works, when it doesn’t, and why both outcomes can mess with your head.
Bonus: If you enjoy this episode, check out our September 3 episode, featuring Lili's return to the podcast to discuss her return to GLP-1 medication, this time in a different form and with different results.Show notes:You can read Lili Zarghami's essay series, "A Month of Mounjaro" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/01/14/mounjaro-diary-part-1/You can read Heather O'Neill's essay, "Out for Blood" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/02/07/endometriosis-hysterectomy-gaslighting/You can buy Johann Hari's book, "Magic Pill," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743989/magic-pill-by-johann-hari/

This week we are rereleasing one of the shows that started it all.
Another Bloody Podcast co-hosts Lisa Pierce Flores and Heather O'Neill are both survivors of Stage 4 endometriosis. Here, in Part 2 of their deep dive into endometriosis, they interview one another about their many years of suffering from the disease, attempting to find a diagnosis, and finally, after many of false starts and a fair amount of medical gaslighting, how they each found some level of relief from their symptoms. For a research-based rundown on the disease, listen to Another Bloody Podcast Episode 4, Bloody Hell: Welcome to the (Not So) Wonderful World of Endometriosis.  
Show Notes:
You can read Heather O'Neill's essay, "Out for Blood" at Janny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/02/07/endometriosis-hysterectomy-gaslighting/
“The Association Between Endometriosis and Risk of Endometrial Cancer and Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9673303/

We're bringing back a fan favorite — Lily Zargami, editor and co-founder of Jennie, whose first appearance on Another Bloody Podcast (our most-downloaded episode ever) chronicled a brutal reaction to injectable Mounjaro. Since then, the GLP-1 landscape has changed fast: an oral Wegovy pill hit the market with record-breaking uptake, Eli Lilly's own oral option is racing toward approval, and both drugs are being studied for benefits that go well beyond weight loss — heart failure, artery disease, liver disease, and more.
Lily joins us to talk about what's different this time around on the oral version, how she's learned to manage reflux and eat more intentionally, and the complicated, often unspoken feelings that come with going back on a drug after it once landed you in urgent care. We dig into disordered-eating red flags, the real cost differences between injectables and pills, the "Wild West" of compounded versions, and why neither of us feels guilty anymore about needing long-term medication — for this or anything else.
Content note: this episode includes candid discussion of disordered eating patterns, body image, and weight — listener discretion advised.
 
Show notes:
You can read Lili Zarghami's essay series, "A Month of Mounjaro" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/01/14/mounjaro-diary-part-1/
FDA Approves Novo Nordisk's Wegovy® Pill, the First and Only Oral GLP-1 for Weight Loss in AdultsNovo Nordisk (PR Newswire)https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fda-approves-novo-nordisks-wegovy-pill-the-first-and-only-oral-glp-1-for-weight-loss-in-adults-302648344.html
First GLP-1 pill for obesity from Novo Nordisk launches in the U.S.CNBChttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/first-glp-1-pill-for-obesity-from-novo-nordisk-launches-in-the-us.html
Novo's Wegovy pill hits over 18,000 US prescriptions in strong debut weekReutershttps://www.marketscreener.com/news/novo-s-wegovy-pill-hits-over-18-000-us-prescriptions-in-strong-debut-week-ce7e5bdada88f023
Wegovy® Pill Prescriptions Surpass 3 MillionNovo Nordisk (PR Newswire)https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wegovy-pill-prescriptions-surpass-3-million-1-filled-roughly-every-5-seconds-bringing-glp-1-therapy-to-people-with-obesity-previously-untreated-while-novo-nordisk-unveils-new-data-at-ada-2026-302793337.html
FDA Approves Lilly's Foundayo™ (orforglipron), the Only GLP-1 Pill for Weight Loss That Can Be Taken Any Time of DayEli Lilly and Companyhttps://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-lillys-foundayotm-orforglipron-only-glp-1-pill
Wegovy Global Regulatory Status: FDA Approval, EMA Authorization, and Worldwide Access in 2026HealthRXhttps://healthrx.com/regulatory-wegovy/global-regulatory
Novo Nordisk's CagriSema Demonstrated Significant Reduction in HbA1c and Weight Across REIMAGINE Program (ADA 2026)Novo Nordisk (PR Newswire)https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novo-nordisks-cagrisema-2-4-mg--2-4-mg-demonstrated-significant-reduction-in-hba1c-and-weight-across-multiple-studies-in-the-reimagine-program-presented-at-ada-2026--302793443.html
Coadministered Cagrilintide and Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or ObesityNew England Journal of Medicinehttps://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2502081
If this episode brought up anything difficult around food or body image: the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline is available at 1-866-662-1235.

Menopausal rage doesn't look like garden-variety irritability — it feels like a ticking time bomb, and almost no one is talking about it. This week, Heather and Lisa sit down with Dr. Sarah Berg, a board-certified OB-GYN, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and founder of Selfority, a platform offering menopause education courses and workplace training, to unpack the symptom she first wrote about for TIME.
 
Dr. Berg explains why rage gets missed in the exam room, why it's costing women their careers at the exact moment they're hitting their stride, and why the medical system's failure to identify less common menopause symptoms carries a steep financial and emotional toll for women. She also digs into the layer that didn't get enough attention in her original article: how bias shapes the way women of color's anger is perceived and treated differently in the workplace. It's a candid, validating conversation for anyone who's ever lost it on a family member, friend or colleague and then spent days wondering what was wrong with them.
Sources:
The Menopause Conversation Still Has One Major Blind Spot, TIMEhttps://time.com/article/2026/07/09/the-menopause-conversation-still-has-one-major-blind-spot/
Selfority — Dr. Sarah Berg's platform offering menopause education courses and workplace trainingSelforityhttps://selfority.com
Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), University of Michiganhttps://midlifescience.umich.edu
The (Un)Managed Heart: Racial Contours of Emotion Work in Gendered Occupations, Aida Harvey Wingfield, Annual Review of Sociology, 2021https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-soc-081320-114850
H.R. 9273: A Bill to Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to Require Public Institutions of Higher Education That Receive Grants Under the Medical Student Education Program to Include Training for Medical Students Relating to Menopause in the Curriculums of Such Institutions, and for Other Purposes. 119th Congress, 2nd session, introduced by Rep. Valerie P. Foushee, 11 June 2026, www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9273. 
 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump marked National Immunology Month by cutting the CDC's recommended childhood vaccine list from 18 diseases to 11, sorting remaining shots into risk-based tiers. State mandates and insurance coverage will not immediately be affected, but the policy shift may embolden a growing number of parents to question their doctors and refuse vaccinations for their children, further eroding herd immunity.
As he signed the executive order last week, President Trump mentioned a link between vacccines and autism, a theory based on a 1998 study that has been soundly debunked. We decided to take a look back at the discrediterd tudy that got the lethal ball rolling and its author, Andrew Wakefield, who has since been stripped of his medical lisence. If you haven't heard about it before, you won't believe just how bad the study was. Based on just 12 children, using falsified data, and motivated by undisclosed financial conflicts of interest, it would be comical if it had not claimed the lives of so many unvaccinated children since its publication (it was later retracted). We also share personal stories of family members affected by preventable diseases like polio and Lisa talks about her infant bout of rubella, anecdotes that underscore how vaccines have dramatically reduced childhood mortality and disability.
We hope you'll honor National Immunology Month by consulting vaccination recommendations from the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, and at least for now, ignoring the CDC.
Sources: 
American Medical Association, "Vaccine Recommendations" 2026https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/prevention-wellness/vaccine-recommendations
American Academy of Pediatrics. Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for Ages 18 Years or Younger, 2026https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP-Immunization-Schedule.pdf"Immunizations." HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics, July 2025 www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/default.aspx
"Trump Signs Executive Order With Plan to Reduce Number of Recommended Childhood Vaccines," The Guardian, August 10, 2026https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/10/trump-vaccines-executive-order-measles 
Calling the Shots: Tracking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Moves on Vaccines." U.S. News & World Report, updated 10 Aug. 2026https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/calling-the-shots-tracking-robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-moves-on-vaccines
Scott, Kristan, et al. "Trends in Vitamin K Administration Among Infants." JAMA, 2026https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2842444
Fattah, M., et al. "Trends in County-Level Childhood Vaccination Exemptions in the US." JAMA, vol. 335, no. 6, 2026, pp. 546–49https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2843870
Shattock, Andrew J., et al. "Contribution of Vaccination to Improved Survival and Health: Modelling 50 Years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization." The Lancet, vol. 403, no. 10441, 25 May 2024, pp. 2307–16https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00850-X/fulltext
"Revolutionary Medicine: The Importance of Child Vaccines." American Lung Association, 4 Apr. 2025https://www.lung.org/blog/child-vaccine-history"Why Experts Have Concluded That Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism." Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 19 Mar. 2025https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/vaccines-do-not-cause-autism
Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, hosts. "RFK Jr. and The Rise of the Anti-Vaxx Movement." Maintenance Phase, 18 July 2023 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rfk-jr-and-the-rise-of-the-anti-vaxx-movement/id1535408667?i=1000621494286
Evans, Robert, host. "Part Two: Andrew Wakefield: The Worst Doctor Alive." Behind the Bastards, iHeartPodcasts/Cool Zone Media, 20 Feb. 2019https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/part-two-andrew-wakefield-the-worst-doctor-alive/id1373812661