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PODCAST

CRAMPED

Kate Helen Downey

Tired of suffering from "death cramps" for 20 years, Kate Helen Downey has to find her own answers. She interviews top doctors and researchers, and delves into topics from period poops to endometriosis surgery to TikTok wellness scams, all to figure out why menstrual pain is so often dismissed and untreated. What she finds will change how you think about your own body and the medical system. Because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.

health & fitness documentary

All Episodes

00:15:41

Your Period Blood Has a Weird Origin Story: Spiral...

CRAMPED ·

2026/05/08

PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASERJoin the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/cramped I started research for a totally normal episode about spiral arteries in the uterine lining, and SHIT GOT WEIRD. Get ready for a deep dive into where period blood comes from, all the new organs and tissue you grow every month, and how science got the info on how it all works. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and

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00:18:51

PMDD, Intrusive Thoughts, Hormones & Medication:...

CRAMPED ·

2026/04/28

When Riven first got her period at age 10, the debilitating cramps weren't even the worst part. Instead, she felt completely out of control for the first day or two of her period, sometimes sobbing for hours, sometimes losing time. But the scariest symptom was the intrusive thoughts of harming herself that came with her period pain. It took over 10 years, but after an incident involving her kid brother, she got a diagnosis of PMDD and a medication that she says saved her life. CRISIS SUPPORT:

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00:57:48

Sex Ed with DB: Testosterone, Pleasure, and the...

CRAMPED ·

2026/04/21

Today we have a guest episode from another excellent science-based podcast: Sex Ed with DB! What even is testosterone -- and why do so many menopausal women swear by it? DB and her mom Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt dive into a recent New York Times article "I’m on Fire’: Testosterone Is Giving Women Back Their Sex Drive — and Then Some" by Susan Dominus. What does testosterone actually do? Who could benefit from taking it? What are the risks? And why are the only people who can easily access it cis men

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00:24:02

Viagra for Cramps?

CRAMPED ·

2026/04/14

We know Viagra (sildenafil citrate) as a treatment for...one specific male problem. But a 2013 study showed it could potentially be SHOCKINGLY effective for dysmenorrhea. So what happened in that study? Why would a boner pill work for period pain? and why didn't it go anywhere? CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Join the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) for ad-free & bonus episodes, plus the discord community

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00:29:46

How I Got My Diagnosis: Daphne

CRAMPED ·

2026/04/08

You've heard MY diagnosis and treatment story - now I'm handing the mic over to other people who have been through the period pain fire and come out the other side. Daphne had been on birth control since she was 10 for severe period pain, and every time she tried to come off it, the excruciating pain would come back, putting her right back in the puke-til-you-go-to-the-ER club. After finally getting a diagnosis from a specialist, she opted to find a different specialist to continue treatment with,

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00:17:02

A BAD STUDY with Professor Andrea Jones-Rooy

CRAMPED ·

2026/04/02

PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASERJoin the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/cramped We don't get very many studies on menstrual pain - so when we finally get one, and IT SUCKS, we don't just ignore it. We get data science professor Andrea Jones-Rooy to tell us exactly why it sucks and how we can spot a bad study. Get more Andrea Jones-Rooy: https://www.jonesrooy.com/ CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes

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00:40:21

Endometriosis Historian Dr. Maria Rovito

CRAMPED ·

2026/03/24

Endometriosis Historian & Professor of Medical Humanities Dr Maria Rovito comes on CRAMPED to talk 2000 years of endometriosis, wandering wombs, and hysteria. Her new book, Crippling Endometriosis: Feminist Disability Histories and Reflections on Power and Pain is out now! Dr. Rovito's website (where you see the classes she teaches & find book links): https://www.mariarovito.com/ Support CRAMPED on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED CRAMPED episodes are intended for

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00:50:27

Can Talking About Cramps Improve Your Sex Life?

CRAMPED ·

2026/03/17

Obviously we're big on communicating about your pain here at CRAMPED - we've covered the research that shows talking about your pain actually reduces your pain levels - but what about PLEASURE? Could improving our communication skills around our pain lead to better sex lives? Kate brings on sex communication experts Kels and Tess from Squirm, a company dedicated to helping you gain skills around talking about sex and pleasure. They get into the stigmas that keep both sexual pleasure and period pain

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00:33:43

Cramps on Film (and Books!)

CRAMPED ·

2026/03/10

If you've been looking up some Oscar-nominated short films to watch before the awards show, you may have noticed one called "Jane Austen's Period Drama". Seeing this in theaters inspired Kate to finally release two interviews with indie artists - one feature filmmaker, and one novelist - who have released work about their period pain! Novelist Grace Daly, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Scald Crow, has experienced debilitating symptoms from her endometriosis, adenomyosis, M-CAS, EDS, and

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00:11:09

What is Menstrual Leave and Who Has It?

CRAMPED ·

2026/03/03

Can you imagine waking up with death cramps, and instead of dragging yourself to work with your heating pad and a bucket of ibuprofen or using up one of your sick days, you could just...use a PAID menstrual leave day??Menstrual leave is a reality in more places than you might think!! Does it already exist where you live? Is there CURRENTLY a bill in your state senate requiring companies to provide it? What are the arguments AGAINST this policy? Kate gets wonk-level deep into the landscape and the

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00:40:12

The Surgical Adventures of Max and Kate

CRAMPED ·

2026/02/17

Comedian Max Gross is back on CRAMPED for an update on his adventures with endometriosis, hysterectomies, and rebellious ovaries! Max and Kate try to figure out how big their internal organs actually are, what the best "medical green flags" are, and why speaking in "dad talk" to doctors works so well. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Support CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED Find Max

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00:36:53

Are The Young Crampers OK? Period Pain Education in...

CRAMPED ·

2026/02/11

What's it like to get period pain in middle or high school today? It's been 20 YEARS since my own pretty abysmal menstrual health education, and I wondered - has it gotten better? Has the internet helped? Are there more resources and support out there for a young cramper?To answer my questions, I turned to Kat Samedova, who recently graduated from Kingston High School and is the former vice president of the Period Power! Club there. I also talked with the Period Power Club's advisor, Tina the

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00:36:19

Sasheer Zamata Doesn't Want To Ride a Horse on her...

CRAMPED ·

2026/02/03

Sasheer Zamata (SNL, Agatha All Along, Ghosts) hangs out for a little 2 person "clam bake" to tell the story of her period pain and fibroids, how she changed her approach to healthcare, and what it's like to do standup about her period pain to 22 million people. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Support CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED Sasheer on Instagram: @thesheertruth Sasheer's

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00:44:27

Diet, Exercise, and Period Pain: What You Might Be...

CRAMPED ·

2026/01/27

Have you ever sought help for your period pain and been told "just lose some weight", or "exercise more", or "just cut out [insert any food group here]"? We know that diet and exercise is important, and when we're dealing with period pain (or any of the conditions that cause it), we try to "eat healthy" and "move our bodies". But is there something missing from this equation that's sabotaging our efforts? Kate brings on Allison Yamamoto (certified fitness & nutrition coach specializing in

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00:15:26

Is Period Pain All In Our Heads? Subscriber-only...

CRAMPED ·

2026/01/13

Dr. Laura Payne, the best-named clinical & research psychologist studying menstrual pain, joins us to talk about how our brains process the sensations of pain. Are there psychological interventions that can actually relieve chronic pain? Does having severe period pain mean we're doomed to chronic pain forever? What's the difference between a doctor telling you "you're just anxious" and a pain psychology specialist helping you reprocess your pain pathways? Will Dr. Payne ever start a band? LETS

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00:21:59

Are Crampers Better Off in 2025?

CRAMPED ·

2025/12/11

In our last episode of 2025, Kate looks back on 2025 and attempts to answer the question "Are crampers better off in 2025?" We take a tour through SUPER FUN stuff that impacts people with period pain like federal funding decisions, new endometriosis research centers, new pain medications, and medical guidance releases. We get a zoomed-out sense of the state of dysmenorrhea in 2025, and what we have to look forward to next year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California

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00:11:50

Using Period Blood to Diagnose Disease - Subscriber...

CRAMPED ·

2025/11/04

You know how many diseases are diagnosed or monitored by drawing blood from a vein in your arm and running tests on it? Would those tests still work if you ran them on menstrual blood? It's not THAT crazy, right? So why did the first research into this only start TWELVE YEARS AGO?? In this subscriber-only episode, Kate covers the (brief) history of how western medicine has thought of menstrual blood, and introduces you to three organizations currently developing diagnostic tests to be done on

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00:43:27

Recurring UTIs and the Microbiome

CRAMPED ·

2025/10/21

Kate brings on a friend for a Case Study episode all about recurring UTIs and the vaginal microbiome. They take a microbiome test and talk to a health provider to understand how whats living in their "villages" impacts yeast infections, UTIs, BV, fertility, and so much more.CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice. Support CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED You can find Vienna here:

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00:26:14

What Is Patient Advocacy and How Do I Do It? with...

CRAMPED ·

2025/09/30

Everybody's always telling us patient advocacy is the way to solve systemic issues in women's healthcare - ok so what exactly IS patient advocacy? What does it look like? HOW does it get us better care, research and treatments? Kate asks these questions to Noa Fleischacker, executive director of Tight Lipped, a grassroots movement by and for people with chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pain that's actually been able to make change in OB-GYN education programs. CRAMPED episodes are intended for

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00:08:50

How To Talk About Your Period Pain: Subscriber-only...

CRAMPED ·

2025/09/16

Why does it feel so hard to talk about our period pain? Who benefits when we stay quiet? How do we build a world where information about period pain travels as easily as a casual chat?In this how-to episode, Kate gives some tips on what helps her speak up - in one-on-one situations with friends & family & coworkers, and in organizing groups of people with uteruses to share information and support. CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not

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64 results

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