OvaryActive
by Dr Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, Dr Amy Voedisch
Ep 51 | The Sahara Down There: Vaginal Dryness & Perimenopause
About this podcast
Two gynecologists walk into a recording studio.
Sounds like the start of a joke, and frankly, perimenopause can feel like the start of a joke too. Only this joke is on you. And it's not that funny. But back to those two OB/GYNS….
Dr Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch have been caring for the reproductive health of those born with uteruses for a while now. And the doctors are frankly pretty tired of how those body bits — and the people they belong to — get ignored by medical science when they are no longer ideal baby-makers.
Half of a woman's life comes after her Build a Baby shop shuts down; however, the medical community does little to educate her about or treat her for issues related to her peri- and post-menopausal body.
In this smart, funny, incredibly informed, wonderfully irreverent podcast, Doctors Rebecca and Amy give us the down low on our… down lows. What is perimenopause? What can I expect? How can I feel better? And for crying out loud, WHEN IS IT OVER?
Tune in on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month to get the real information without the hype, the sales, the myths, superstitions, and nonsense. Are your ovaries starting to overreact? Grab a partner, a buddy, a random woman who looks on the verge of tears, and listen up. You're not in this alone.
And as the docs say, "You're not crazy. This is actually happening."
Episodes
The newest 50 of 53 episodes
- Ep 51 | The Sahara Down There: Vaginal Dryness & Perimenopause · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 51Vaginal dryness, itching, burning, and painful sex? Ah, the many gifts of perimenopause that nobody asked for. As estrogen levels decline, the vulva and vagina can undergo some…
- Ep 50 | Menopause, Misinformation & Other Bullshit with Amanda Thebe · 53 min · Season 1 Episode 30Join us for one of our LIVE events: https://bit.ly/3UeeHEL Perimenopause is hard enough without being told you need expensive supplements, miracle hormones, and a new workout…
- Ep 49 | ADHD & Perimenopause: WHY is My Brain DOING This? · 26 min · Season 1 Episode 49Is it ADHD, perimenopause, or has your brain simply decided it has reached maximum capacity? In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs are talking about the very real overlap…
- Ep 48 | Progesterone in Perimenopause: Sleep Savior, Uterus Protector, Internet Celebrity · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 48We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive Progesterone: soothing hormone…
- Ep 47 | Is Estrogen Safe After a Blood Clot? The Answer Is Annoyingly Complicated · 32 min · Season 1 Episode 47We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive Blood clots and hormone therapy…
- Ep 46 | Sex After 40: More Pleasure, Fewer Rules with Julie Weitlauf · 55 min · Season 1 Episode 46We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive Perimenopause can change your…
- Ep 45 | Swallow This, Part 3: Hope Is Not a Clinical Trial · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 42We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive Perimenopause has officially…
- Ep 44 | Swallow This, Part 2: Creatine and Peptides · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 44We have an announcement! OvaryActive has a Patreon! Help support the show — become a patron for as little as $5/month! patreon.com/cw/OvaryActive Perimenopause is apparently the…
- Ep 43 | A Terrible Strength: Dr. Kemi Doll on Black Women, Perimenopause, and the Womb Care We're Still Getting Wrong · 1 h 6 min · Season 1 Episode 43Perimenopause is already a strange little carnival of bleeding patterns, hot flashes, hormone debates, and wondering whether your body has joined a group chat without you. Dr…
- BONUS: Estrogen, Interrupted UNBOXED · 16 min · Season 1In this special bonus episode of OvaryActive, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch celebrate the arrival of their new book, Estrogen, Interrupted and share an excerpt…
- Ep 42 | Hormones, Heart Health, and Hot Flash Hype: What Menopause Hormone Therapy Can Actually Do · 24 min · Season 1 Episode 42Perimenopause is already handing out enough surprises without the internet yelling that menopausal hormone therapy is either a miracle cardiology cape or a one-way ticket to…
- Ep 41 | Brain Docs, Part 2: Brain Fog, Dementia Fears, & Perimenopause · 38 min · Season 1 Episode 41Perimenopause is apparently the perfect time to start worrying about dementia, cholesterol, hearing aids, and whether your brain is quietly packing its bags. This episode of…
- Ep 40 | Brain Docs, Part 1: Migraines, Hormones, & Perimenopause · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 40Perimenopause can make your brain feel like it left the room — not that it remembers why it went there in the first place. In this first part of a two-part series with the Brain…
- Ep 39 | Weird Symptoms of Perimenopause · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 39Perimenopause: where your body starts doing weird things and then gaslights you about it. In this episode of OvaryActive, Dr. Amy Voedisch and Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su dive into…
- Ep 38 | When Hormones Are Not the Only Answer · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 38Perimenopause: the phase where your body does whatever it wants, whenever it wants, and your brain has thoughts about it. So what happens when hot flashes hit, anxiety creeps in…
- Ep 37 | When Its NOT Peri: Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) with Chrisandra Shufelt, MD · 38 min · Season 1 Episode 37Perimenopause is still taking the blame… but in this unexpected third installment (because Amy just got too excited), we're talking about functional hypothalamic amenorrhea…
- Ep 36 | When It's NOT Peri: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 36Perimenopause gets blamed for a lot of things – mood swings, weird cycles, rogue chin hairs – but sometimes the culprit isn't peri at all. In Part 2 of When It's NOT Peri, the…
- Ep 35 | When It's NOT Peri: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) · 41 min · Episode 35Perimenopause gets blamed for a lot… but sometimes it's innocent. In this first episode of our two-part series When It's NOT Peri, the Docs talk about what happens when symptoms…
- Ep 34 | Heart Disease and Perimenopause: The Risk Factors We're Missing · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 34When we talk about perimenopause, we talk a lot about symptoms, but not nearly enough about what's happening to your heart. Since February is Heart Health Month, it's the perfect…
- Ep 33 | Do I Need Birth Control or Hormone Therapy? · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 33Birth control or hormone therapy? Why does this decision feel like a personality test you didn't study for? In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs tackle one of the most…
- Ep 32 | Perimenopause + Migraines: Your Brain on Hormones · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 32Hot flashes, mood swings, surprise chin hairs… and now migraines? Welcome to perimenopause, where your hormones throw a rave in your brain and forget to invite you. In this…
- Ep 31 | This is the HOT FLASH Episode · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 31Hot flashes: the unofficial mascot of perimenopause and the original reason so many midlife women carry a personal fan or freezer pack, or insist on that open window in January…
- Ep 30 | Topical Viagra & Hot Flash Chaos: The Menopause Conference Recap You Didn't Ask For · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 30Perimenopause: the magical season where sleep disappears, hormones riot, and suddenly everyone thinks you're "doing great" when actually you're googling whether rage counts as…
- Ep 29 | Merry Perimenopause 2025 Edition · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 29Welcome back to the annual holiday classic Merry Perimenopause. While there's not much "jolly" about perimenopause, these gifts can add a little more joyeux to your noël! Dr…
- Ep 28 | Stronger Not Thinner: Strength Training in Perimenopause · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 28Perimenopause: that magical stage where your body suddenly decides it's the boss, your pants shrink overnight, and your motivation to exercise hides under the bed. On the episode…
- Ep 27 | Testosterone, Perimenopause, and the Fountain of Nope · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 27You've seen it all over social media, testosterone is apparently the miracle cure for every perimenopausal woe. Low libido? Tired? Losing muscle tone? Influencers say "Just add…
- Ep 26 | Swallow This: The Truth About Supplements and Perimenopause · 36 min · Season 1 Episode 26Feeling overwhelmed by the supplement aisle? Are there pills that might actually help during perimenopause or are you just buying expensive urine? This episode of OvaryActive…
- Ep 25 | Use a Mirror to See What's Up…Down There · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 25Perimenopause: your hormones have packed up and left, your skin starts new hobbies, and your vulva occasionally throws a tantrum. In this episode of OvaryActive, we're talking…
- Ep 24 | When Bleeding Isn't *Just* Perimenopause: The Need-to-Know about Gynecological Cancers · 35 min · Season 1 Episode 24Perimenopause is already a rollercoaster—hot flashes, brain fog, and now…SURPRISE! cancer screenings. In this episode of OvaryActive, Amy and Rebecca sit down with Gynecologic…
- Ep 23 | Sneezed and Peed? Let's Talk Pelvic Floor Therapy · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 23Perimenopause: when sneezing, laughing, or even thinking too hard about a trampoline suddenly becomes a bladder hazard. And guess what!? Kegels aren't the cure-all we were…
- Ep 22 | Best Books for Perimenopause & Midlife Women: Hot Flashes & Page Turners · 48 min · Season 1 Episode 22If perimenopause has turned your brain to mush and your patience to vapor, fear not—we've got your next reading list and your next excuse to hide in a closet with a book. In this…
- Ep 21 | Hormones Hocus Pocus: Lab Testing in Perimenopause · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 21Welcome to the wild west of perimenopause, where hot flashes meet hashtags and popular influencers suddenly have a lab test recommendation—thanks, TikTok. Hormone lab testing is…
- Ep 20 | Does HRT Cause Breast Cancer? · 41 min · Season 1 Episode 20In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs dive headfirst into the hot (flash) topic of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for breast cancer survivors. It's complicated, it's…
- Ep 19 | Battle of the Belly Bulge: Weight Loss Meds & Perimenopause · 39 min · Season 1 Episode 19Welcome to the magical mystery tour that is perimenopause, where your hormones throw a rave and forget to invite your metabolism. In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs tackle…
- Ep 18 | Birth Control During Perimenopause (yes, you might need it!) · 53 min · Season 1 Episode 18Ahhhh…perimenopause: the delightful phase of life where your hormones throw a rager and forget to invite you. If you thought contraception was a concern of your younger years…
- Ep 17 | Perimenopause, Pain, and Misinformation with Dr. Jen Gunter · 53 min · Season 1 Episode 17Perimenopause: it's not just hot flashes and rage-cleaning your kitchen at 2 a.m. (although that's part of it). In this episode of OvaryActive, the Docs get into the chaos and…
- Ep 16 | Ask Us Anything: Perimenopause Edition · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 16Perimenopause: it's like puberty's older, meaner cousin who shows up uninvited and messes with your thermostat. We asked for your all-things-perimenopause questions on Instagram…
- Ep 15 | Perimenopause & Your Skincare Routine · 47 min · Season 1 Episode 15Let's face it—perimenopause isn't exactly known for its sparkling perks (unless you consider surprise hot flashes a "perk"). But what it does bring is a whole new relationship…
- Ep 14 | Your Brain on Peri: Sleep · 45 min · Season 1 Episode 14Strap in and grab your magnesium and chamomile tea—this week we're battling Perimenopause's sworn nemesis: a good night's sleep. Joining the Docs for the third part in the Your…
- Ep 13 | Your Brain on Peri: Cognition · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 13Ever walked into a room and immediately forgotten why you're there? Or found yourself staring at a to-do list like it's written in an ancient language? You're not alone. In this…
- Ep 12 | Your Brain on Peri: Mood · 37 min · Season 1 Episode 12Perimenopause: the magical time of life when your emotions decide to go on an unpredictable rollercoaster ride, leaving you laughing, crying, and irrationally furious—all within…
- Ep 11 | Weight Management During Perimenopause · 56 min · Season 1 Episode 11Ah, perimenopause, that magical time when your body decides to play metabolic musical chairs without telling you the rules. Suddenly your favorite jeans feel like they belong to…
- Ep 10 | Menopause, Mood Swings, & Mojo––Keeping the Spark Alive · 59 min · Season 1 Episode 10Perimenopause: the time in a woman's life when her hormones decide to play an elaborate game of musical chairs, and her body is just along for the ride. As if hot flashes and…
- Ep 9 | Hormone Replacement Therapy Series: Women's Health Initiative · 47 min · Season 1 Episode 9What do brain fog, bone health, and breast cancer all have in common? They're all part of the rollercoaster ride that is menopause. Ever wondered how hormone therapy became such…
- Ep 8 | Hormone Replacement Therapy Series: Estrogen · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 8What do a 1940s scientific breakthrough, a 2000s public health scandal, and your perimenopause symptoms have in common? Answer: Estrogen. In this episode, the Docs kick off a…
- Ep 7 | Hot Flashes Heard Around the World · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 7How does perimenopause show up in your life compared to others'? Why do experiences vary so widely across cultures? What factors contribute to how people experience…
- Ep 6 | The (Whole) Truth on IUDs During Perimenopause · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 6Have you seen the headlines about an increased risk of breast cancer associated with levonorgestrel IUDs? You might know these IUDs as Mirena, Kyleena, Skyla, or Liletta. Before…
- Ep 5 | Merry Perimenopause · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 5What do you give to the woman who has everything? She has it all–– including hot flashes, sleepless nights, blotchy skin, unexplained weight gain, and even a decreased (or…
- Ep 4 | Meeting of the Menopause Society · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 4Dr. Amy Voedisch and Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su attended the Menopause Society's annual conference in September 2024. It wasn't just a chance for them to hang out with each other in…
- Ep 3 | The Estrogen Equation: Aging Insights · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 3Changes to your skin––add it to the list of things women face during perimenopause. It's completely understandable that you'll want to change up your skincare routine. However…







