About this episode

Ruthie Pines shares her transformative experience studying public health in India, discussing cultural challenges and insights on gender and sexuality.

In this episode of GynoCurious, host Dr. Amy Novatt welcomes Ruthie Pines, a senior public and community health major at Ithaca College, to share her transformative experience studying abroad in India. Ruthie recounts her journey from initially pursuing exercise science to discovering her passion for public health, inspired by a professor’s global work. She describes the challenges and excitement of leaving her comfort zone, navigating health concerns, and immersing herself in a new culture during her three-month stay in India. Ruthie’s time in India was spent exploring public health, gender, and sexuality through both academic coursework and hands-on research. She discusses the structure of India’s healthcare system, her independent project on sex education and women’s sexual health in rural communities, and the complexities of understanding consent and gender roles in a different cultural context. Ruthie reflects on the importance of approaching research with humility, recognizing her own biases, and the value of learning directly from local women and health workers. The conversation delves into broader themes of gender violence, shame, and the power of women’s communities—both…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Amy Novatt

Guest: Ruthie Pines

Topics covered

• public health
• study abroad
• gender
• sexuality
• cultural context
• healthcare system

Keywords

• public health
• study abroad
• India
• gender roles
• sexual health
• consent
• cultural humility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ithaca College

Places: India

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