You Are Not Broken

Episode 392 – When in Menopause: Advocacy, Policy, and the Power of Speaking UpWho gets to be a menopause advocate? You do. You probably already are.Dr. Casperson sits down with Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, a lawyer, women's leadership leader at NYU Law, and author of When in Menopause: A User's Manual and Citizen's Guide. Jennifer helped drive the fast, bipartisan wins in period policy. Now she's applying those lessons to menopause, and she's honest about why this one is harder.They cover where the policy wins are coming from, what still blocks progress, and why workplace perks miss the point. They also talk about why the real work is bigger than any one issue. If you're a clinician, an advocate, or just someone who wants to make change without a big platform, this one is for you.In this episode:How Jennifer moved from menstruation policy to menopause around 2020. It started with a friend's question about the policy landscape, not with her own symptoms.Advocacy as a choose-your-own-adventure. Legislative language, storytelling, and community-building all count.What period policy taught her about state-level wins and working across the aisle.Why menopause reform is more complicated than it looks. Decades of neglected science and deeply interconnected issues make it hard. She describes the field as organic rather than fractured.Language, stigma, and culture. How do you change policy when people still can't say "vagina" in public or on social media?Why most workplace accommodations fall short. Many are too small, too generic, or built on a weak understanding of menopause. Protections also have to come before anyone asks employees to disclose.The legal gap. The U.S. has no clear anti-discrimination protection for menopause. The ADA, pregnancy protections, and age-discrimination law help in some cases, but they leave holes.What actually moves the needle: access, research funding, clinician education and training, and reimbursement reform. Business leaders should fund these upstream fixes instead of offering superficial perks.Clinicians already have a platform. Patient visits, office materials, and staff handouts all spread accurate information, and small repeated messages add up.Community is the engine. Jennifer's examples include gyms, book clubs, schools, libraries, and PTAs. Midlife women are an underestimated political and social force.Jennifer's IGJennifer's New BookAs always, this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice — talk to your own doctor about your own health.Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it.🎙️ You Are Not Broken is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Take my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adult Sex Ed Master Class:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Interested in my sexual health and hormone clinic? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Clinic is OpenListen to this podcast on Pinnacle to earn CMEThanks to our sponsor: Addyi, the little pink pill. To find out if Addyi is right for you, go to addyi.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for a $10 telemedicine appointment.And great news: with commercial insurance coverage Addyi is as little as $20 a month! Visit Addyi.com/notbroken. Eligible patients only. Restrictions apply. See Full Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning at addyi.com/piThis episode is sponsored by Joi and Blokes.If you’ve been wondering whether hormones could be playing a role in how you feel, Joi and Blokes can help you get answers. Start with comprehensive lab testing, then work with a licensed clinician to understand your results and discuss treatment options that may be right for you.Visit JoiAndBlokes.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for 65% off labs and 20% off treatment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Melissa Mauskar, a vulvar dermatologist at UT Southwestern, for a wide-ranging conversation about vulvar skin conditions, common misdiagnoses, and why so many patients are told to just "wait and see" when they actually need an exam. We dig into GSM, estrogen, OTC yeast treatments, soaps, waxing, and the biggest myths that keep women from getting real care.If you've ever been told itching, burning, or irritation is "normal," this conversation explains why that advice can delay diagnosis for years, and what to do instead.What We CoverWhat vulvar dermatology is, and why the vulva deserves the same care as skin anywhere else on the bodyWhy so many patients see 5 or 6 clinicians before getting the right diagnosis, often because no one ever actually examined the vulvaHow symptoms get mislabeled as yeast when the real culprit is lichen sclerosus, psoriasis, eczema, contact dermatitis, or GSMWhy numbing products like Vagisil (and benzocaine specifically) can become irritants or allergens that make things worseBarrier care for "red angry vulva," including zinc oxide for irritation and moisture-related skin breakdownHow overcleaning, douching, and scented washes disrupt the vulvar microbiome — and the shame baked into that marketingWaxing, microtrauma, and hair as a protective barrierGSM, recurrent UTIs, and why vaginal estrogen is still so underprescribedLate diagnosis of vulvar melanoma, and why genital skin needs to be looked at, not just talked about over telehealthNotable Quotes"My five year old can say vulva.""I really like talking about uncomfortable things and making comfortable people uncomfortable.""Just do what brings you joy."About Dr. Melissa MauskarDr. Melissa Mauskar is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she's the founder and Director of the Vulvar Health Program — a tertiary referral center for gynecologists, dermatologists, and primary care physicians across Texas and the nation. She's a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Diseases (ISSVD), founding president of the Vulvar Dermatoses Research Consortium, and serves on the board of the Women's Dermatologic Society. Learn more at utswmed.org/doctors/melissa-mauskar.As always, this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice — talk to your own doctor about your own health.Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it.🎙️ You Are Not Broken is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Take my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adult Sex Ed Master Class:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Interested in my sexual health and hormone clinic? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waitlist is open⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks to our sponsor: Addyi, the little pink pill. To find out if Addyi is right for you, go to addyi.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for a $10 telemedicine appointment.And great news: with commercial insurance coverage Addyi is as little as $20 a month! Visit Addyi.com/notbroken. Eligible patients only. Restrictions apply. See Full Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning at addyi.com/piThis episode is sponsored by Joi and Blokes.If you’ve been wondering whether hormones could be playing a role in how you feel, Joi and Blokes can help you get answers. Start with comprehensive lab testing, then work with a licensed clinician to understand your results and discuss treatment options that may be right for you.Visit JoiAndBlokes.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for 65% off labs and 20% off treatment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Lexx about how to have honest conversations about sex with kids, why sexual shame still shapes adult relationships, and how to think more clearly about desire, consent, and pleasure. We dig into misinformation around sex education, sex as a form of power, and what healthy support can look like from educators, counselors, and therapists.What We CoverSex-positive parenting and how to talk to kids about bodies and boundariesWhy sexuality education in the U.S. is more restricted than people think — and why "medically accurate" isn't a givenThe real difference between sex educators, sex counselors, and sex therapistsHow midlife, menopause, and shifting desire reshape relationshipsPractical ways to rebuild intimacy and connection when the spark fadesKey FrameworksPersonal parts — Language that reduces shame and emphasizes ownership over the body.Unwanted touch / secret touch — Clearer safety language than "good touch, bad touch."Sexuality as a whole-life concept — Not just intercourse, but identity, embodiment, relationships, and power.Compersion — Feeling happy for a partner's pleasure or joy, even if it isn't personally relevant.Sensate focus — Purposeful nonsexual touch used to rebuild connection and learn what feels good.Consent first — The baseline for everything, including fantasy, touch, and negotiation.About Dr. LexxDr. Lexx (Lexx, The Sex Doc) is a sex therapist, educator, and speaker whose work centers healing, pleasure, and connection — with a particular focus on Black, Brown, and queer communities often left out of traditional therapy spaces. Learn more at lexxsexdoc.com.https://lexxsexdoc.com/Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it.🎙️ You Are Not Broken is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Take my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adult Sex Ed Master Class:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Interested in my sexual health and hormone clinic? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waitlist is open⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks to our sponsor: Addyi, the little pink pill. To find out if Addyi is right for you, go to addyi.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for a $10 telemedicine appointment.And great news: with commercial insurance coverage Addyi is as little as $20 a month! Visit Addyi.com/notbroken. Eligible patients only. Restrictions apply. See Full Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning at addyi.com/piThis episode is sponsored by Joi and Blokes.If you’ve been wondering whether hormones could be playing a role in how you feel, Joi and Blokes can help you get answers. Start with comprehensive lab testing, then work with a licensed clinician to understand your results and discuss treatment options that may be right for you.Visit JoiAndBlokes.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for 65% off labs and 20% off treatment.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.