Millions of women take SSRIs for anxiety and depression and many times no one tells about the sexual side effects, let alone that there's a solution. When it happened to a sex therapist and an OB-GYN themselves, they refused to accept "just add Wellbutrin" as the only answer. Dr. Laurie Mintz and Dr. Suzette Johnson join Dr. Rahman to share the deeply personal stories behind their new venture and why no woman should have to choose between her mental health and her sexual health.

What started as a friendship between "sisters from another mother" became a mission after both women personally experienced SSRI-induced orgasm dysfunction and discovered how well a compounded topical cream made with sildenafil and L-arginine worked for them. Now, in partnership with Mojo, they've launched something no one else is offering: the cream plus a short course covering the biological and psychological sides of orgasm dysfunction mindfulness, vibrators, erotica, and the science of why your body responds the way it does.

The conversation also dives deep into the orgasm gap: why women orgasm 22–33% less often than men in heterosexual encounters, what the research on bisexual women reveals about whose "fault" that really is (hint: it's not women's bodies), and the brand-new concept of the orgasm pursuit gap why women need to start actively pursuing their own pleasure without pressure.

This is midlife reinvention, medical advocacy, and orgasm equality all in one conversation.

Highlights:

• SSRIs are essential medication for many women but sexual side effects like muted or absent orgasm are real, common, and rarely disclosed at the time of prescribing.
• Most prescribers' only answer is "add Wellbutrin"—few know that a compounded topical cream (sildenafil + L-arginine) can restore blood flow, sensation, and orgasm for many women.
• New research identifies an orgasm pursuit gap heterosexual women largely don't pursue their own orgasm or expect their partners to.
• Pursuit is not pressure: women can actively seek the clitoral stimulation they need without turning orgasm into a performance demand.
• Sexuality does not expirewomen can and should stay sexually active at every age if they want to be.

Remember: I'm here to educate so you can advocate for yourself. This podcast is for education, not medical advice please see your own doctor or clinician for your individual care.

Please make sure to share this episode with women who would find it helpful. Most of this information is still new to many women and the more it gets shared the more women we are helping!

Get in Touch with Dr. Mintz & Dr. Johnson::

Dr. Mintz- Website

Dr. Johnson:

Mojo

Get in Touch with Dr. Rahman:

Website

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One of the things that hasn't gotten a lot of attention in the menopause space is the gut. It's one of those symptoms that you may have not even thought was related to this stage in life. You may find that you have diarrhea, constipation, and less tolerance with certain foods. Or like my guest Cynthia Thurlow, one bout of food poisoning can turn your gut upside down and have lasting effects for years.

Cynthia is a nurse practitioner and metabolic health expert who explains why the gut matters in midlife and also gives us education on what is actually going on. How estrogen and progesterone directly impact your gut bacteria, motility, and inflammation. And while there are many modalities to treating it, some with good intentions moving from pharmaceutical drugs to vitamins isn't really giving the relief that many women are looking for.

We get into the gut-brain connection, why fiber might be causing bloating, and how to start with the basics to getting your gut health on a good path.

Highlights

• The gut microbiome contains 40 trillion bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. There are actually more cells in your microbiome than in your entire body.
• Most of the communication on the gut-brain axis goes from gut to brain, not the other way around. What happens in your gut directly affects your brain and mood.
• Ninety-five percent of patients don't eat enough protein. That's problem number one before worrying about fiber or any other intervention.
• Sitting down to eat and taking four to five deep breaths before meals shifts you out of sympathetic and into parasympathetic mode. This alone can improve digestion.
• There's a direct connection between gut microbiome health and vaginal microbiome health. They're not separate systems.
• Screening for adverse childhood events and trauma changes how you approach treatment because it rewires the autonomic nervous system and affects gut health.

If you're experiencing digestive changes during perimenopause or menopause, this episode is for you. Understanding your gut is the first step to feeling better. If you found this helpful, please subscribe so you don't miss future conversations about what real midlife health looks like.

Note: We experienced some audio technical difficulties during this recording. We've worked to enhance the sound quality as much as possible. Thank you for your patience and for listening.

Get in tough with Cynthia:

Website

Book

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter/X

Youtube

Podcast

Substack

Get in Touch with Me:

Website

Instagram

Youtube

Substack