For far too long, we’ve used the word “hormonal” to undermine women and their reproductive health. But what exactly does “hormonal” mean? Hormonal encapsulates the parts of reproductive health we don’t think about. Our lived experiences and our academic interests contribute to the reproductive health conversation. When we, as young people, talk about reproductive health, the most common topics that are addressed include conversations around sex and abstinence— leaving out hormone-driven reproductive disorders such as PCOS and endometriosis alongside men’s reproductive health, menopause, IVF, and fertility.

All of us come from different backgrounds with different stories to tell about both our hormones and fertility, whether it be the finances of hormone therapy or the technological advancements with period trackers.

In this episode, Zarah interviews Dr. Rene Almeling, professor of Sociology at Yale University, and author of GUYnecology: The Missing Science of Male Reproductive Health pertaining to men's fertility. Why do we not speak about male infertility? What do sociologic aspects are involved when speaking about these stigmas in mainstream media? How can we do better for the future?

In this episode, Melissa and I talk about where the origins of the word "hysterical" comes from, and its modern translation- which is calling women "hormonal". As we travel back through the pages of history with tales from the oldest empires in the world to modern civilization, women's reproductive health has been used against us, but not anymore. As we talk about the representation of menstruation in history, film, and social media, one thing remains certain- we must give power to the period.

There are so many aspects of hormones and reproductive health that we don't necessarily think of when introducing these conversations, for example, the intersections of law, medicine, technology, literature, and environmental health. Health is so much more than what we make it out to be-- especially hormonal health. Join Zarah Khondoker as she talks about her journey with the different angles of endocrinology and their presence in multiple sectors of society, to explain how hormones are everywhere, if we look a little closer.

In The Hormonal Podcast's first episode, Zarah Khondoker and Dr. Randi Hutter Epstein speak about their common interest in hormones and its inception. As Dr. Epstein talks about her book, Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything, one thing is inherently clear: throughout history, hormones have remained under the radar. How can these hormonal narratives help influence our conversations about reproductive health?