That Time of the Month: Review of the Year

·52 min·5 clips

A husband reveals doctors asked him, not his wife, whether she should keep her cervix during her hysterectomy.

The episode is a year-in-review special of the monthly podcast 'That Time of the Month', hosted by Naga Munchetty with regular guests Dr. Nighat Arif, a GP specialising in women's health, and Dr. Christina Ketchy, a consultant gynaecologist. It begins with Munchetty reflecting on the podcast's origin, sparked by her own adenomyosis diagnosis and a desire to educate about lesser-known conditions. The format involves revisiting key segments and listener contributions from past episodes, intercut with new commentary from the hosts. The first major segment features Chris, the husband of a woman named Jen, who discusses his initial disbelief about her pain and later becoming her advocate; a clip shows him describing how doctors directed hysterectomy questions to him instead of Jen. The episode then covers PMDD through a voice note from listener Rich and an interview with television personality Vicky Patterson, who details severe two-week monthly episodes. Fibroids are explored via campaigner Dawn Heales, who endured six years of dismissal before a private specialist found grapefruit-sized fibroids requiring major surgery. Chronic UTIs are discussed with campaigner Joanne McKinley, who describes sleeping in a bath due to pain, and listener Emma, who nearly died from sepsis after a UTI. Male fertility is addressed with Ian Stones from Test Him, who notes that 30% of infertility cases involve male factors and highlights societal taboos. The condition MRKH is examined through Betty Mukherjee, who revealed her diagnosis on Race Across the World, and an email from a mother whose teenage daughter was recently diagnosed. Throughout, the doctors provide medical explanations, such as differentiating PMDD from PMS and explaining fibroids' prevalence. Recurring themes include diagnostic delays, the importance of tracking symptoms, the role of partners in advocacy, and the impact of shame and stigma. The hosts conclude by teasing topics for the next year, including hysterectomy with Jenny Powell, and reaffirm their commitment to continuing the conversations.

As heard by us

A warm year-end review of pain, stigma, and delayed care around often unspoken gynaecological conditions.

That Time of the Month closes the year by returning to conditions that can mean severe pain, heavy bleeding, and the exhausting work of being taken seriously.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play when you want a year's worth of women's health conversations gathered into one clear, practical hour.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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