EXPLICIT. Let’s talk about sex, baby! Co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard welcome Dr. Jenn Kennedy, a board-certified sex therapist, for a frank and funny conversation about desire, intimacy, and what changes in midlife. We’ve got you covered at every age with this fabulous episode.

Jenn explains why sex can feel complicated in midlife from the exhaustion of raising kids and building a career to the changes of perimenopause and beyond as our bodies change. She talks about desire discrepancy between partners, what’s actually “normal,” and why widening the definition of sex can take the pressure off. Gillian shares why vaginal estrogen is worth knowing about at any age, and why lubricants alone often aren’t enough.

Then Jenn walks us through how masturbation and self-knowledge can help you understand your own pleasure. We also get practical with tools that can help, tips to start the conversation with your partner, how to bring up concerns with your doctor, and what to look for if you seek out a sex therapist.

References:

Find out more about Jenn Kennedy, PhD and LMFT, on her Instagram @drjennkennedy; on her website at drjennkennedy.com or pleasureproject.us and listen to her podcast here: pleasureproject.us/podcast

To find a local sex therapist search www.psychologytoday.com for licensed providers.

Some of the products Dr. Kennedy mentioned can be found at www.womanizer.com; www.heytabu.com; and www.estherperel.com.

For the prudish among us, Erin also recommends a book she published, Ready For It by Chusita Fashion Fever. (Yes, really.)

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

It’s almost Election Day! This week, co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard are talking about voting, which might sound like a strange topic for a health podcast, but it affects your health care at every level in ways you haven’t even realized. Rejected insurance claims, cancer treatments and what your kid eats for lunch as school are all impacted by elected positions.

We start at the federal level with things both congress and the president have a hand in. We explore how Medicare affects everyone’s insurance; explain what the FDA, CDC, NIH, and Department of Health and Human Services each do; and why research funding matters. We also break down how Medicare differs from Medicaid, which is funded federally but run by the states. Then we go local: why your governor, state legislature, and insurance commissioner matter, why there isn’t one UnitedHealthcare but fifty, and how your county and town affect health departments and hospitals. Erin also shares a fun and slightly alarming fact about coroners versus medical examiners.

The message is simple: your vote matters.

References:

Go Vote! Visit www.vote411.org to learn about your ballot and check your voter registration.

For more on how medical insurance companies and corporate structure, watch the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver segment about UnitedHealthcare, (note, this content is explicit): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1pXm0GjLho

For more on medical examiners and coroners, watch the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver segment about Death Investigations, (note, this content is explicit): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnoMsftQPY8

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

When choosing a treatment option, it helps to know how it was developed. Today co-hosts Dr. Gillian Goddard and Erin Stein walk through the backbone of our healthcare: clinical trials. We walk through how a drug gets from an idea to the pharmacy shelf through preclinical lab and animal studies, pilot studies, and phases one through three, covering safety, dosing, and proof that the drug works. We explain why new drugs are usually tested on top of standard care instead of against nothing, how much it all costs, and how the patent clock adds pressure. We cover what happens after FDA approval, including phase four studies and registries like the ones that tracked women who became pregnant while taking GLP-1s. Before your doctor can prescribe a medication or procedure, it goes through this extensive process. Join us as we go behind the curtain.

If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov or clinical.nih.gov for more information and to search trials.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

Side effects. Adverse reactions. That folded-up piece of paper in your medication box with the tiny type nobody can read. That laundry list of horrible things in every drug commercial. This week, co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard break down what all of it really means.

We start with the definitions: all side effects are adverse reactions, but not all adverse reactions are side effects. We explain how clinical trials sort side effects from coincidences with terms like “common,” “rare,” and “incidence not known.” We break down the actual numbers behind these categories and walk through a real medication’s side effect lists.

There is no medication without side effects, but side effects shouldn’t be your only consideration. We cover how to weigh benefits against the risks of doing nothing, when to stop a medication and call your doctor, and practical pharmacy tips: similar-sounding drug names, brand vs. generic, expiration dates, and why your medicine doesn’t belong in a steamy bathroom or your checked luggage.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

It's pumpkin spice season, which means it's sugar season, so co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard are talking about why we love sweet things so much and what's really going on in the body when we eat them. We start with why humans evolved to crave sugar, then break down what "sugar" means: glucose, fructose, lactose, and the "ose" family. Does it really matter which form you eat for your health? Why do some foods spike blood sugar and send you on a craving roller coaster, while others don't? The answers may surprise you. We also cover high fructose corn syrup and why food companies love it, whether raw sugar, honey, or agave are any better, what artificial sweeteners do in the body, and how alcohol fits in. Uncover the truths behind the endless hype about the sweet stuff.

References:

A couple of great books about the history of “sugar” as a commodity.

Sugar by Elizabeth Abbott.

The World of Sugar: How the Sweet Stuff Transformed Our Politics, Health and Environment over 2,000 Years by Ulbe Bosma.

The World Corrupted: From Slavery to Obesity by James Walvin.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

This week we tell you what the Women's Health Initiative actually studied, why the hormone therapy trial was stopped, and how the headlines shaped menopause care for decades.

The Women's Health Initiative was the study that made a generation of women toss their hormone therapy in the trash. Co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard dig into one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of women's health ever done: more than 160,000 women, multiple clinical trials, an observational study, and millions of stored specimens that researchers are still mining today. We break down what was tested (hormone therapy, low-fat diets, and calcium plus vitamin D), and why it was never about treating menopause symptoms.

We explain why the hormone therapy trial stopped, share the real numbers behind the breast cancer headlines, and talk about what the real data. We also cover the lasting fallout, including a generation of women whose menopause symptoms went untreated, and what all of this says about how we fund and study women's health.

References:

Facts about the Women’s Health Initiative: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/womens-health-initiative-whi

The Baseline Monograph for the Women’s Health Initiative explains study design and procedures, and all the components: https://www.whi.org/doc/WHI-Baseline-Monograph-All-Sections.pdf

For one critique of the study’s design: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028205034229

1. Klaiber, E.L., Vogel, W., Rako, S. A critique of the Women’s Health Initiative hormone therapy study. Fertility and Sterility. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.08.010.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

Co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard tackle one of the wilder phenomena in science: The Placebo Effect. It’s real, but why and how? What’s happening in our brains and bodies when we take a medication (or a fake one)? How does it relate to things like positive thinking or mindfulness? Join us for a discussion of one of the most basic yet fascinating building blocks of medical science.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com

Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts.

Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com.

Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold.

This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.

In this episode of The Savvy Patient, cohosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard welcome their very first guest: Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Stephanie Mueller. With nearly 20 years of experience in the field, Stephanie helps break down autism spectrum disorder (ASD), clearing up common misconceptions and explaining how diagnostic criteria have evolved over time to significantly expand access to vital insurance coverage and care. Stephanie outlines the core diagnostic markers and the push within the field to distinguish profound autism for individuals requiring lifelong care. We tackle persistent myths—reaffirming that vaccines do not cause autism—and offer guidance for parents on seeking care. Plus, we discuss how teens and adults may receive a later diagnosis as life changes affect coping skills. Stephanie introduces the core modalities of support (Occupational, Physical, Speech, and Behavioral Therapies). Then we delve into modern Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA, discussing historical criticisms of ABA, and how it should look for families. Plus, Stephanie gives us real-life examples of how ABA’s core concepts—like positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and functional communication—offer powerful, practical strategies that every parent can use to encourage positive behaviors in everyday family life.

Resources and References: You can find Stephanie Mueller on Instagram @stephanie_mueller_BCBA or reach her at stephaniemuellerbcba@gmail.com. For an overview on the elements of Autism Spectrum Disorder we discussed: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7082249/ 2020. Hodges, H., Fealko C, Soares N. Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation. Translational Pediatrics. DOI:10.21037/tp.2019.09.09. For more on Applied Behavior Analysis, both its effectiveness and a critical look at its history: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11487924/ 2024. The Effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis Program Training on Enhancing Autistic Children's Emotional-Social Skills. By Du G, Guo Y, Xu W, in BMC Psychology. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-02045-5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9114057/ 2022. Concerns About ABA-Based Intervention: An Evaluation and Recommendations. By Leaf JB, Cihon JH, Leaf R, McEachin J, Liu N, Russell N, Unumb L, Shapiro S, Khosrowshahi D., in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05200-8. Rain Man is a 1988 feature film in which a main character represents as an autistic savant and was reportedly based on real-life people the writer had met.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor. Please subscribe savvypatient.substack.com Visit www.thesavvypatient.com/podcast for episode transcripts. Watch full podcast episodes @TheSavvyPatient on Youtube.com. Get your copy of The Hormone Loop by Dr. Gillian Goddard wherever books are sold. This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.