Growing up and going through puberty, the only thing many of us learned about the menstrual cycle was the period part. But there’s so much more to it. How charting the cycle’s fertile signs can be the basis for an effective method of contraception. And, how it saved a woman’s pregnancy.  ..read more

This week, the FDA will make a decision on whether or not to approve the first ever treatment for achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. But not everyone is celebrating. This controversial treatment is forcing parents of children with achondroplasia to grapple with an age-old question: What’s best for my child ..read more

When Cody went online to search for a prosthetic penis, he couldn’t find anything that met his needs. But when he realized he could create his own prosthetic, he also realized that this was how he could earn a living. Now he has a business that primarily serves other trans people looking for prosthetic genitals.  ..read more

When River was first told that something was wrong with their body, they didn’t think it was that big a deal. But the medical system and their parents disagreed. Outside pressure to make River “normal” would cause them tremendous pain and turmoil — until they discovered there’s more than one right way to be a human.  ..read more

An elementary school in L.A. County was built on a contaminated site and made its community sick — How that community came together to demand change, and a controversial plan to build a new school ..read more

On today’s indie spotlight, we share “Infinities,” by Boen Wang. It’s about mental illness, toxic workplace environments, Egyptian Rat Screw, and the nature of infinity. Find more of Boen’s work at Boen.cool ..read more

Lill lives in Appalachian West Virginia — it’s coal country, and it’s also the overdose capital of the United States. An increasingly dangerous drug supply and a lack of safe supplies like clean syringes leave people who use drugs vulnerable to disease and death. Lill is trying to fill that gap, providing safe supplies and care all over West Virginia — even as the government tries to stop them ..read more

Kelly was in her 20s in the 1980s and she was determined enjoy sex without shame...until she got an STI she’d never heard of. And so she married the first person who accepted her. When stigma is all around, it can take decades to  break free and find pleasure ..read more

Season 3 of Bodies coming September 22, 2021. Read the transcript below: RIVER GALLO: I was taken in by something. Something swooped me. ALLISON BEHRINGER: This season on Bodies, we bring you 6 new episodes. Stories that unearth the mysteries within LILL: It was something that I just buried, uh, because the contradiction was too painful. ALLISON: And stories that investigate the forces outside of us. BERTHA MARTINEZ: When the miscarriages started, you know, happening a lot, it seemed more like a – it didn't seem like a coincidence anymore.  AYDE BRAVOS: This soil has to be contaminated ..read more

Orgasms are supposed to feel good. But for Angie, they’re painful and spontaneous. Anything can trigger the horny feelings: Bumpy bus rides, loud music, even a hug from her mom. What’s causing Angie’s body to go haywire? This episode of Bodies is about the connection between desire and arousal.  ..read more