Episode: 14 - Navigating Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health

Welcome back to Not Safe for Brunch! In this episode, hosts Coralie, Amber, and Vicky dive deep into the crucial topic of women's sexual health and reproductive disorders. From endometriosis and PCOS to painful sex and hormonal imbalances, they explore the physical, emotional, and relational impacts these conditions can have. The conversation touches on personal experiences, the importance of self-advocacy, navigating relationships, finding support, and ways to manage both pain and intimacy issues. The hosts emphasize the need for open, honest discussions and a supportive community to address these often misunderstood and dismissed issues. Join the discussion that aims to shed light on the real struggles many women face, opening up a much-needed dialogue about women's reproductive health. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay updated on our latest unfiltered chats.

Transcript

Vicki: [00:00:00] Welcome back to Not Safe for Brunch. In this episode we're diving deep into women's sexual health and reproductive disorders, how they affect intimacy, fertility, and mental wellbeing. From endometriosis and PCOS to painful sex and hormonal imbalances, we're breaking down the physical, emotional, and relational toll that these conditions can take.

So grab your mimosas. And let's get real about what so many women are dealing with behind closed doors and hopefully open up the brunch table to supportive conversation. We are here simply as women living experiences and sharing with you.

Thank you for watching.

Coralie: Welcome to not safe for brunch in this podcast. We're here to bring sex insight and real world education to the table. Unapologetically think about it as having those important unfiltered brunch conversations with your closest friends about sex, relationships and everything [00:01:00] in between with over 55 years of experience combined in the intimacy industry, helping individuals and couples focus on breaking down barriers.

Reducing shame and empowering people to embrace their desires and relationships with confidence. Hi, I'm Coralie. I live in the Vancouver area. I'm a married mom of two, half empty nesting, one in, one out. And my secret power is I love a good rabbit hole. I love digging deep and finding the truth or the root cause of a situation.

Amber: And I'm Amber. I live in Ontario. I'm married. I'm a mom and a G ma. And an unapologetic quality of mine is I weed through the fluff and I get to the point. 

Vicki: I love it. I am Vicky. I'm in Manitoba. I'm divorced and I'm reentering the relationship space. I am a mom to two grown ups and my magic is making meaningful connections and relationshipping, which of course creates trust. 

Coralie: Women's reproductive health is often [00:02:00] dismissed, misunderstood, or shrouded in shame. So by opening up these conversations, we want to shed some light on some real struggles, offer support, share personal experience advice, just like hanging around the pool with your besties, you know, sharing is caring kind of advice.

And we're probably going to laugh, maybe a little humor.

We will, because funny. If we don't find the humor, we have a problem, right?

Yeah,

Vicki: especially if you're someone who has, um, been inflicted or suffering or even know someone who's suffering. If, if you can't find the light moments, it's, it's literally going to take you deep into the darkness. So I'm really glad that we're having this conversation today, you guys. 

Coralie: I haven't personally been affected by any of the disorders that we're talking about today. I feel really lucky and fortunate for that. And what's, I mean, it's not funny, funny, but just an example. I know someone with one of the disorders that we're going to talk about today.

In my close circle, not even just I know a lot of people so I know [00:03:00] someone, but in my close circle, I know someone who's been affected by every single one of these and then of course, you know, hundreds and hundreds of clients over the years. 

Amber: Yeah, for me, it's, definitely fibroids, been dealing with that for a long time. And we're going to talk about what fibroids are, but a lot of times it causes like heavy bleeding. And I had gone to my doctor at one point and I had just switched doctors and she looks at me and she says, are you tired?

I said, oh yeah, I'm like tired all the time and this is just my normal life, right? And I didn't realize how heavy I was bleeding for so long. It just started progressing and progressing so it was almost like it was just normal to me. And I said, yeah, I'm really tired. She goes, well, I would say you were lying if you told me no because you're iron.

Is so low and I was like, oh, okay, so then we got that figured out and, I was actually able to take birth control to kind of combat that. And then I wasn't able to take [00:04:00] birth control anymore. So now I'm dealing with it all over again, and I'm getting an iron infusion just recently. And so it has been a roller coaster of a ride.

And oh, my gosh, I do not wish this on anybody.

Vicki: Well, and it's opportune that we're talking about this today, right? That all of this has been happening in your life. And, you've had some real experience to draw from, to interject into the conversation. But like Coralie said, I think it's equally as important to know and have some understanding because most of us will have someone in our lives that is going to have been afflicted.

And it's tough stuff guys. I am here as your poster girl for endometriosis. when I was in my twenties, I was diagnosed with stage four plus is what my gynecologist told me. And she opened me up. close me up and said, I couldn't do anything. I'm referring you to a specialist.

That was where my journey began and it began because I was trying to get pregnant. But one of the things that I really want to make sure that we're talking about is how when I was younger and how I think a [00:05:00] lot of women compare themselves to women in their lives that are older or, compare their periods or, assuming that my experience was normal because I watched somebody very close to me in my life, have some of the most excruciating pain, sick days every month.

 Infertility and emotional breakdowns. And, and I looked at her and thought, Oh, okay. That's how I feel. must be normal. Yeah. And I think that's a dangerous place to live when we are comparing, right? and I think that for me, if I can bring anything forward, it's To take your symptoms seriously and advocate, advocate, advocate. See your doctors. If your doctor isn't listening, see another doctor. and I don't care how many times you have to do that. I know that that's not necessarily easy in Canada to just flip a doctor. but you need to be Extra vigilant about your health care when it comes to your women's sexual health and reproductive health And we're lucky because we've got a lot more information and a lot more people who [00:06:00] are recognizing us now But it's been a struggle and now post menopausal.

It's a wild ride. I was just on this podcast yesterday listening Actually to a webinar and I was just shocked at how many people were there including post menopausal women who are asking What does this mean for me now? So I'm really glad that these things are happening.

Coralie: you know, you brought up a really good point. When you talked about, relating what you were going through to what someone you were close to was going through with heavy periods because I think we do that a lot, oh, we just get this in my family. It's just how we are in my family. We get heavy periods or we get this or we get that.

And maybe you don't have to get that. You know what I mean? Maybe there's a reason. And maybe it's even genetic. I don't know if any of these are genetic, but it would make sense.

Vicki: Yeah, it certainly would and of course We're not just talking about endometriosis. There are of course some other reproductive and women's sexual health disorders that are out there polycystic [00:07:00] ovarian syndrome. it's a hormonal disorder that can cause irregular periods, excessive hair growth, acne, weight gain, ovarian cysts. and it's all linked to insulin resistance. If you can believe that and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease and same with endometriosis, you have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. So it's incredible how a lot of these things are kind of hinging together and starting to make sense as you learn more about them. Endometriosis specifically, it's a very painful condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus causing severe pain, heavy periods, potential fertility issues. it can also lead to adhesions and chronic pelvic pain. that's me. That was my whole life from the time I was 12 when the pain started.

 And the digestive issues and then that continued to sort of morph into, um, pain. Achy joints like the things that you wouldn't necessarily would think would correlate, down [00:08:00] to having my period 30 days out of 31, you know, that's tough stuff. and it's not just hard on you emotionally as the person who is affected by it, but the people around you.

 If a women's reproductive health disorder is not a marriage killer, I don't know what is. You know what 

Coralie: Yeah, that, that's a lot for a woman and a couple.

Vicki: yeah,

Amber: Well, and a lot of times we don't even realize that we're going through it like, because even for me with the fibroids, I was like, I had no idea that it was even a problem until it was addressed with my blood work, because I was just so used to being tired and I was so used to having heavy bleeding because it just slowly progressed and progressed, I guess, as a fibroid kind of grew and I had no idea.

Until she told me and I was like, Oh my God, I am just lucky to have a really good doctor. but I would imagine eventually, cause now it's really bad. I probably would have figured it out by now.

Vicki: maybe,

Amber: Maybe.

Vicki: you might have been passed off and dismissed and continually,

Amber: Well, it [00:09:00] happens to often. Mm hmm. Yeah, and it just happens way too often in our health care system So yeah, that sucks. But yeah, uterine fibroids are non cancerous growths in the uterus that could cause heavy bleeding pelvic pain and Complications during pregnancy fibroids vary in size and can sometimes require surgery.

So 

Vicki: Adenomyosis. And I know some people say that differently and, but that is where the uterine lining grows into the uterine wall.

So right inside the walls. and it's. very, very uncomfortable. I actually also have been blessed with that. And, there can be pelvic inflammatory disease, primary ovarian, insufficiency. there's just so many things that can contribute to our reproductive health challenges. And it's just, There's, like Amber said, delayed and, some gaslighting in the medical community.

Oh, it's not that bad. All women have hard periods. It's stuff like that. And again, this isn't everyone in the medical system. We are [00:10:00] definitely seeing our physicians, our specialists, people who are, specifically training in gynecology and obstetrics there's a big portion of this that's coming into their education and it's becoming less. Often that we are dismissed, which is I'm thankful for my endo sisters and those struggling.

Coralie: I think also, too, with, being dismissed so much in our lives that it's almost like you just, even though the medical system is getting better, it's just sort of this feeling like, oh, Why bother? It's nothing, it's minor, it's blah, blah, blah. So, especially if you are, of our generation or older and you're used to just sloughing it off.

Well, even any age, but I feel like with all things, they're getting better as the generations come up, right? But, we're just used to sloughing it off because we're used to not being taken seriously or overdramatic or whatever they're gonna say. So, it's really important to advocate as we've all learned so well.

Vicki: You're right. I think that that is really the biggest takeaway is Find the answers that you're looking [00:11:00] for. Trust your own body. Trust what you feel, and move with that because I think that's really going to serve us well, in our environment.

 So let's kind of break this down. Let's talk a little bit about how some of these conditions can affect our sexual health and our intimacy. Reproductive disorders in general, they, can obviously impact, our sexual health and our relationship in a ton of different ways. As I said, it's the divorce maker for sure. no one expects, someone to necessarily completely understand. I think that there are so many waves that come along with a concern like this, and not everyone is gonna get divorced, or I shouldn't say that, just because I'm doing it. Just because I'm making it popular. I'm just kidding. there can be a lot of pain during intercourse. So with conditions like endometriosis and fibroids, cysts, they can cause very deep pelvic pain, which of course is going to make sex uncomfortable, or even unbearable.

And it's one of the reasons why when I started in the sexual [00:12:00] health and wellness business that I was such an advocate for teaching women, positioning, figuring out what works, items to help, lubricants, etc. All of those things that support our sexual health was so important to me because of this. So, something else that we can experience, of course, is hormonal imbalances. PCOS and other hormonal disorders can cause low libido, vaginal dryness, difficulty achieving orgasm. also don't want to negate medications. will also create all kinds of hormonal imbalances as well as mental and physical anguish.

 some of these conditions can warrant some medications that may not make you feel great. And if they don't, please address that with your doctor.

Coralie: Other things that can be affected too are, you might have some body image issues that pop up. You can have weight gain, scarring from surgeries, bloating, excessive hair growth. , I think we all get that. So you can imagine that [00:13:00] on top of a condition that might be adding to it.

All those things can impact your self confidence and how comfortable you are with intimacy. So it's important to keep that in your mind. And I think also too good to continue with, reminders and all that stuff that we are not our appearance.

Amber: Absolutely. There are also emotional barriers too, like anxiety about pain, that's a real thing. If you're going into, intimacy with your partner and you're just thinking, Oh my gosh, I hope it doesn't hurt this time.

I hope it doesn't hurt this time. Like you're. Um, I'm going to often just have those barriers of not really wanting to, or you might have shame or frustration. So this is a real thing, and I think that you kind of got to give yourself a little bit of grace.

Vicki: Yeah, and I think that's too amber where a partner who's understanding really comes into play here Because there's nothing worse than you know, well, I know that it hurts there. But how about know what I mean? Like

Amber: Right. Let's just do it in the bum instead.

Coralie: Yeah.[00:14:00] 

Vicki: Okay. Yeah. Well, what about back there?

Coralie: Yeah, it's not in your mouth.

Vicki: colon. 

Amber: Right? 

Vicki: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we just don't recognize and sometimes we're saying things in jest and again We talk about how we do have to come into this life with some humor and some humor around some of the things that are happening to us. Otherwise, we will absolutely, compound the mental anguish, right?

So, if you can find humor and just find a way around it, it would be great. But yeah, no, I do believe that, that doesn't necessarily come from a negative place when you have a partner who's saying that but There just can't be an understanding one of my favorite things that I see on social media and I was witness to it at Calgary stampede was when somebody put on that Tens machine on a man's stomach then made them sit there and then just dialed that baby up.

I was like, and they were very reactive on two and they say that, endometrial pain [00:15:00] sits at about an eight to a 10. So I was like, oh, that gave me perspective. And the lack of understanding that, that they have for good reason. How could they know?

Amber: So I think it's important that we maybe share some ways that we can navigate relationships when pain and discomfort, impact desire because it's a real thing. and maintaining intimacy while dealing with reproductive disorders requires open communication, understanding, and Adaptability.

Coralie: You know, we talk about it a lot on this podcast communication. So open, honest communication, being upfront about the pain that you're in, limitations that you might have, set some expectations, and that's going to help your partner understand. You're going to come to a mutual understanding and it's okay if that changes too, as you go through it, as things change for you.

Vicki: I agree. And having the conversation will also help you get to a place where you can explore some alternative forms of intimacy, non penetrative sexual activities, [00:16:00] cuddling, massages, emotional bonding, stuff like that, that can help to maintain that connection. Again, that comes with that communication

Amber: Yeah, and just educating your partner too, right? Giving them that education. Maybe bring them somewhere where they can put that thing on. And see how the mood changes. I mean, I want to try it. I want to see where my level is at. I don't know. How long have I been dealing with period pain? Has it been that bad?

I don't know. It's just been my whole life, right? But just educating them. and creating that support system from them because I'm sure they want to understand too, right? 

Coralie: Yeah, I think when we understand things better, we're naturally more empathetic towards it, right, when it's a mystery and, because it doesn't happen to us, or it's not happening to us, it's a lot harder to get in that space for some people, so. Education is always, always powerful.

Vicki: for sure. And, seeking help, right? Being brave enough to say this isn't right. Okay. I need some support. we do have sex therapists or couples counselors who can help [00:17:00] you navigate some of these intimacy challenges. You will want to vet them. You'll want to find one that makes sense for you, that understands a women's sexual health disorder. And someone who can , help you appropriately navigate through some of those challenges. Also prioritizing your self care Managing your stress getting enough rest can make a difference Engaging in pain management strategies can also help to improve your sexual health and well being You may find a cocktail, not a beverage, but a cocktail that works for you.

There's medications that can help to reduce some of the, the discomfort, the pain, or the activities that are happening inside your body that are creating the discomfort and the pain.

Coralie: Yeah. have any of these disorders and they are creating fertility struggles, well, that's another emotional rollercoaster that you're going to have to go on. And it's a little unfair. Well, a lot unfair because you have all that going on and then they're causing infertility. [00:18:00] It's just a taxing journey. So there's a lot of grief that comes along with it. Struggles with conception can lead to so many feelings, loss, frustration, inadequacy. And it's out of our control.

Amber: That's the hard part.

Vicki: That is the hard part. It really is the hard part. And also sometimes we are surrounded by well meaning people in our lives that say things like, Oh, you're going to get pregnant? Are you guys having a baby? Are you going to blah blah? Right? I think it's a little lost on people how that affects a couple as a whole. Right? I think that sometimes it becomes an our problem as opposed to an us problem. And that feels like we're taking complete ownership of that.

And realistically, it's not something that anybody has any control over. We're doing the best that we can here. So

Amber: Yeah, having that family pressure, man. I know when I was, trying to get pregnant, we were going to different fertility clinics and different things and, my family, although they were very they were trying [00:19:00] to be kind.

Vicki: yes.

Amber: the things that they would say, just like, did it happen yet? Or, oh, are you just not having enough sex?

Like, like what?

Vicki: Yeah.

Amber: No. So then I'm feeling like so discouraged, but also shameful. Like, oh, well I must suck and I'm not doing it enough and I'm not this and I'm not that. Yeah.

Vicki: Responsible. You're feeling so responsible for this thing that's supposed to be natural and

Amber: Right? Mm-hmm . And then you see everybody else having a baby. It's, it's a, it's a whole other struggle, a whole other level.

Vicki: Yeah.

Coralie: I think you should put it in, well not you, because I know this is a different phase of your life, but if someone, if that happens to someone, I think you should put in the family group chat every time you do it.

Amber: just have an emoji.

Coralie: Yeah, totally. Eggplant! Eggplant!

Vicki: And again, that could be an effort of futility because nothing is going to happen when you're in this situation and you're right, people. S suggest you do it more, or you know you're tracking, we're already [00:20:00] doing all of these things, trying to make sure that our bodies are in the right position to get pregnant.

And then again, it's just so natural for some people. So there's also a lot of grief and struggle that happens around watching other people conceive so easily, and then feeling just so heavy about it. It's really, really hard. It's almost like every month you would get your period again and you would be like, it's almost like

Amber: Mm-hmm

Vicki: every 28 days. Right, it's a tough, it's a tough piece. So there are some medical treatments that you can certainly reach out for. in my city, we have a wonderful fertility clinic. I was very grateful for my doctor whom, when I was diagnosed with endometriosis, he ended up, and, and referred to him, before I even met with him personally, he 19, 99. I went to this hospital and I sat in a boardroom and he did this talk about it. And one of the things I asked him was, do we fix this? Are we going to be able to see a cure? And he [00:21:00] looked at me and he said, my honest answer to you is, I don't know. And that might have been the most loving, respectful thing a doctor has ever said to me. I don't know. There was no false promises. There was no, we're going to try this and this is going to work. There was literally, I don't know. know. And he really, for me, was the best doctor that I could have had in this scenario. Because when I went to him, he continued to tell me, I don't know, but we can try this, but I don't know.

And he listened to me. And when he put me on medication that made me out of my mind, listened to me and that's the person you need in your life if you're going to get through this.

Coralie: It's nice to have a doctor who just admits they don't know everything.

Amber: Mm-hmm

Coralie: That's how you know someone is a really good whatever profession they're at, because No one knows everything. You can't act like you do.

Vicki: no. And you know, as someone who's sick, unwell, you want answer.

Amber: Yeah.

Vicki: want, you're [00:22:00] looking for, am I going to feel this pain for the rest of my life? I don't know. Am I going to get pregnant? I don't know. Am I ever going to feel mentally well or am I always going to feel like I'm going out of my mind?

I don't know. I don't know. there was some relief in that, right, to go, okay. We're learning together. This is what we're doing with it. We are living a trial and error Right, impacts on relationships.

Let's talk about that So struggles with fertility, of course can create tension between partners, when expectations and coping mechanisms differ, right? And no shade, but you know, there are there are men out there that just can't come to that table They just can't. They can't figure it out.

They can't mentally work it through. and sometimes as a woman, you are left sort of going, this is no bueno. It's not going to work. We're never going to meet at this place where we're going to be comfortable, right? There's all kinds of social and cultural, pressures as well. I want to say I was lucky, but not lucky.

I was actually surrounded by a lot of women at this point, because now I was talking. I was [00:23:00] talking, I was listening, and I was surrounding myself around women who were experiencing different varying degrees of infertility and discomfort. And I was learning very quickly that I wasn't alone, which was amazing.

So I found that actually to be very comforting as opposed to being surrounded by people who didn't get it or just blew me off, you know what I mean? And I think that goes into having some coping mechanisms for yourself, such as support groups and finding therapies and people. And, sitting in a room of women who were experiencing varying degrees of endometriosis, which was my concern and other types of, disorders that, that they were experiencing was really. Eye opening for me, and I learned a lot about, the varying degrees and things I could do because we didn't have social media in 1999. The way we do now, you know, you can find a great Tiktok account on just about anything now. But back then, going to a women's health Tiktok, right?[00:24:00] 

Coralie: And also too, I think if you're in a more remote area or more introverted, look for community groups like on Facebook, if you're on Facebook that deal with that specific area because that's where you can get some of the best advice is from people who have been through it before, whether it's you're dealing with something like this or something else.

I mean, That's where the good shit is.

Vicki: Agreed, agreed. 

The intersection of reproductive health and mental health is often overlooked, but critical to overall wellbeing, so chronic pain and mental health. Having that constant pain and discomfort can contribute to anxiety, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, and something that I found. is that when I would experience chronic discomfort, if I would have a moment of relief, I would literally, during that moment of relief, all I would do is have anxiety because I was waiting.

You're bracing. You're bracing for the next one. You're bracing. It's almost [00:25:00] like labor, it's almost like where you're, you have incredible pain, or we've all had stomach disruption or whatever, and you're like waiting for it to fall apart again. Unfortunately, oftentimes in these scenarios, you're waiting. During the moments of calm, you're waiting for the storm again, and that's I

Amber: Yeah, and then there's also like the hormonal influence on mood, like conditions like PCOS and endometriosis can cause hormonal fluctuations that So I mean, that's just going to lead back to that anxiety or the body image of the depression, right? That's going to really wreak havoc on that. Ha ha!

Vicki: husband that will tell you that I was an absolute crazy person. And I can honestly say sorry to him. I was. I was so emotionally and physically out of control that I could not manage myself. And it was horrible.

Coralie: Well, you know, hormones, they can [00:26:00] really affect us even without that. So I'm at like, I can only imagine when you have all those extra roller coasters that you're going along with it, but yeah, and you can also get body image, self esteem issues with the weight changes, acne, scarring, hair loss, hair growth. It can lead to body dysmorphia and reduce self confidence and all of these things can also lead to social isolation. And even for an introvert, too much social isolation is not good for the mental health, you know? So, it's important to keep yourself surrounded by the people who care about you, by people who understand and,

Vicki: It's so true because also if you are in chronic pain and you never know when your chronic pain is gonna start up again and Coralie you're now you're in a situation where you're kind of living day by day and you're saying yes to something or you're saying no to Something until you're sure you can say yes,

Coralie: mm hmm,

Vicki: you literally have to wait and go. Okay. It's a good day an hour before I'm gonna say yes,

Coralie: mm [00:27:00] hmm,

Vicki: and a lot of times our friends and family members aren't understanding that it's just not something they can wrap their heads around Just say yes

Coralie: mm hmm,

Vicki: can't, I want to,

Coralie: mm hmm,

Vicki: has to tell me whether or not I'm going to,

Coralie: hmm, yeah, I'll be the last minute add on. Bye,

Vicki: going to go late, leave early girl, because

Coralie: Right.

Vicki: right? Like sometimes it's just you're making an appearance or, you know, and that sucks because then you can often to somebody who doesn't know you, does not know your journey, does not know anything about you, which not everybody needs to. Um, but to that person, you can look aloof, unapproachable, you know, like, right. She doesn't like me. She doesn't want to be around it. Nope. That's not it. Right. But it's just not everybody's business what's going on in your life sometimes.

Coralie: Yeah. 

Vicki: So how are we going to advocate for ourselves in our health care and in our relationships? I think that, , again, we talk about advocacy a lot and it's crucial when dealing with reproductive disorders for sure. medical gaslighting is a thing, although it has become less and less as the education has become greater. [00:28:00] Um, but there is a lack of awareness around some common issues. So be persistent. doctor dismisses you and your symptoms, seek a second opinion, a third opinion, a fourth opinion. I don't care how many opinions you have to get. somebody listen to you. .

Amber: Yes. I track your symptoms, keep a journal of any pain levels, menstrual cycles, and other symptoms to present a clear picture to medical professionals. And I started doing this and I mean, your phone, is a really good tool, write down how you're feeling or any kind of thing that seems to be happening with you. It makes such a difference when you go in because you can say, yeah, on this day, on this day, um, this is what was happening and this is how it felt, and this is a pattern, you start to see a pattern after.

Vicki: Yeah.

Coralie: Mm hmm.

Vicki: that paints a picture.

Amber: Mm hmm.

Vicki: Right? That paints this picture that they can then go, Oh. Now it makes sense, right?

Coralie: Mm hmm. I think we can also too just make an appointment because we feel like something's weird, but then get in there and forget everything.

Forget all the symptoms we were having, you [00:29:00] know, that note file, man, I have one for every condition.

Amber: right. And I like, you know, how many times have we left the doctor going, oh,

Vicki: I

Coralie: Yeah.

Amber: you know.

Vicki: Yeah,

Coralie: yeah. Um, yeah.

Vicki: the right questions, seek appropriate treatment and start asking, inviting. How about this? I read about that. When your doctor knows that you are educating yourself and that there's maybe some alternative treatments out there, that's a really great opportunity for you to have them kind of perk up and listen a little harder, right?

When I went to my doctor and said, I started weekly reflexology and suddenly I feel incredibly better. She was like, how? I don't know. Talk to my reflexologist. She's fabulous. I don't know, right?

Coralie: Also too, let's talk about setting boundaries in your relationship. It's really important to communicate openly about what you need from a partner, about what you need from family, about what you need from friends regarding support, [00:30:00] understanding and emotional space. So yes, it's important to surround yourself with people and not go for social isolation, but it's also important to take the time for you that you need.

Both things fill our cup, right? And When our cup is full, we can tackle whatever we are dealing with better.

Vicki: I agree. So yeah, surround yourself with people, speak up and reach out. I think those are huge. I do want to hit on a couple of crazy stats here. These to me, I don't know why every time I read stats, it's shocking to me. It just, to me, it seems so unheard of that there would be this many people who are experiencing something and that this wouldn't be something that we're looking at. Way deeper the field, right? So 1 in 10 women worldwide suffer from endometriosis and it's often undiagnosed for years and years on end. periods.

Coralie: PCOS affects up to 10 percent of women of reproductive age. it can lead to hormonal imbalances and [00:31:00] fertility struggles. So 10%, I mean, that's, it's a big chunk.

Amber: hmm.

Vicki: 10 for every 100? 

Amber: Right. Up to 75 percent of women experience painful sex at some point in their lives, often due to undiagnosed conditions. 75%

Vicki: are more that we have not spoken of. Right. So there are still so many things. There are some conditions that just specifically, affect the muscles in the vaginal canal. There's there's just so many more, things that we could be talking about, but we're just giving it a brief overview here.

But yeah, do not ignore your symptom.

Nearly one in four women, if you guys do believe this, have fibroids by the age of 50, which can lead to severe pain and heavy bleeding. that, I wonder, you know, that's got to be in direct correlation with the amount of hysterectomies that are happening.

Yes. Women with reproductive health issues are significantly at higher risk of developing depression and anxiety.

And that I think we've made very obvious as to why that could be. We have only just scratched the surface and we haven't [00:32:00] touched every condition. hope that opening up this conversation at your brunch table will open up more friends, will shamelessly share their journey. I know that the more we talk about it, the more we invite others to share and feel like they can. It creates conversation and camaraderie, which can of course in itself be a part of our healing. 

Amber: So we have noted that the more we share, the more we hear. Knowledge and awareness provides validity. And strength to those suffering in shame, providing a platform to feel heard for those who speak out. 

Coralie: And we encourage you to be the trailblazer at your branch. Ask the questions and listen without judgment to someone suffering in silence that could be a game changer.

Amber: Thanks for pulling up a chair at our unapologetic brunch table today. If you enjoyed the conversation, don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. It's like tipping your server, but for podcasts. And Hey, sign up for our weekly newsletter [00:33:00] using the link in the show notes. So you never miss the juiciest, most unfiltered chats we're serving up.

Remember, brunch isn't just about the mimosas, it's about the authentic connection and keeping it unapologetically real. Until next time, let's keep the brunch vibes alive and the conversation flowing.