Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, rates of the sexually transmitted infection syphilis have been climbing across the country. In Wisconsin in particular, the state’s Department of Health Services recently recommended pregnant people be screened twice during pregnancy for syphilis, which can have significant affects on fetal health and development.On this epi... more

About one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re replaying this interview with Laura Bozzuto, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn. Bozzuto is double certified in ob-gyn and breast cancer surgery.In the episode, Bozzuto talks about breast cancer symptoms, the latest in... more

As our ability to detect and treat cancer has improved, more people are living longer after their cancer diagnosis. For survivors of breast and gynecologic cancer, that can mean more time living with the side effects treatment can have on sexual and pelvic health.On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Jon Pennycuff, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Female Pelvic Medicine... more

Cervical cancer is the third most common type of gynecologic cancer in the United States. On this replay episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Sumer Wallace, MD talks about what causes cervical cancer, how it’s treated, and why the HPV vaccine and regular screenings are important tools to help prevent cervical cancer. Wallace is an assistant professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Division ... more

Vaccines for COVID-19 became available in late 2020, and were immediately followed by a rash of myths and misinformation online. Many of the most pervasive myths – that the vaccine causes infertility, that it’s unsafe for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, that it can cause miscarriage – are specifically focused on women’s health and reproductive health. Michael Beni... more

Reproductive health care trends, norms and policies in the United States shape global reproductive health in a big way. UW Ob-Gyn Health Disparities Research Scholar Leigh Senderowicz, ScD, MPH joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about the roots of international family planning programs, how to recognize reproductive coercion, and why we should pay attention to the way U.S... more

Elisavet Paplomata, MD came to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Carbone Cancer Center in 2020 to expand cancer clinical trials, including bringing more trials for gynecologic cancer patients to the UW. She joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about why researchers do trials, why people might choose to enroll in them, safety precautions in place for trial p... more

Seeking a second opinion is fairly common, especially when facing a challenging diagnosis or intense treatment. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, Ellen Hartenbach, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Gynecologic Oncology, discusses why people ask for second opinions, what happens after a second opinion is given, and how to approach the conversation with your own health... more

Ruth Yemane, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, is one of our department’s leading experts in gender affirming surgery and gynecologic care for transgender people. On this episode, Yemane shares recommendations for safe, trust-filled patient-provider relationships, and what surgical, clinical and preventive health care can look like for trans a... more

More and more, you can find doctors and other health care professionals talking about their expertise on social media, whether that’s answering questions on an Instagram Live, or adding a medical twist to the latest TikTok dance trend. Kenan Omurtag, MD joined the Women's Healthcast to talk about why doctors and health professionals are increasingly moving to social platfor... more

Discussions around emergency contraception often include some myths and misunderstandings. Even the nickname of the morning-after pill gives us an inaccurate sense of emergency contraception’s effective timeframe. Molly Lepic, DO, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, joined the Women’s Healthcast to help clear up some common questions about emergenc... more

On the latest episode of the UW Ob-Gyn podcast, Laura Jacques, MD, of the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, discussed vulvar health, care and cleaning. She talked about how to care for vulvas and vaginas, what products are safe to use, how vulvar health can change with age, and more. Listen to Vulvar Health, Care and Cleaning now! Did you know the Women’s Healthca... more

Our understanding of how COVID-19 and pregnancy interact has evolved quite a bit over the course of 2020. On this episode of the Women’s Healthcast, UW Ob-Gyn Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Director Igor Iruretagoyena, MD discusses COVID and pregnancy – whether pregnant people are at higher risk of severe illness with COVID, if pregnant people are eligible for vaccinati... more

In honor of Bladder Health Month, Angie Sergeant, NP, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, joined the Women's Healthcast to talk about common pelvic floor questions. In the episode, Sergeant discussed risk factors for pelvic floor disorders, pelvic floor physical therapy and other interventions, and what visits to the UW Health Wome... more

Health literacy – how well we can find, understand, and apply information to help us make health decisions – affects many areas of our lives. On the Women’s Healthcast, Heidi Brown, MD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, talked about where to find accurate health information, resources for building health literacy skills, and ho... more

Economic policy has a significant effect on our individual health. And policies are not always equitable. Tiffany Green, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive and Population Health, joined the Women's Healthcast to discuss ways systems and structures affect health: how health and economic security are cyclically linked, how COVID-19 has highlighted many structural ... more