CRAMPED

Kate Downey
CRAMPED
Latest episode

39 episodes

  • CRAMPED

    A BAD STUDY with Professor Andrea Jones-Rooy

    2026/04/02 | 17 mins.
    PATREON-ONLY EPISODE TEASER
    Join the CRAMPED Patreon (even at the free tier!) to listen to the full episode: https://patreon.com/cramped
    We don't get very many studies on menstrual pain - so when we finally get one, and IT SUCKS, we don't just ignore it. We get data science professor Andrea Jones-Rooy to tell us exactly why it sucks and how we can spot a bad study.
    Get more Andrea Jones-Rooy: https://www.jonesrooy.com/
    CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • CRAMPED

    Endometriosis Historian Dr. Maria Rovito

    2026/03/24 | 40 mins.
    Endometriosis Historian & Professor of Medical Humanities Dr Maria Rovito comes on CRAMPED to talk 2000 years of endometriosis, wandering wombs, and hysteria. Her new book, Crippling Endometriosis: Feminist Disability Histories and Reflections on Power and Pain is out now!

    Dr. Rovito's website (where you see the classes she teaches & find book links): https://www.mariarovito.com/

    Support CRAMPED on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED

    CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • CRAMPED

    Can Talking About Cramps Improve Your Sex Life?

    2026/03/17 | 50 mins.
    Obviously we're big on communicating about your pain here at CRAMPED - we've covered the research that shows talking about your pain actually reduces your pain levels - but what about PLEASURE? Could improving our communication skills around our pain lead to better sex lives? Kate brings on sex communication experts Kels and Tess from Squirm, a company dedicated to helping you gain skills around talking about sex and pleasure. They get into the stigmas that keep both sexual pleasure and period pain from being out-in-the-open topics, the systems that keep it that way, and how to break free and shout both your pain AND your pleasure from whatever rooftop you want!
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • CRAMPED

    Cramps on Film (and Books!)

    2026/03/10 | 33 mins.
    If you've been looking up some Oscar-nominated short films to watch before the awards show, you may have noticed one called "Jane Austen's Period Drama". Seeing this in theaters inspired Kate to finally release two interviews with indie artists - one feature filmmaker, and one novelist - who have released work about their period pain!
    Novelist Grace Daly, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Scald Crow, has experienced debilitating symptoms from her endometriosis, adenomyosis, M-CAS, EDS, and POTs since she was 11, and has struggled to get doctors to take her seriously or treat her. She's woven those experiences into a classic haunted-house story with many twists that is SO FUN to read!
    Find the Scald Crow by Grace Daly anywhere that books are sold, or order on bookshop.org here: https://bit.ly/4uehIlD
    Filmmaker Brooke H. Cellars had period pain so excruciating it made it impossible for her to finish college or hold down a full time job. It took her 20 years to finally get diagnosed and treated surgically for endometriosis. Post-surgery, with hormone treatments to manage the endo, she was able to finish college and begin a career in writing and directing. Her feature film The Cramps: A Period Piece blends her real-life experience with a "darkly colorful", campy 80s aesthetic.
    Watch the trailer on youtube here: https://bit.ly/4cziaER
    __________
    CRAMPED episodes are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only, and are not medical advice.
    Support CRAMPED by joining the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CRAMPED
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
  • CRAMPED

    What is Menstrual Leave and Who Has It?

    2026/03/03 | 11 mins.
    Can you imagine waking up with death cramps, and instead of dragging yourself to work with your heating pad and a bucket of ibuprofen or using up one of your sick days, you could just...use a PAID menstrual leave day??
    Menstrual leave is a reality in more places than you might think!! Does it already exist where you live? Is there CURRENTLY a bill in your state senate requiring companies to provide it? What are the arguments AGAINST this policy? Kate gets wonk-level deep into the landscape and the history, just for you!
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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About CRAMPED

One nerd’s quest to find out why we know next to nothing about period pain. Tired of suffering from "death cramps" with no diagnosis for 20 years, Kate Downey has to look for her own answers. She interviews top doctors and researchers, and delves into topics from Greek history to sitcoms to TikTok wellness scams, all to figure out why menstrual pain is so often dismissed and untreated. What she finds will change how you think about your own body and the medical system. Because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus. Season 1 launches weekly episodes starting February 2025.
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