Dr. Sameena Rahman on menopause, PMDD, PCOS, and why naming things matters

This week I sat down with practicing gynecologist Dr. Sameena Rahman to talk about some of the most misunderstood areas in women's health: hormone replacement after oophorectomy, PMDD, and the recent renaming of PCOS. We move fast from clinical nuance to culture, stigma, and medical bias, and you'll walk away with plenty of practical takeaways whether you're a patient or a clinician.

Sameena also shares the story behind her book, Brown Girls Disease, and why she's reclaiming language around pain, shame, and access to care.

In this episode, we talk about:

Why women who have their ovaries removed need full hormone replacement, not just a low-dose patch
The difference between menopause management and medical neglect after hysterectomy or oophorectomy
The evidence that early menopause plus hormone therapy can have major survival benefits
What PMDD is, how it differs from typical PMS, and why it can feel like "Jekyll and Hyde" every month
Why PMDD may be more about hormone sensitivity and brain receptor interactions than progesterone alone
PMDD treatment options, including SSRIs, specific birth control formulations, progesterone, and in extreme cases medical suppression
Why the old label PCOS creates stigma and hides the cardiometabolic risk behind the syndrome
The new name, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, and why I think the rename could finally bring primary care and internal medicine into the conversation
How PCOS affects fertility, diabetes risk, heart health, weight gain, and endometrial cancer risk
How pelvic pain, vaginismus, and sexual dysfunction are shaped by culture, religion, and medical bias
Why Sameena chose the title Brown Girls Disease as a way of reclaiming a term that had been used dismissively
How language changes care, from saying "vagina" out loud to replacing shame-based terms with clearer ones

Naming things matters. You are not broken.

Dr. Rahman's IG

As always, this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice — talk to your own doctor about your own health.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it.

🎙️ You Are Not Broken is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Take my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adult Sex Ed Master Class:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Interested in my sexual health and hormone clinic? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Clinic is Open

Listen to this podcast on Pinnacle to earn CME

Thanks to our sponsor: Addyi, the little pink pill. To find out if Addyi is right for you, go to addyi.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for a $10 telemedicine appointment.And great news: with commercial insurance coverage Addyi is as little as $20 a month! Visit Addyi.com/notbroken. Eligible patients only. Restrictions apply. See Full Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning at addyi.com/pi

This episode is sponsored by Joi and Blokes.

If you’ve been wondering whether hormones could be playing a role in how you feel, Joi and Blokes can help you get answers. Start with comprehensive lab testing, then work with a licensed clinician to understand your results and discuss treatment options that may be right for you.

Visit JoiAndBlokes.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for 65% off labs and 20% off treatment.

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

391. Say It Out Loud: PCOS Gets a New Name, PMDD Gets Real, and Your Ovaries Deserve Better

You Are Not Broken

391. Say It Out Loud: PCOS Gets a New Name, PMDD Gets Real, and Your Ovaries Deserve Better