Vicious Cycle

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Vicious Cycle

Kate Elston, Meghann Hayes and Meg Trowbridge

134 episodes

3 months ago

We've been sitting in our rage for a few months now, and it feels a lot like sitting on a three-day-old maxi-pad... ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE. Since we're watching a fascist regime easily take over our country, we wanted to re-release our interview with Liv Vasquez, and re-share her experience with tear gas and how it affected her menstrual cycle. Take this episode as a reminder to protect yourselves — especially those blisteners out there protesting. We love you. Find Liv on TikTok and IG: @livviesmalls ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: We've got a great ep for you, with special guest Liv Vasquez, who is suing the city of Portland, Oregon for the adverse effects police tear gas had on her menstrual health. Liv was living in Portland, Oregon in the summer of 2020 during the demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd, in which tear gas was used against protesters daily. We talk with Liv about how her period has changed, the importance of cases like this setting a precedent, and - of course - we cover some new crazy questions that will definitely make you chuckle. Slap on a gas mask and an overnight pad and get cozy with your blosts.

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We've been sitting in our rage for a few months now, and it feels a lot like sitting on a three-day-old maxi-pad... ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE. Since we're watching a fascist regime easily take over our country, we wanted to re-release our interview with Liv Vasquez, and re-share her experience with tear gas and how it affected her menstrual cycle. Take this episode as a reminder to protect yourselves — especially those blisteners out there protesting. We love you. Find Liv on TikTok and IG: @livviesmalls ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: We've got a great ep for you, with special guest Liv Vasquez, who is suing the city of Portland, Oregon for the adverse effects police tear gas had on her menstrual health. Liv was living in Portland, Oregon in the summer of 2020 during the demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd, in which tear gas was used against protesters daily. We talk with Liv about how her period has changed, the importance of cases like this setting a precedent, and - of course - we cover some new crazy questions that will definitely make you chuckle. Slap on a gas mask and an overnight pad and get cozy with your blosts.

Show more...

Episodes (20/134)

Vicious Cycle

95 - RE-RELEASE: Police Tear Gas F*cked With Her Menstrual Cycle

We've been sitting in our rage for a few months now, and it feels a lot like sitting on a three-day-old maxi-pad... ITS TIME FOR A CHANGE. Since we're watching a fascist regime easily take over our country, we wanted to re-release our interview with Liv Vasquez, and re-share her experience with tear gas and how it affected her menstrual cycle. Take this episode as a reminder to protect yourselves — especially those blisteners out there protesting. We love you. Find Liv on TikTok and IG: @livviesmalls ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES: We've got a great ep for you, with special guest Liv Vasquez, who is suing the city of Portland, Oregon for the adverse effects police tear gas had on her menstrual health. Liv was living in Portland, Oregon in the summer of 2020 during the demonstrations sparked by the murder of George Floyd, in which tear gas was used against protesters daily. We talk with Liv about how her period has changed, the importance of cases like this setting a precedent, and - of course - we cover some new crazy questions that will definitely make you chuckle. Slap on a gas mask and an overnight pad and get cozy with your blosts.

3 months ago

1 hour 11 minutes 9 seconds

Vicious Cycle

116 - Everything is Fine lol

At times like these, there are SO. MANY. REASONS. you may need an Everything is Fine episode. So, here it is! We barely touch on politics and instead try to make each other laugh all episode with a dorky rap, trivia, a movie review, a new game inspired by our Catholic hospitals episode and a VERY SPECIAL GUEST. Got a pap smear? A DMV appointment? Stuck in traffic? In a conversation you want to low-key ignore? This episode is for you! Pop in those earbuds, use a maxipad as an eye mask to shut-out the oh-so-scary world and play with your fave blosts.

4 months ago

1 hour 17 minutes 36 seconds

Vicious Cycle

115 - Catholic Hospitals, Why So Suss!?

We've got our most-Catholic blost bringing you our most Catholic research yet: CATHOLIC HOSPITALS. Guess what? They are problematic. :) We dig into how and why some major reproductive health options are NOT options for patients, how these hospitals are world-wide and often the only health care option for people in rural places. But don't worry, we also have saint trivia to keep your spirits bright. So, take a shot of holy water, say whaddup to the new Pope (Midwest in the HOUSE - what could go wrong lol) and listen in!

5 months ago

1 hour 21 minutes 17 seconds

Vicious Cycle

114 - Fantastic Orgasms and Where to Find Them

We're talking all things *climax* babyyyyyy! From biologically what's going on, to historical understandings of female genitalia, female pleasure erasure and the triumphant discovery of the clitoris... by men. Because, ya know, if you have a clitoris you prooooobably discovered it a long time ago. We also cover pleasure techiniques, play a lil game and get personal . Basically, this episode is here to help encourage more orgasms for all bleeders. Go on and get comfortable, keep your vibe nearby and hit play! Books discussed in this episode: She Comes First by Ian Kerner Vagina Obscrua by Rachel E. Gross Bonk by Mary Roach Your Sexual Health by Dr. Kate White (friend of the pod!!)

6 months ago

1 hour 44 minutes 31 seconds

Vicious Cycle

113 - What's Pappening

In this month's episode, Kate prepped some incredible bleedsearch for us all about PAP SMEARS. If you've ever wondered what the hell your gyno is doing up there, why it's important, who developed this test, who was married to the doctor who developed this test and what else was going on in the world when they were first taking a lil scrapper to cervixes... well, this episode covers it all. And like you have to ask, but yes - there is absolutely a song in this episode. So pop some speculums into your ear holes and hit play. (Don't have tiny speculums? Earbuds should also work fine.)

7 months ago

1 hour 4 minutes 37 seconds

Vicious Cycle

hey, hello there, hi. We're so excited to be back and venting about the state of the world while also dealing with having a uterus! (...excited might be the wrong would, but we digress...) For our first episode of the season, we're doing a lot of catch-ups: we fill you in on the last 2.5 years of our lives, cover some newsy-doozies (lol there have been so many) and have a song or two for you to enjoy — because even though time has passed, we're still, deep down, some surprise-song-lovin blosts. Recommended activity for while you listen: find some fabric scraps, a needle and thread and sew some cute reusable pads for when the government inevitably makes period products (and periods themselves) illegal. :) <3 You can watch AJ+'s Peabody-award winning doc (produced by our very own Kate Elston), One Day in Hebron, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEdGcej-6D0 // Check out the secure abortion chatbot we talked about in this epidose here: chatwithcharley.org.

8 months ago

1 hour 17 minutes 16 seconds

Vicious Cycle

Season Seven is Coming!

Your eyes do not decieve - we're back! We took an *extended* meno-pause after our last episode in Sept of 2022, but with the country crumbling around us, we thought: why not scream into the void with mics?! Keep an eye out for our first episode of season seven, dropping soon. Music: Funk Fashion Groove by BlackTrendMusic is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/blacktrendmusic/single/funk-fashion-groove/

8 months ago

1 minute 9 seconds

Vicious Cycle

111 - Ten Important Abortions in TV & Film History Pt. 2

It's our last episode of the season and part two of our deep dive into 10 sometimes scary, often funny, and always meaningful abortions on screen. This episode is fully set in the 2010's, and we get into some of our favorite shows: CW darlings Jane the Virgin and Crazy-Ex Girlfriend, Shonda's soapy magnum opus Scandal, animated delight BoJack Horseman and thoughtful, funny Netflix original Dear White People. We also have our final Why I Cried of the season (featuring a blistener's submitted musical accompaniment!) and a surprise song because why not!? Thank you for joining us for season 6, dear blisteners. We loved making it for you. Enjoy this episode and PLEASE VOTE IN NOVEMBER FOR CANDIDATES WHO SUPPORT BODILY AUTONOMY FOR BLEEDERS AND TRANS PEOPLE! Much love, the VC gals. <3

3 years ago

1 hour 15 minutes 41 seconds

Vicious Cycle

110 - Ten Important Abortions in TV & Film History Pt. 1

We had such a blast when we covered periods on television, so we knew we HAD to get into how abortions have been portrayed on screen. We cover a century of TV shows and films, and talk about some of our favorites, some of the funniest, and one of the creepiest movies we've ever seen. In part one, we run the gamut, from a 1916 silent film, a show from 2012 set in the 50's, and a 90's classic. Enjoy this ep, and catch part two (and our final episode of the season) later this week! <3

3 years ago

1 hour 18 minutes 24 seconds

Vicious Cycle

109 - Bleeding Rainbow: Squad with Maggie Tokuda-Hall

We know our blisteners love a good story (don't all podcast lovers?) so we KNOW you'll love Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall. Maggie joined us for our Bleeding Rainbow episode about her graphic novel Squad — a story centered around four teen girls who have a unique, yet very effective way of fighting the patriarchy — and have a strong relationship to the moon... (they're werewolves, get it?). Maggie talks periods, the power of feminine anger, hashtag author life, and oh so much more. Haven't read Squad yet? Take a listen and then get to your library or local indie bookstore to grab a copy! And then read while you're collecting your blood for future blood magik. Enjoy!

3 years ago

1 hour 23 minutes 35 seconds

Vicious Cycle

108 - Bleeding While Mormon with Sasha Piton

Alternative title to this episode: The Church of Jesus Christ ANOTHER UTI?! We were lucky enough to talk with Sasha Piton a few months back about Mormon undergarments and how they are NOT conducive for vaginal health and menstruation — which she made clear to the LDS church leaders (and even got some press - hello NYT!). We talk periods, divine femininity, and that old chestnut we know so well: religion + bodily shame. Sasha has since left the church, but our convo is still so relevant for the Mormon faith and other religions that continue to silence femme voices. So go on — take off those undies, find a cool breeze and tune in.

3 years ago

1 hour 22 minutes 42 seconds

Vicious Cycle

107 - DIY Pussy with Riddhi Patel

Did you know that one form of a uterine anomaly is having no uterus at all? It's crazy but it's true! This is known as MRKH syndrome (named after the four doctors who discovered it) and we had the privilege to talk to Riddhi Patel about their experience with this rare disorder. They tell us all about their diagnosis, symptoms they've experienced, and the struggle finding a doctor in a small California town. We also relish in the fact that your three Millennial blosts got to chat with a very cool Gen Z-er about bodies and sex. So, give your pad wings a middle part and start listening.

3 years ago

1 hour 9 minutes 43 seconds

Vicious Cycle

106 - Standing Ovation for Tubal Ligation

It seems like only yesterday we were joking on the podcast about tubal litigators (lol - sometimes our words not good!), and now here we are, devoting a whole episode to the various forms of sterilization a uterus-haver can consider! Kate brings us surprise bleedsearch and we are truly SURPRISED by what we learn in this episode. We talk procedures, bad doctors, outdated societal norms AND we've got a song! Grab your Fallopian tubes like little horse reigns and giddy-up to that play button! (I'm really stretching with these body metaphors, folks.)

3 years ago

1 hour 17 minutes 58 seconds

Vicious Cycle

105 - Everyone Deserves an Abortion Doula with Cera Merrick

This week we are so lucky to have Cera Merrick on the pod to tell us about being an abortion doula — including what kind of support someone can expect when they work with a doula and why that kind of support is so important for someone getting an abortion (no matter their circumstances). Cera also tells us how they ended up in this line of work, and (of course) answers our three crazy questions. Set up your stock-pile of abortion pills like a cute little armchair, settle in and press play! Learn more about Cera here!: ceramerrick.com

3 years ago

1 hour 22 minutes 48 seconds

Vicious Cycle

6 - Endometriosis Suuuuuuucks (Re-release)

It's still summer! And your three co-blosts continue to enjoy our various summer adventures (read: hoping our tampon strings aren't poking out of our swimsuits). So we thought we'd rerun our first ever interview with a VIB from way back in 2018. Enjoy this episode with writer and comedian Allison Page, who tells us all about her struggles with endometriosis. There's laughs, poems, a song and more. So chase that Midol with some ginger tea and enjoy this episode!

3 years ago

55 minutes 48 seconds

Vicious Cycle

50 - Everything is Fine (Re-release)

Picture it: It was January 2020. The three co-blosts were holed up in a downtown San Francisco hotel room for a one-night retreat. We had wine, gummy bears and DayQuil (Kate had a cold), and we were recording our first Everything is Fine episode. Fast forward to 2.5 years later: It's the year of our lord-who-is-a-man 2022 and those very same co-blosts are all on a brief summer break away from the pod. So in honor of that magical wintry night, we're re-releasing this episode, full of fun quizzes, songs and staged readings. So relax those Kegels and take a trip down memory lane with us. Enjoy!

3 years ago

1 hour 39 minutes 20 seconds

Vicious Cycle

104 - Cis Men Joining the Fight

(Re-uploaded to fix audio glitch!) Welcome to the pod Adam Segal — abortion advocate, breaker-down of toxic masculinity, and our first cis man guest! Adam brings his own perspective to the fight for abortion rights, having had a partner go through it. Knowing how important it is for cis men to be a part of the conversation, we wanted to talk to Adam about his experience, and talk about ways other cis men can join the fight, including his mens' group New Masculinities. And don't worry, we also ask him our 3 krazy kwestions. So, go on and hit play already!

3 years ago

1 hour 11 minutes 45 seconds

Vicious Cycle

103 - Shouting Your Abortion with Carla Lee Pt. 2

We're back with part two! We've got more abortion stories, ways you can support people seeking abortions, and general venting about the state of the world, mixed in with laughs and love. We're so grateful for Carla joining us and sharing her story, and for everyone who called in with their stories.

3 years ago

54 minutes 55 seconds

Vicious Cycle

102 - Shouting Your Abortion with Carla Lee Pt. 1

One of our favorite guests, Carla Lee, is sitting in for Meg Hayes this week as we take phone calls from blisteners shouting their abortions. As you can tell from the title, we had enough calls, stories and things to talk about that we had to split it into two parts! Keep an eye out for part two later this week, and then press play to laugh, cry and NORMALIZE abortion with us. Much love, bleeders.

3 years ago

1 hour 13 minutes 27 seconds

Vicious Cycle

101 - Abortion: Back to the Future and Back Again

We're coming at you with more bleedsearch! You got a taste of it last week with Meg Hayes' abortion history segment, and now here's the main course. Learn about when abortions first entered the annals of history, play games along with Meg T and Kate, and learn about another new patron saint of the podcast (we're collecting enough to start our own church)! Smash the play button while smashing the patriarchy, blisteners! Links from Meg H's research: https://daily.jstor.org/abortion-remedies-medieval-catholic-nun/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_abortion https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-complex-early-history-of-abortion-in-the-united-states https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/abortion-central-history-reproductive-health-care-america#:~:text=Leaders%20didn't%20outlaw%20abortion,around%20four%20months%20of%20pregnancy https://www.feminist.com/resources/ourbodies/abortion.html

3 years ago

1 hour 5 minutes 41 seconds