Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This? – Details, episodes & analysis

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Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?

Joyce Harper

Education

Health & Fitness

Frequency: 1 episode/14d. Total Eps: 73

Welcome to season 2 of the podcast - Why didn’t anyone tell me this? This podcast is about health education with an emphasis on reproductive health. We do not cover these topics enough in school or beyond. Joyce Harper and her guests want to give you the tools to empower you to live a healthy, happy and fulfilled life. And on the way, we will debunk some of the myths around our health. This podcast will include a wide range of amazing guests, discussing topics such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, mental health, happiness, cancer, periods, fertility, infertility, fertility treatment, preconception health, pregnancy, miscarriage, PCOS, endometriosis, menopause and much more. Joyce is a cold-water swimmer so expect some episodes about swimming! They will tell you about their work and life journey, what are the key messages they want you to know, their motivation, what makes them happy and their advice to their younger self. Joyce Harper is an award-winning author, educator, academic, and scientist with over 30 years’ experience in reproductive health. She is Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women’s Health at University College London where she heads the Reproductive Science and Society group. Her latest book, Your Fertile Years, is published by Sheldon Press, 2021. She is chair of the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (www.eshre.eu/IRHEC) and co-chair of the UK Fertility Education Initiative. She is founder of Reproductive Health at Work. Further information at www.joyceharper.com.

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🇬🇧 Great Britain - education
06/10/2025
#77

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Score global : 79%

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Season 3, #Episode 20 Professor Neil Gittoes: Understanding osteoporosis

Season 3 · Episode 20

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 • Duration 01:04:58

Professor Neil Gittoes is Consultant Endocrinologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and Honorary Professor of Endocrinology at the University of Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Birmingham with honours in medicine and anatomical studies and has a PhD in molecular endocrinology. Neil is recognised nationally and internationally for his work in metabolic bone diseases including osteoporosis, vitamin D deficiency and disorders of calcium homeostasis. He has co-authored recent international guidance on management of parathyroid diseases and UK guidance on osteoporosis. Neil was awarded the Goulstonian Lectureship at the Royal College of Physicians, London and has had many key roles, including being the current chair of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. https://theros.org.uk/

Did you know you can check your risk of osteoporosis with a quick online tool from the Royal Osteoporosis Society? Just pop onto their website and try the risk checker. If it shows you’re at high risk, it’s worth speaking to your doctor, who may suggest a bone density scan. The good thing is that osteoporosis is largely preventable. Neil talked us through how our bones change as we get older. Half of all women over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis, and so will one in five men. Genetics play a big part—about 70 to 80% of our risk comes from our genes—so it’s important to know your family history. But lifestyle matters just as much. Doing regular weight-bearing exercise, cutting down on alcohol, not smoking, keeping vitamin D levels up, and eating enough protein and calcium can all help protect your bones. The tricky thing about osteoporosis is that it’s a silent disease—you don’t feel it happening. But the good news is that there are effective treatments. Some are one-off or short courses, and you don’t need to be on lifelong medication. We also touched on whether women should take HRT to prevent osteoporosis, and Neil had some interesting views. He also explained why getting a diagnosis of osteopenia isn’t something to panic about. Another key point Neil made is how important lifestyle is before the age of 25—that’s when we reach our peak bone mass. So if there’s one message for younger people, it’s that the choices you make in your teens and twenties, especially around exercise, can shape your bone health and your risk of chronic conditions later in life.

Date of episode recording: 2025-09-26
Duration: 01.04.57
Language of episode: English

Presenter: Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Professor Neil Gittoes
Producer: Joyce Harper

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Season 3, #E19: Dr Sarah McKay - Understanding dementia and Alzheimer’s

Season 2 · Episode 46

Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • Duration 01:20:13

Dr Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist and science communicator and runs The Neuroscience Academy – which provides online training in brain health and applied neuroscience for health.

Sarah was born in New Zealand. She obtained her MSc and PhD from Oxford University then moved to Australia, where she conducted five years of postdoctoral research on spinal cord injury. Sarah shares brain science with a clear, science-first voice ... no fluff, no headlines ... just solid research, translated into useful, real-world insights.

She has written three books: Baby Brain, The women’s brain book, and brain health for dummies. Her 2015 TEDx talk espoused the virtues of afternoon naps.

She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where she writes, teaches, swims in the ocean year-round, and turns complex neuroscience into practical tools and accessible stories. https://drsarahmckay.com/ Instagram: @drsarahmckay

Most of us know someone living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. In this podcast, we separate fact from myth: what are the symptoms, can we reduce our risk, are women more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s, and much more. One of the most striking findings is that around 45% of dementia cases are considered preventable.

The choices we make around lifestyle—nutrition, exercise, limiting alcohol, staying mentally and socially engaged, and looking after our hearing and eyesight—can all play a role, according to major dementia and Alzheimer’s organisations. We also address some of the claims circulating on social media about menopause and dementia/Alzheimer’s —for example, the idea that hormone therapy can prevent dementia. Sarah sets the record straight: unfortunately, this isn’t true. She has faced criticism online for challenging this myth, but calling out misinformation is not about women undermining women; it’s about ensuring we share facts rather than perpetuate inaccuracies. That said, research does suggest that frequent hot flushes may be linked to an increased risk. There’s still much more to learn, but what we do know is already powerful. By understanding the evidence on dementia and Alzheimer’s today, we can start taking steps to lower our risk.

Season 3 #E10: Lucy Ward - What Catherine the Great did with her body

Season 2 · Episode 37

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 • Duration 01:16:12

Lucy Ward is a writer and journalist. Growing up near Manchester, she studied Early and Middle English at Oxford University, before becoming a journalist first working on education for The Independent then becoming a Lobby correspondent for The Guardian. She spent over five years at Westminster, campaigning for greater female representation, securing the first Lobby job-share and discovering that you could climb to the illuminated roof of the Palace and project your dancing shadow onto Big Ben. After a few years in Russia, she worked as a Communications Manager at the University of Cambridge, where she developed her interest in communicating complex research for lay audiences. Her first book is The Empress and the English Doctor which was shortlisted for the Pushkin House Book Prize 2022.

Instagram and X: @lucymirandaward Web site: https://www.lucyward.uk/

Welcome to another podcast in the mini-series on Female Icons. During a chance meeting in the school playground, Lucy discovered a compelling story she felt driven to share — how Catherine the Great joined forces with a Quaker doctor from Essex to lead a ground-breaking public health campaign introducing smallpox inoculation in Russia. Catherine invited Dr. Thomas Dimsdale to St Petersburg on a secret mission that would ultimately change both their lives. It was an extraordinary act of bravery to undergo the inoculation herself before asking others to do the same. Lucy began writing this book just before the COVID-19 outbreak — timing that could have been disastrous but instead proved serendipitous. The contemporary debates around vaccination echoed those of Catherine’s time, where science, politics, and personal risk intersected in powerful ways. Despite the early death of her husband, Catherine defied expectations to become one of the greatest monarchs in history.

Date of episode recording: 2025-04-11T00:00:00Z
Duration: 01.16.11
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Lucy Ward
Producer: Joyce Harper

Season 3 #E9 Dr Lucy Havard – Elizabeth Garrett Anderson: the First Female Doctor

Season 2 · Episode 36

Wednesday, April 30, 2025 • Duration 47:41

Lucy has always had a passion for medicine and history and through her career, she has spent time studying both. First Lucy studied medicine at University College London (UCL), graduating in 2013. And during her 3rd year of medicine, she took an intercalated year studying the History of Medicine at the Wellcome Library in London. After working full-time as a medical doctor for four years, she decided to pursue her interest in history further, undertaking a Masters in History and Philosophy of Science at UCL. Since then she has continued to juggle her career as a doctor with her passion for history and she completed an Early Modern History MPhil at the University of Cambridge in 2019.

Lucy has almost completed her PhD which builds on her MPhil study to examine the early modern home as a space for knowledge-making. In 2021 Lucy was awarded an extraordinary Blue at the University of Cambridge for triathlon. A couple of weeks ago she led the Cambridge women’s rowing team to victory against Oxford in her role as President. X: @lucyjanehavard

Welcome to another podcast in the mini-series on Female Icons.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was the first woman to qualify as a doctor in the UK, beginning her journey with her first medical lecture in 1860. She faced enormous resistance from men—first as a medical student, then as a practicing doctor—but she paved the way for generations of women to follow. When no one would employ her, she founded her own institution: the New Hospital for Women, where she provided care specifically for women and children. A true pioneer for women’s rights, her achievements extended far beyond medicine. In 1908, she became the first female mayor in the UK when she was elected Mayor of Aldeburgh. She married later in life and had her three children in her late 30s and early 40s.

Lucy, too, is a modern-day role model—an inspiration for women pursuing their passions. With a deep love of both medicine and history, she has successfully built a career that combines these interests. She explains that her current research looks at manuscript recipe books from the 17th century which are collections of recipes, but also contained information about remedies, cleaning solutions, poems, stories and much more. Alongside her academic pursuits, she also excelled in sport, enjoying a brilliant athletic career while at Cambridge University. I hope the stories of these two remarkable women will inspire others to follow their own unique paths.

Season 3, #E8: Clare Mulley: The Stories of Wartime Heroines

Season 2 · Episode 34

Wednesday, April 16, 2025 • Duration 54:34

Clare Mulley is an award-winning public historian, author and broadcaster, primarily focused on female experience during the Second World War. Clare’s most recent book Agent Zo: The Untold Story of courageous Second World War resistance Fighter, Elżbieta Zawacka, is the critically-acclaimed biography of the only woman to parachute from Britain to Nazi German-occupied Poland. Previous titles include the award-winning The Woman Who Saved the Children, on Eglantyne Jebb, founder of Save the Children; The Spy Who Loved a biography of the first woman to serve Britain as a special agent in the Second World War and The Women Who Flew for Hitler, which tells the story of Nazi Germany’s only two female test pilots. Clare’s books are widely translated and have all been optioned for film or TV.

Clare regularly appears in the press and on TV. Clare is a brilliant storyteller, bringing to life the remarkable stories of extraordinary women who made significant contributions during the world wars—women whose legacies deserve to be known. She shares the inspiration behind her first book about Eglantyne Jebb, the founder of Save the Children, and the journey that guided her in choosing her next subjects. Clare offers insight into her meticulous research and writing process, striving to create biographies that are both historically accurate and deeply engaging. Many of these women were often judged by their appearance rather than their achievements—a bias that remains relevant in today’s society. These women were true female icons.

Transcription link:

www.joyceharper.com/podcasts

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-27T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00.54.35
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Clare Mulley
Producer: Joyce Harper

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Season 3 #E7 Glenn Stout: Trudy Ederle: Young women and the sea

Season 2 · Episode 32

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 • Duration 01:02:01

Glenn Stout is a freelance writer, author, and editorial consultant, served as series editor of The Best American Sports Writing since its inception, and was Founding Editor of The Year’s Best Sports Writing. He is the author of Young Woman and the Sea, Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid, Fenway 1912, and many others. Glenn began as a free-lance career in 1986 and has been a full-time author since 1993. He has written, ghostwritten or edited one hundred books representing sales of more than three million copies. Glenn has also served as a writing coach for private clients, given presentations to groups of editors, writers and students about writing books, the writing process and the editorial process he uses for longform journalism. He also serves as Director of the Archer City Writer’s Workshops at the Larry Mac Mur try Literary Center in Archer City, Texas Glenn grew up in Ohio, graduated from Bard College in New York, and lived in and around Boston for 20 years before moving to Vermont in 2002. He is a citizen of both the United States and Canada.

Glenn has been a sportswriter for decades, and when he discovered that Gertrude (Trudy) Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel on August 6, 1926, he was compelled to tell her story. She is one of many remarkable female pioneers whose achievements remain largely unknown. Before trailblazers like Trudy, Annette Kellerman, and Charlotte Epstein, women’s participation in swimming was rare, partly due to societal restrictions on modesty and concerns about the sport’s safety for women. However, these women defied expectations, with Trudy proving beyond doubt that women could not only swim—but excel. In this podcast, we uncover some of the astonishing facts about swimming during this era.

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-24T00:00:00Z
Duration: 01.01.59
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Glenn Stout
Producer: Joyce Harper

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Season 3 #E6: Professor Helen O’Connell: The clitoris: The great unknown

Season 2 · Episode 35

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 • Duration 01:06:29

Professor Helen O'Connell is a leading researcher in the area of female pelvic anatomy and was the first woman to complete training as a urologist in Australia in 1994. She did her Fellowship training in the US in 1994-5 in the management, including surgery, of all problems affecting function of the lower urinary tract in men and women. In 2023 she became the President of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand. She uses state of the art medical imaging to treat a long list of conditions. Helen was the first person to accurately describe the structure of the clitoris.

Instagram: @profhelenoconnell

It is astonishing that before Helen’s work in the 1990s, the anatomy of the clitoris was not fully understood. Through her ground-breaking research, she published two key papers in 1998 and 2005 that revealed the intricate structure of the clitoris. Her findings showed that the visible glans, rich in thousands of nerve endings, is only a small part of a much larger organ. The crura (two internal arms) wrap around the vaginal canal, while the vestibular bulbs sit on either side of the vaginal opening. Apart from the glans, the clitoris is composed of erectile tissue, designed to facilitate female orgasm. It is there for a reason – for women to have an orgasm. If achieving orgasm is difficult, seeking medical advice can be beneficial. Helen also explores the diversity of female anatomy, the misleading portrayal of sex in pornography, and the risks of labial surgery for cosmetic reasons. We discuss how female genitals change throughout life, the impact of female genital mutilation (FGM), and the controversial question—does the G-spot really exist?

Transcription link:

www.joyceharper.com/podcasts

Date of episode recording: 2025-03-13T00:00:00Z
Duration: 01.06.28
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Professor Helen O'Connell
Producer: Joyce Harper

Season 3, #E5: Dr Pippa Sangster: Understanding the penis and testicles

Season 2 · Episode 33

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 • Duration 01:10:23

Pippa is a consultant urologist at University College London Hospital (UCLH) and is the lead for the male infertility service. A urologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the urinary tract and reproductive system for men, women, and children. Pippa qualified from Guy’s and St Thomas’s Medical School, London in 2001. She has further degrees in Psychology (BSc) and was awarded the gold medal in the Urology MSc. She holds an Honorary Associate Professor post within reproductive health. Her main area of expertise is Andrology. An andrologist is someone who focuses on male sexual health and the male reproductive system.

Pippa particularly works with men suffering with infertility, erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease and associated endocrine related issues. In addition to medically improving men’s sperm counts and health, she performs surgical sperm retrieval and is a world-renowned expert at MicroTESE and varicocele repair.

Instagram: @pippa_sangster

How much do you know about the anatomy and function of the penis and testicles? Does penis size matter? Pippa says the answer is no! We explored the role of testosterone in men, debunking some common myths about it. Sex for men is complicated – getting an erection, sustaining an erection, not coming too soon, or too late. Pippa explains the ladder of medical treatments that men can use to help with erections and the link between the lack of erection and heart disease, primarily due to the role of blood flow and vascular health in both conditions. If a man has any problems with getting an erection, he should see his doctor. However, ejaculation problems are often more difficult to treat. Pippa has encountered many men resorting to black market treatments to solve these issues, including injecting unregulated substances into their penis.

We also discuss what men need to consider if they want to have children. And Pippa explains testicular, penile, and prostate cancer. Men's reproductive health remains a taboo subject, and it's time to break the silence—encouraging men to talk openly, both with each other and with their doctors.

Transcription link:

www.joyceharper.com/podcasts

Season 3 #E4: Dr Anita Mitra, the Gynae Geek: Understanding the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries

Season 2 · Episode 29

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 • Duration 01:19:53

Dr Anita Mitra is a renowned Dr in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and is also known as The Gynae Geek on social media. With over 160k followers on Instagram, she is a trusted source of information, in a time rife with many self-proclaimed experts and internet gurus. Her medical journey began at the University of Leicester, where she first earned a BSc in Medical Biochemistry and then a degree in Medicine. Anita is presently a Clinical Research Fellow in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Imperial College London, alongside practising as a Subspecialty Fellow in Gynaecological Oncology at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. In 2019 Anita published her book The Gynae Geek, which seeks to empower women by dispelling myths and educating them about how their body works using scientific research. The book also tackles topical issues, such as menopause, contraception, and cancer. When not in the lab, or solving mysteries between someone’s legs, Anita can be found in a gym perfecting her deadlift technique, drinking overpriced coffee in various London cafes, or running around after her two year old twins.

Instagram: @gynaegeek https://www.gynaegeek.com/

How much were you taught at school about the womb, fallopian tubes, and ovaries? In this podcast, Anita explains what these structures look like (you can find more images on her website) and how they work together. We explore how the menstrual cycle is driven by hormones affecting these organs, leading to periods and ovulation, and delve into what happens during pregnancy. Anita guides us through how these organs change throughout a woman’s life—from before puberty to post-menopause—and highlights some of the health conditions that can affect the womb, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. She explains the warning signs we should all be aware of, when to seek help, and the tests available to identify potential issues.

While we may not have cures for many women’s health conditions, Anita discusses the treatments available to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Maintaining the health of our reproductive system starts with preventative care. Anita emphasizes the importance of lifestyle factors like nutrition, sleep, exercise, and mental health, showing how interconnected these aspects are. Anita tells us about her amazing work as the Gynae Geek and shares insights from her two brilliant books and her extensive experience as a doctor treating patients. She also offers real stories from her practice that shed light on the challenges and triumphs in women’s health. This is a podcast where everyone will learn something valuable.

Season 3 #E3: Dr Tasha Gandamihardja: Understanding breasts

Season 2 · Episode 31

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 • Duration 53:09

Dr Tasha is a highly-respected consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon at The Holly Private Hospital and also practices for the NHS in Chelmsford. Her specialisms include breast cancer surgery, breast lumps and breast pain, alongside breast reconstruction, nipple discharge and breast surgery. Dr Tasha has an MBBS from the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, an MEd in Surgical Education from Imperial College London and a BSc and PhD from University College London. She also has a FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Dr Tasha shares her expert knowledge via her 'My Breast, My Health' blog and podcast. She has dedicated her life to helping people navigate through breast cancer.

Instagram: @drtashag YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_6rR4QmTy8gXa5wWppxwTQ

The structure of the breast is relatively simple, with two primary functions: breastfeeding and pleasure. Dr. Tasha sheds light on why men have nipples and debunks many common myths surrounding breasts. Together, we explore why breastfeeding rates are decreasing while breast surgeries are on the rise. Dr. Tasha also explains how breasts change throughout the menstrual cycle, as well as from puberty to menopause. We dive into the topic of bras—are you one of those people who can’t wait to take your bra off the moment you get home? Dr. Tasha discusses whether you’re wearing the right bra, particularly for proper support during exercise. We also address key issues such as breast pain, breast cancer, and other common breast health concerns. Dr. Tasha provides practical advice on how often and how to perform a proper breast examination. As with many areas of health, lifestyle choices are crucial for maintaining breast health. This might make you think twice before drinking that glass of wine!

Date of episode recording: 2025-01-22T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00.53.08
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Dr Tasha Gandamihardja
Producer: Joyce Harper

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This? – Details, episodes & analysis

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Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This? – Details, episodes & analysis

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