7-2-1

H&T in Women with HHT: What the Clinician Needs to Know

In this episode of 7-2-1: All You Need to Know About Periods, Dr. Bethany Samuelson Bannow leads an insightful discussion with experts, Dr. Hanny Al-Samkari and Dr. Layla Van Doren, on Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) and its complex relationship with thrombosis. Although HHT is widely recognized as a bleeding disorder, emerging evidence highlights an important and often underappreciated risk of clotting. This episode brings a focused lens to how HHT impacts menstruation and gynecologic health, particularly for women and girls across the lifespan. Heavy menstrual bleeding, iron deficiency, and challenges with hormonal management are explored alongside the competing risks of thrombosis. Together, faculty discuss how to approach menstrual management in HHT patients, including considerations when using estrogen-containing therapies, antifibrinolytics, and other treatment strategies.

Repro Ready: The Essentials of Fertility Preservation

In this episode of The 7-2-1, Dr. Kemi Olaiya and Dr. Cheryl Mensah continue the conversation on fertility preservation in sickle cell disease with Dr. Leslie Appiah, a leading expert in fertility preservation. Together, they break down what patients, families, and providers need to know, from insurance coverage and the hematologist’s role, to special considerations like hydration, anesthesia risks, and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The discussion also explores how common sickle cell treatments such as hydroxyurea and iron chelation impact fertility preservation decisions. This episode offers practical insights for clinicians and families navigating complex choices around preserving fertility in the context of curative therapies.

Freeze Frame: Real Talk On Fertility Preservation

In this episode of The 7-2-1, Dr. Kemi Olaiya and Dr. Cheryl Mensah are joined by Dr. Leslie Appiah, a leading expert in fertility preservation, to discuss why fertility preservation matters for people with sickle cell disease. While offering curative potential, they explore how stem cell transplantation and gene therapy can also pose serious risks to reproductive health. The conversation covers options available to both prepubertal and post-pubertal girls, the differences in fertility risks between transplant and gene therapy, and why referrals don’t always happen as often as they should. This episode provides essential guidance for clinicians, patients, and families navigating the intersection of sickle cell care, future family planning, and quality of life.

Menstrual Bleeding- is NOT a Stigma!

In our latest episode, we are diving deep into the real talk about periods - why stigma around menstrual bleeding exists, where it comes from, and how we can challenge it together.  We’re thrilled to be joined by Dr. Angela Weyand, pediatric hematologist, and associate professor at the University of Michigan medical school. For the past 9 years, she has co-directed a combined hematology/gynecology program that focuses on hemostatic and thrombotic disorders that impact women and girls and those with the potential to menstruate. She’s passionate about tackling iron deficiency, health equity, and on top of all that – she is a powerhouse on social media, educating and advocating under the handle “shematologist”.  With years of experience at the intersection of blood disorders and reproductive health, Dr. Weyand breaks it all down and shares more about the history, the science, and the social impact of menstrual stigma and what we can do to shift the conversation. Whether you’re curious, or just ready to break the taboo, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Unfolding IV Iron

Our guest for Episode 10 is Dr. Amanda Jacobson Kelly, who is an assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of hematology oncology at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Jacobson Kelly will be continuing the conversation from Episode 9: Let’s Iron It Out, focusing this time on intravenous (IV) iron.