Another Bloody Book Club: Famesick by Lena Dunham

Lethal Cocktail? Alcohol & Women’s Health

Now that the "one glass of red wine is good for you" advice has been officially retired, is any amount of alcohol safe or is it essentially just poison on the rocks? We dig into the current research, from the surprising links between alcohol and cancer, heart disease, and inflammation, to why women process liquor so differently than men do, to the medical community's new drinking guidelines (spoiler: "moderate" now means way less than we used to think). Weighing the research against our own margarita nights and sober Octobers, this episode has left us side-eyeing our wine glasses with a touch of trepidation, but not quite ready to pour them down the sink yet. Show Notes Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits, Mayo Clinic, 2024 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551 [https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/alcohol/art-20044551] Quitting alcohol for your health, Mayo Clinic, 2026 https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/women-health/quitting-alcohol-for-your-health/ [https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/women-health/quitting-alcohol-for-your-health/] The IARC Perspective on Alcohol Reduction or Cessation and Cancer Risk, New England Journal of Medicine, 2023 https:pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38157507/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38157507/] Is Any Alcohol Good for You? New Health Risks, US News & World Report, 2026 https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/is-any-alcohol-good-for-you [https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/is-any-alcohol-good-for-you] Soft Bar: https://soft-bar.com/ [https://soft-bar.com/] Sober Bar Finder: https://soberbarsnearme.com/ [https://soberbarsnearme.com/]

From Hair to Bare: A Brief History of Pubes

From razor ads that invented a "problem" in 1915 to the J Sisters' salon that made the Brazilian a household word, Heather and Lisa trace the strange, sometimes prickly history of female hair removal — and why, a century later, the bush is having a comeback moment. We dig into how advertising, the bikini, Playboy, and enthusiastic celebrities shaped what women do (and don't do) below the belt, what OB-GYNs actually recommend, and why Gen Z is putting down the wax strips. Plus: the triumphant high-fashion return of the merkin.   Sources & Further Reading On early hair-removal history and its advertising-driven origins History of removal of leg and underarm hair in the United States Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_removal_of_leg_and_underarm_hair_in_the_United_States [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_removal_of_leg_and_underarm_hair_in_the_United_States] Hair or Bare?: The History of American Women and Hair Removal, 1914–1934 Barnard College (Hansen, thesis PDF) https://history.barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Hansen_HairOrBare_2007.pdf [https://history.barnard.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Hansen_HairOrBare_2007.pdf] On the bikini, Playboy, and the feminist backlash The History of Female Hair Removal Women's Museum of California https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/the-history-of-female-hair-removal/ [https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/the-history-of-female-hair-removal/] On the Brazilian wax and the J Sisters origin story How Gwyneth Paltrow's "Life-Changing" Brazilian Bikini Wax Helped Dominate U.S. Beauty Trends WWD https://wwd.com/pop-culture/culture-news/brazilian-wax-j-sisters-trend-gwyneth-paltrow-celebrities-1235594910/ [https://wwd.com/pop-culture/culture-news/brazilian-wax-j-sisters-trend-gwyneth-paltrow-celebrities-1235594910/] The Women Behind Brazilian Wax New Rain Eyebrow Threading (BBC-sourced account of the J Sisters) https://newraineyebrowthreading.com/the-women-behind-brazilian-wax/ [https://newraineyebrowthreading.com/the-women-behind-brazilian-wax/] The Brazilian Wax: A History & Culture The Yoni Temple https://www.theyonitemple.com/post/the-brazilian-wax-a-history-culture [https://www.theyonitemple.com/post/the-brazilian-wax-a-history-culture] The History of the Brazilian Wax Sweet Pea Waxing https://sweetpeawaxing.com/history-of-the-brazilian-wax/ [https://sweetpeawaxing.com/history-of-the-brazilian-wax/] On current prevalence, methods, and reasons (research and clinical) Pubic Hair Removal among Women in the United States: Prevalence, Methods, and Characteristics (Herbenick et al.) ScienceDirect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609515327326 [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609515327326] Pubic Hair Removal among Women in the United States (PubMed listing of the Herbenick et al. study) PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20646183/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20646183/] Historical and Social Contextualization of Female Pubic Hair Removal ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287329005_Historical_and_social_contextualization_of_female_pubic_hair_removal [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287329005_Historical_and_social_contextualization_of_female_pubic_hair_removal] To Shave or Not to Shave: An OB-GYN's Guide to Pubic Hair Care American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/to-shave-or-not-to-shave-an-ob-gyns-guide-to-pubic-hair-care [https://www.acog.org/womens-health/experts-and-stories/the-latest/to-shave-or-not-to-shave-an-ob-gyns-guide-to-pubic-hair-care] On the return of the bush (and the merkin) The Bush Is Back in 2025 — Just Ask Skims Vogue, 2025 https://www.vogue.com/article/full-bush-in-a-bikini-trend [https://www.vogue.com/article/full-bush-in-a-bikini-trend] Pubic Hair Removal Practices among Women, 2024 Women's Health (PMC) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11558735/#section24-17455057241296982 [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11558735/#section24-17455057241296982] Pubic Hair Grooming Trends: 2016 vs. 2024 Prevalence Data PMC / National Library of Medicine https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10926629/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10926629/] Another Bloody Podcast is hosted by Heather O'Neill and Lisa Pierce Flores. Follow us on Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/anotherbloody_pod/] Threads [https://www.threads.com/@anotherbloody_pod], Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/anotherbloodypod.bsky.social], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=another%20bloody%20podcast], X, and YouTube.

Smear Campaign: The Cold, Hard Truth About Speculums

This week, Heather and Lisa dive into one of gynecology's most dreaded instruments — the speculum — and the wave of new, more comfortable designs headed to doctors' offices. They cover updated cervical cancer screening guidelines, applaud the medical community's call for less-frequent Pap smears, and trace the speculum's surprisingly dark and ancient history. Plus: Find out which book they have chosen as the next Another Bloody Book Club pick. Resources & Sources Mentioned: • 2025 Harris Poll / BD survey https://news.bd.com/2025-01-09-New-Survey-Finds-Women-Are-Skipping-Their-OB-GYN-Exams,-Increasing-Risks-for-Cervical-Cancer [https://news.bd.com/2025-01-09-New-Survey-Finds-Women-Are-Skipping-Their-OB-GYN-Exams,-Increasing-Risks-for-Cervical-Cancer] • American College of Obstetricians and Gynocologists (ACOG), Updated Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines, 2026  httphttps://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2026/04/acog-publishes-updated-cervical-cancer-screening-guidance [https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2021/04/updated-cervical-cancer-screening-guidelines] • An Innovative Design for the Vaginal Speculum, Medical Devices: Evidence and Research, 2023 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10542509/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10542509/] • Reinventing the Vaginal Speculum: Women’s Health, University of California, Irvine, 2023 https://engineering.uci.edu/news/2023/9/reinventing-vaginal-speculum-women-s-health [https://engineering.uci.edu/news/2023/9/reinventing-vaginal-speculum-women-s-health] • Screening for Cervical Cancer, Obstetrics & Gynocology, 2026 https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/fulltext/2026/07000/screening_for_cervical_cancer.30.aspx [https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/fulltext/2026/07000/screening_for_cervical_cancer.30.aspx] • Wellcome Collection's history of the speculum, including the Pompeii find and the Sims/Graves lineage https://wellcomecollection.org/stories/a-nasty-history-of-the-vaginal-speculum [https://wellcomecollection.org/stories/a-nasty-history-of-the-vaginal-speculum] • The controversial Dr. J. Marion Sims, International Urogynecology Journal, 2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32328679/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32328679/] • Statue celebrates 'Mothers of Gynecology' at Black women's birthing conference, NPR, 2022 https://www.npr.org/2022/03/28/1089062082/statue-celebrates-mothers-of-gynecology-at-black-womens- birthing-conference [https://www.npr.org/2022/03/28/1089062082/statue-celebrates-mothers-of-gynecology-at-black-womens-birthing-conference]  New speculum designs: ◦Bouquet Speculum™ — five-petal radial design https://viospex.com/about-the-product [https://viospex.com/about-the-product] ◦Lilium — three-petal rubber speculum from TU Delft researchers Tamara Hoveling and Ariadna Izcara Gual https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ide/delft-design-stories/new-vaginal-speculum-design-might-motivate-women-to-go-for-health-checkups [https://www.tudelft.nl/en/ide/delft-design-stories/new-vaginal-speculum-design-might-motivate-women-to-go-for-health-checkups] ◦OneSpec — tampon-sized, self-insertable design from UC Irvine's Feminora team https://engineering.uci.edu/news/2023/9/reinventing-vaginal-speculum-women-s-health [https://engineering.uci.edu/news/2023/9/reinventing-vaginal-speculum-women-s-health]   • O&G Magazine roundup of alternative speculum options, 2026 https://www.ogmagazine.org.au/28/2-28/new-and-emerging-alternative-speculum-options/ [https://www.ogmagazine.org.au/28/2-28/new-and-emerging-alternative-speculum-options/] Our July Another Bloody Book Club pick: The New Perimenopause by Dr. Mary Claire Haver https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777456/the-new-perimenopause-by-mary-claire-haver-md/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777456/the-new-perimenopause-by-mary-claire-haver-md/]

Jesse Ridgway's Abortion Announcement Went Viral—Then the Disability Community Responded

When YouTube creator Jesse Ridgway (McJuggerNuggets) and his wife Audrey announced on X that they'd terminated a pregnancy after a Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) diagnosis, millions saw it — and the backlash was immediate. Death threats. Viral condemnation. Coverage in People. The response from abortion opponents was predictable. But the disability community also pushed back, challenging how Ridgway characterized Down syndrome and what life with an intellectually disabled loved one actually looks like. Lisa, the mother of a child with autism, watched this scandal erupt in real time — scrolling between posts while her son competed at the Special Olympics Summer Games.  This week, we unpack what happened, what it reveals about the abortion debate, and what the disability community wants you to understand. Sources & Further Reading Jesse Ridgway's X Announcement McJuggerNuggets shared his and his wife Audrey's decision to terminate their pregnancy following a Down syndrome diagnosis via amniocentesis at four months. The post quickly surpassed 1.5 million views. https://x.com/McJuggerNuggets/status/2062315803177881822 [https://x.com/McJuggerNuggets/status/2062315803177881822] "Jesse Ridgway speaks out on death threats after ending pregnancy due to Down syndrome" Emily S. Martin, Los Angeles Times, June 4, 2026 https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2026-06-04/jesse-ridgway-says-couple-ended-pregnancy-post-down-syndrome-diagnosis [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2026-06-04/jesse-ridgway-says-couple-ended-pregnancy-post-down-syndrome-diagnosis] "Mom of Son with Down Syndrome 'Vehemently Disagrees' with View It 'Isn't a Blessing'" Kayla Grant, People https://people.com/mom-of-son-with-down-syndrome-disagrees-not-a-blessing-amid-jesse-ridgway-comments-exclusive-11992515 [https://people.com/mom-of-son-with-down-syndrome-disagrees-not-a-blessing-amid-jesse-ridgway-comments-exclusive-11992515] Living With Down Syndrome Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — an overview of the health implications associated with Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), including congenital heart defects, hearing and vision loss, hypothyroidism, and sleep apnea. https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/living-with-down-syndrome/index.html [https://www.cdc.gov/birth-defects/living-with-down-syndrome/index.html] "Abortion Experiences, Knowledge, and Attitudes Among Women in the U.S." KFF Women's Health Survey, 2024 — includes data on abortion rates among women who identify as pro-life (8%) versus pro-choice (17%). https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/abortion-experiences-knowledge-attitudes-among-u-s-women-2024-womens-health-survey/ [https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/abortion-experiences-knowledge-attitudes-among-u-s-women-2024-womens-health-survey/] Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) Survey The Arc, 2023 — documents the financial strain, chronic illness, and mental health burdens facing caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. https://thearc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FINDS-Community-Report-2023.pdf [https://thearc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/FINDS-Community-Report-2023.pdf] "Down Syndrome Births Rise Unexpectedly" NPR Shots (Health News Blog) https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2009/12/down_syndrome_births_rise_unex.html [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2009/12/down_syndrome_births_rise_unex.html] "Study: Down Syndrome Births Up" NPR https://www.npr.org/2009/12/01/120994683/study-down-syndrome-births-up [https://www.npr.org/2009/12/01/120994683/study-down-syndrome-births-up] “Abortion Experiences, Knowledge, and Attitudes Among Women in the U.S.” KFF Women’s Health Survey https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/abortion-experiences-knowledge-attitudes-among-u-s-women-2024-womens-health-survey/ [https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/abortion-experiences-knowledge-attitudes-among-u-s-women-2024-womens-health-survey/]

Pure Hell: The Rise and Fall of Purity Culture

Inspired by Jen Hatmaker’s 2025 memoir Awake, Lisa and Heather take a deep dive into the hellscape that is evangelical Christian purity culture. A generation ago, purity culture was having a moment. Some of Hollywood’s most popular young actors and teen pop stars were publicly declaring their intention to abstain from sex until marriage. The media responded with a creepy level of curiosity about the sex lives of famous teens. And the buzz all this anti-sex talk created helped grow a movement that affected millions of teens, tweens, and young adult. Now many of these now-adults are renouncing so-called purity culture and talking about the dark side of the movement. Purity culture survivors say the movement pressured young people to embrace an extreme definition of abstinence, made those who failed to do so feel unlovable and unclean, and created an atmosphere that fostered sexual abuse, blaming victims and protecting abusers. We talk about the origins of the movement, why it’s losing steam, and how survivors are creating safe spaces for those seeking help and healing. Trigger warning: In this episode we talk about rape, sexual coercion, and other forms of sexual and emotional abuse. If you’re a survivor of religious trauma, please consider reaching out to: The Reclamation Collective https://www.reclamationcollective.com/ [https://www.reclamationcollective.com/] Sources: Awake, by Jen Hatmaker, 2025 “Evangelical Purity Culture and Its Discontents,” by Kathryn House and Sara Moslener, Theology & Sexuality, 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13558358.2024.2332976 [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13558358.2024.2332976] “How an Abstinence Pledge in the ’90s Shamed a Generation of Evangelicals” by Clyde Haberman, New York Times, 2021 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/us/abstinence-pledge-evangelicals.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/us/abstinence-pledge-evangelicals.html] https://retroreport.org/video/shamed-by-sex-survivors-of-the-purity-movement-confront-the-past/ [https://retroreport.org/video/shamed-by-sex-survivors-of-the-purity-movement-confront-the-past/] “Findings from the 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study,” Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/ [https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/decline-of-christianity-in-the-us-has-slowed-may-have-leveled-off/] Ganster Capitalism, Season 3 https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/introducing-season-3-gangster-capitalism-jerry-falwell/id1460320573 [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/introducing-season-3-gangster-capitalism-jerry-falwell/id1460320573?i=1000522881647]   “Liberty University Fined $14 Million for Mishandling Sex Assaults and Other Crimes,” by Zack Montague, New York Times, 2024 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/us/politics/liberty-university-fine-crime-sexual-assaults.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/us/politics/liberty-university-fine-crime-sexual-assaults.html] ““The Liberty Way”: How Liberty University Discourages and Dismisses Students’ Reports of Sexual Assaults,” ProPublica, 2021 https://www.propublica.org/article/the-liberty-way-how-liberty-university-discourages-and-dismisses-students-reports-of-sexual-assaults [https://www.propublica.org/article/the-liberty-way-how-liberty-university-discourages-and-dismisses-students-reports-of-sexual-assaults] “Abuse of Faith,” Houston Chronicle, 2019 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/abuse-of-faith/ [https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/abuse-of-faith/] “Josh Duggar Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison in Child Sex Abuse Image Case,” NBC News, 2022 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/josh-duggar-sentenced-12-years-prison-child-sex-abuse-image-case-rcna30577 [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/josh-duggar-sentenced-12-years-prison-child-sex-abuse-image-case-rcna30577]