Coming Together for Sexual Health

About Coming Together for Sexual Health

Coming Together for Sexual Health is a podcast for providers and advocates passionate about health equity and inclusive care. We unpack both the how and the why of improving sexual and reproductive health. From root structural problems to improvements in clinical care, we keep the attention on people most impacted by STIs, HIV, and emerging infectious diseases. Powered by leading sexual health trainers at UCSF’s California Prevention Training Center, join our sex-positive conversations with expert clinicians, public health leaders, and community members wherever you get your podcasts. Find us at ComingTogetherPod.com and @ComingTogetherPod on Instagram.

Publisher

California Prevention Training Center, UCSF

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

8 Feb 2021

Latest episode

30 Apr 2025

Latest episodes

3 of 53 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   30 Apr 2025TRANSCRIPT

   The Pelvic Floor: A Doctor and Her Patient Hold it Together

   A small leak during a big laugh might hint towards a bigger story. In this episode exploring the pelvic floor, Dr. Olga Ramm and patient Nicole Curutchet answer the age-old question- what's really going on down there? Nicole Curutchet starts off by sharing her experience of developing pelvic floor prolapse, which felt like a “tampon that's halfway coming out.” She tackles the issue of finding the right provider, and shares about her surgery and recovery. On speaking out despite stigma, she says, “this is our bodies and it's the truth, and we don't want people to suffer, so why not talk about it?” For many people with vaginas, pelvic floor leakage, pain, and other symptoms, are often dismissed as just a fact of life. Dr. Ramm and Nicole argue that it doesn’t have to be that way. A variety of treatments exist for managing pelvic disorders, including physical therapy, insertable devices, and surgery. As Dr. Ramm reveals “birth remains the most common inciting injury to the pelvic floor...It's something that affects a whole lot of us.” Dr. Ramm also discusses research that shows that trauma of all kinds impacts the pelvic floor, “almost like a linear relationship between the number of adverse events that you report and the prevalence of chronic pelvic pain.” In a topic often characterized by silence, Dr. Ramm encourages providers to proactively ask about the pelvic floor. She emphasizes the value of informing patients about all the types of care available to them and respecting patient autonomy: “You don't have to follow a specific algorithm. Let the patient make the choice based on their individual values, their goals for themselves and their own personal case scenarios that they want to avoid.” Dr. Olga Ramm’s Website: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/dr-olga-ramm UCSF Center for Urogynecology and Women's Pelvic Health: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/center-for-urogynecology-and-womens-pelvic-health Study That Links Duration of Pushing Phase to Degree of Obstetric Anal Sphincter, Led By Dr. Olga Ramm Injuries: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29324610/ Chronic Pelvic Pain Society of North America: https://www.pelvicpain.org/public The Body Keeps the Score: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score Past episodes of our podcast to follow this one up: Vagina Obscura: A Conversation with Rachel E. Gross The Clitoris and Its Friends with Rachel Gross Dr. Olga Raam is the director of the UCSF Center for Urogynecology and Women's Pelvic Health. She specializes in pelvic floor disorders and performs reconstructive pelvic surgeries with a focus on minimally invasive and robotic techniques. In her research, Ramm investigates topics related to urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, including surgical outcomes, birth trauma, care equity, and patient consent. In addition to patient care, Ramm is passionate about surgical education. She has held leadership roles in undergraduate and graduate medical training for urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery at UCSF. Nicole Curutchet is an accomplished senior customer success manager. She has over 25 years of experience working with C-level relationships for a variety of Fortune 500 companies.

2. 

   15 Apr 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Is Permanent Contraception Always Fool Proof? Find out with Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Treder

   In this episode, Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz and Dr. Kelly Treder discuss the misconceptions of tubal sterilization, including debunking notions that is it 100% fool-proof, that the surgery is reversible, that it is more effective than other contraceptive options, or that there is little to no pain post-surgery. “I think we do have fairly widespread misunderstanding of what it means to have your tubes tied. A lot of people seem to have the understanding that that would be something you could easily untie and that it would be a procedure that you could undo,” Dr. Schwartz says. They highlight how important it is for providers to be transparent with patients about long-acting contraception options (arm implant, IUD, vasectomy) and their effectiveness with preventing pregnancy, side effects, cost, accessibility, and longevity compared to surgery. Because of this, it is crucial for providers to be informed about the nuances of different contraceptive options. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Treder provide firsthand insight into what difficult conversations surrounding contraceptives with patients can look like. “I think it's just our obligation to make sure that they know about all available options, that they're not arriving at this decision that they need to have a surgery because they think it's the only thing that's safe for them or the only thing that will work well for them,” says Dr. Schwartz. This episode is a follow up to S4 E5 Lesser-Known Forms of Birth Control and Downplayed Side-effects: Providing Empowering Contraceptive Carewith Dr. Karlin and health educator Mariana Horne. Click here to view the episode transcript. Resources recommended in the episode: Bedsider.org (https://www.bedsider.org/) is an online resource designed to help individuals explore, compare, and access birth control options. Bedsider offers a comprehensive description of various contraceptive methods, such as IUDs, implants, pills, and sterilization using interactive tools, real-life stories, and educational content. Advancing Access is a UCSF resource that provides clear, evidence-based information on long-acting reversible and non-reversible birth control methods, including costs, benefits, and where to access care. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/index.htm - National Survey of Family Growth CAPTC related trainings and resources - Shared Decision Making in Contraceptive Counseling - Person-Centered Contraception Counseling for Family Pact Clients - Same-Day Placement of LARC: Solutions to Common Barriers Brief Bio Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz Dr. Schwartz, MD is a professor of medicine at UCSF and the chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital. She has a particular interest in identifying ways to meet the needs of diverse populations, including women with chronic medical conditions and other underserved populations. Dr. Treder Dr. Kelly Treder, MD, MPH, is a board-certified OB-GYN at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor of OB-GYN at Boston University School of Medicine. She specializes in family planning and is committed to health equity.

3. 

   5 Mar 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Positive Women’s Network: Liberation as Women Living with HIV

   Marnina "the Queen" Miller- a human rights activist and co-executive director at the Positive Women’s Network (PWN)- recounts her journey living with HIV as a young woman in the American South, finding a sense of belonging in the national community of PWN, and spearheading initiatives for HIV advocacy and treatment for people of all backgrounds. Marnina discusses some of the unique challenges that Black women face within their communities as they search for inclusive care and acceptance after HIV diagnosis. She also delves deep into the world of policy, closely examining how political advocacy can impact HIV criminalization and reproductive rights. Marnina highlights the importance of coming together to provide comprehensive sexual health education. She emphasizes moving past equity and towards liberation from HIV stigma: “I want liberation... I don't want equity. I don't want equality. I want liberation. I want to be free of HIV stigma.” Read the transcript of the episode. About Positive Women’s Network Marnina Miller’s LinkedIn & Instagram Marnina Miller is a highly accomplished human rights activist, speaker, trainer, and social media strategist with a profound commitment to fostering positive change in society. She is currently the Co-Executive Director of the Positive Women’s Network- a nationwide group that fosters support, care, and community for women living with HIV. Link to Past Episodes with Similar Content: Monica Gandhi, MD: HIV as a Movement, Not Just an Infection The Clitoris and Its Friends: The Anatomy of Pleasure with Rachel Gross Intimacy Starts with I: Women, Self Love, and HIV with Michelle Lopez

Inside a recent episode

The Pelvic Floor: A Doctor and Her Patient Hold it Together

Published 30 Apr 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And then they just really get to a threshold where they can't normalize it anymore. And so I felt like with Nicole, because she was in to see someone, you know, it was very clear that there was a sense of urgency around it, etc., And I think one of my primary thrusts with patients like that is to kind of just say, this isn't life threatening. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, it's a nuisance. No, it's not normal, but also we have good solutions for this and it's not a tumor. It's not going to kill you. Right. And I think like, was that helpful for you to hear? Oh my gosh, that was helpful. I mean, that was also helpful again for my husband to hear that too. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

358,692

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 78 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

83

Social presence

91

YouTube

86

Engagement

51

Contact Coming Together for Sexual Health

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.