Allison Behringer on Sexual Shame and its Effect on Sexual Health, Medical Mysteries, Women Taking Control of Their Bodies and Their Lives

Allison Behringer, host of the documentary podcast Bodies, joins Tristan to talk about the women (and marginalized genders) whose stories she shares along with their medical mysteries. It’s a fascinating show where the interviews are deeply personal and intimate, yet what we learn has far-reaching consequences beyond one person’s life. She covers painful sex, medical devices, the pill, vaginal mesh, menopause, ALS, PGAD (persistent genital arousal disorder) and more. And she employs a collaborative method to center her subjects in their stories so they have the space and the power to tell their truths. We discussed discrimination in health care, the detrimental effects of shame, how women’s symptoms are trivialized, and how to be an advocate for your own health care. Plus, we delve into her own medical mystery—which involved painful penetration and sex—and the journey to solve it.

 

Allison Behringer is a Brooklyn-based a narrative audio journalist and podcast producer. She is the creator, host and producer of Bodies, a feminist documentary podcast, supported by NPR-affiliate KCRW and Webby-nominated for Best Documentary. Each episode is the journey of one person (specifically women and marginalized genders) to solve their medical mystery. It combines intimate, nuanced storytelling with health reporting to uncover the layers that affect health, like racism, sexism, and capitalism. She got her start in podcasting as the host and producer of The Intern, a first-person narrative documentary about navigating the startup tech world at betaworks and living in NYC.