Cramped Podcast Launches: The Silent Epidemic Of Period Pain

ALSO...Podcast Beacon: Your Indie Podcast Takes Center Stage

Cramped Podcast Launches: The Silent Epidemic Of Period Pain

Let's talk what is collectively described as a cramp. For most men, cramping is a condition brought about from dehydration, excessive physical activity, or just getting old. In effect, the pain is episodic and may only last for a few minutes or even a few seconds.

Now, let's ask women about cramps. That's a totally different story. The pain is monthly, often excruciating, lasting for days or becoming chronic, and affecting women's lives, quality of life, and often produces eye rolls from men who don't know what they don't know about menstrual cramps.

It's a canon of U.S. health care that men, especially white men, get gold-standard health care while other groups -- women, people of color, LGBTQ advocates, and neurodivergent people often suffer from neglect, lack of understanding, and ignorance.

Thankfully, independent podcasting and Kate Helen Downey have come to the rescue.

Produced in partnership with the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society, and Culture initiative and the Arkansas Podcast Collaborative, this new podcast from acclaimed producer and storyteller Kate Helen Downey (Wondery's Diss & Tell) tackles the staggering lack of research and understanding around menstrual pain—and how that neglect ripples through health, economics, and everyday life.

CRAMPED: One Nerd’s Quest to Understand Period Pain pulls back the curtain on one of the medical world’s most dismissed mysteries: why do we know so little about period pain?

Over the course of 10 episodes, listeners join Downey on a deeply personal, often hilarious, and hopeful quest to uncover why period pain has been dismissed for so long—and what it will take to fix it. Drawing from her own two-decade battle with “death cramps,”

Kate interviews top experts, patient advocates, and fellow “crampers”. From TikTok wellness scams to groundbreaking lab research,CRAMPEDis equal parts science, storytelling, and cathartic comedy about a problem that affects millions but is still treated like a punchline—or worse, ignored entirely. As Downey puts it,“Because having a microphone gets you more answers than having a uterus.”

Upcoming episodes tackle topics like:
●What actually causes period cramps, what treatments exist, and why so many people get stuck in 'limbo', withDr. Karen Tang, a leading gynecologist & author
●The surprising ways TV and media shape women’s health,withMadeline Di Nonno, President & CEO of the Geena Davis Institute.
●A field trip to a cutting-edge research labfinally working to uncover the causes of period pain.
●Patient advocates helping Congress craft a bill for women’s healthcare funding, featuringJonelle Henry, co-founder of the White Dress Project.
●How much period pain is costing the GDPand what can be done about it?
●Why severe period pain is so often dismissedor mistreated in emergency situations withDr. Darien Sutton, ER doctor and ABC News medical correspondent.

And one of Kate’s favorite parts? Talking to fellow crampers like podcaster Sydney Battle about how they cope. “After years of trying to deal with this pain alone, I didn’t expect to have so much fun talking about something that hurts so much,” Kate shares. “This podcast is for anyone who deals with period pain, loves someone who does, or is simply curious about why something so common is still so misunderstood.”

Kate Downey has built a career turning complex topics into entertaining and accessible stories. As the creator of CRAMPED, she draws on her background producing hit podcasts like Diss
and Tell and Glamorous Trash, live shows for hit podcasts like Revisionist History and

Scamfluencers, and her work co-founding the acclaimed science comedy venue Caveat NYC.

Each episode empowers listeners with knowledge, builds a sense of community for those who have felt isolated by their experiences, and pushes for systemic change. In essence, listeners will be able to laugh and cry at the podcast.

Check out Cramped. While I am sure that the audience is largely pre-menopausal women, it is incumbent on all of us (I'm looking at you, men) to understand how menstrual cramps seriously impact the quality of life of the women in our lives.

I remember once being in a supermarket and seeing a male neighbor in the feminine hygiene aisle. He appeared embarrassed and blurted out, "I had to buy these for my wife. I don't want to know anything about, you know, her period."

I narrowed my eyes and said, "I hope she doesn't have that attitude if you ever suffer from erectile dysfunction."

Follow the conversation and join the community at katehelendowney.substack.com.

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Podcast Beacon: Your Indie Podcast Takes Center Stage

Podcast discoverability continues to be a chronic issue for thousands of independent podcasters. Shows that shine in their genre, or more importantly, redefine a genre with outlandish freshness of content or style, languish in the dustbin of neglect.

Clearly, the spark of innovation or the flash of inspiration in a podcast are not enough to attract ears. What's an independent podcaster to do? Trying to match marketing budgets with a Spotify or Wondery is like David without his sling and stones battling Goliath.

Making it as seamless as possible to access your episodes is an important step. Today, I'm introducing a tool for indie podcasters to use that is inexpensive, utilitarian, and effective in driving traffic to your podcast.

Rest assured that no one at Ear Worthy has any financial link to this product. We learned our lesson after, three years ago, we invested all the company's money in FTX Cryptocurrency and Sam Bankman-Fried.

Introducing the Podcast Beacon, with a series of NFC-Enabled accessories for marketing your podcast.

Using near-field communications technology, someone taps a podcast beacon and a notification on their phone takes that person directly to a profile page or directly to a link of their choice.

Beacons currently come as key fobs or bracelets, but more options are on the way.

As the chief evangelist, you meet hundreds of people and your podcast is -- hopefully -- your chief topic of discussion. What are the chances that people will remember your podcast and how to find it after a conversation? How about a simple tap and that leads them directly to your podcast episodes?

For indie podcasters, the podcast beacon is ideal for in-person interactions, networking events or at a podcast convention like the February's On Air Fest or Podcast Movement later this year.

Thankfully, the designers of the Podcast Beacon are indie podcasters themselves.

Mathew Passy brings his 15 years of experience in the podcasting industry as a leading consultant and equipment expert. He has worked with individual professionals, small businesses, and even Fortune 500 companies. He is also the host of the Podcasting Tech podcast.

Joe Gangemi is the Co-Founder & Studio Director at Suite Recording - a premiere podcast studio and mobile recording outfit in South Jersey.

A veteran audio/video podcast editor and studio designer with over 10 years of experience in the construction space, Joe understands what goes into a podcast in all phases.

Both Mathew and Joe are active and critical members of the Southern New Jersey / Philadelphia podcast scene. We know them. Through their company, Custom Podcast Solutions, Mathew and Joe produce these innovative podcast marketing products, along with other clever solutions to help indie podcasters thrive.

Mathew Passy says: "The NFC-enabled podcasters' bracelet is a sleek and stylish accessory. This innovative bracelet allows you to effortlessly share your show with new acquaintances in person."

Joe Gangemi continues: "With a simple tap of their Apple or Android device, curious listeners can instantly access your podcast's latest episodes, exclusive content, or social media links. This seamless integration of technology and personal branding enhances networking opportunities and fosters connections between podcasters and their audience. Perfect for that meetup or convention you plan on attending."

There are, of course, other companies that manufacture similar products. The problem is that they're not independent podcasters like Mathew and Joe. It's the old, "takes one to know one" scenario. These guys know their stuff. They also design podcast studios for companies, brands and individuals.

If you think you could use this marketing tool -- the podcast beacon --check out the Custom Podcast Store. If you are interested in purchasing more than a handful, contact them at Custom Podcast Solutions to discuss options for bulk ordering. There is also a new software subscription that makes the beacons very powerful, including analytics, managing multiple beacons, customization options, and their redirect-redirect option. If you join their affiliate program, you can also benefit from sharing this new concept with others.

I use them all the time. The other day, I had my car in for service at the local Hyundai dealer. I told him about Ear Worthy when I dropped the car off, and asked him to scan my car fob. When he returned the car serviced two hours later ("no, I don't want the fuel injection cleaning service for the hundredth time!"), he had scanned the key fob and had read several articles on Ear Worthy.

There are so many superb independent podcasts out there -- Getting Personal About Plant Medicine, Tails And Tassels, Silvertongues, The Hole Truth, UnReality -- that just one listen after scanning a key fob will create listeners for life.