Bodies
Each episode of this documentary series begins with a medical mystery. Sometimes the sickness is in the body, and sometimes the sickness is in the system. Once you peel back the layers, more questions emerge. Created by Allison Behringer and supported by KCRW.
S4 E6 · Wed, June 07, 2023
The Fight for Abortion Training
The overturning of Roe v. Wade has severely restricted how doctors can access training in abortion care and it’s already having a devastating ripple effect on patients seeking all kinds of reproductive care. Two medical residents in abortion-restricted states fight for training and for the future health of their patients. Plus, the centuries-long battle over who gets access to abortion training in the first place. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies .
Bonus · Tue, June 06, 2023
From This is Uncomfortable: The Price of Eggs
From This is Uncomfortable, we bring you the story of Ashleigh Griffin. She hoped the fertility industry could put her on the road to financial stability. But the decision to donate her eggs had some unexpected costs.
S4 E5 · Wed, May 31, 2023
The Fourth Trimester
Jess was overjoyed when she got pregnant. But after giving birth, her reality spiraled out of control. She didn’t know it, but she had postpartum psychosis, a mental health condition that occurs after about 1 in every 500 births. Read the full transcript here .
S4 E4 · Wed, May 17, 2023
Early Birds
Puberty is starting younger and younger, especially estrogen-dominant puberty. We talk to three kids and one teen about extra early puberty and the funny, scary, embarrassing and joyful experiences that come with it. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies .
Bonus · Wed, May 10, 2023
From Embodied: Child-Free not Childless
From the Embodied podcast, we bring you “Decided: Child-Free not Childless.” Embodied host Anita Rao has interrogated many aspects of parenthood. But how about the decision to become a parent at all? She talks with three women about making their child-free decisions and meets a psychotherapist who's devoted her career to helping people find clarity in that choice.
S4 E4 · Wed, May 03, 2023
The Great Beyond
Angelina Fanous has been living with ALS for nearly a decade. She is almost fully paralyzed and losing her ability to speak. As she prepares for death, she’s thinking about the story she’ll leave behind. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies.
S4 E3 · Wed, April 26, 2023
Diverging
No matter how hard producer Hannah Harris Green tried, there were certain areas of life where she found herself to be deficient. Until she realized that a diagnosis could help relieve her shame instead of adding to it. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies .
S4 E2 · Wed, April 19, 2023
Touch
A vending machine ritual, a life-changing massage, a spiffy velvet outfit and a belly full of caterpillars. Four stories of touch. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies .
Trailer · Wed, April 05, 2023
Trailer: Season 4
Sneak peek: Bodies, new season 4 is full of medical mysteries and self-discovery. New episodes coming April 19.
S3 E6 · Wed, December 01, 2021
Reading the Signs of your Body
Growing up and going through puberty, the only thing many of us learned about the menstrual cycle was the period part. But there’s so much more to it. How charting the cycle’s fertile signs can be the basis for an effective method of contraception. And, how it saved a woman’s pregnancy.
S3 E5 · Wed, November 17, 2021
Not your average
This week, the FDA will make a decision on whether or not to approve the first ever treatment for achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. But not everyone is celebrating. This controversial treatment is forcing parents of children with achondroplasia to grapple with an age-old question: What’s best for my child?
Bonus · Fri, November 12, 2021
Bodies Bonus: Six Inches
When Cody went online to search for a prosthetic penis, he couldn’t find anything that met his needs. But when he realized he could create his own prosthetic, he also realized that this was how he could earn a living. Now he has a business that primarily serves other trans people looking for prosthetic genitals.
S3 E4 · Wed, November 03, 2021
Carved from Secrets
When River was first told that something was wrong with their body, they didn’t think it was that big a deal. But the medical system and their parents disagreed. Outside pressure to make River “normal” would cause them tremendous pain and turmoil — until they discovered there’s more than one right way to be a human.
S3 E3 · Wed, October 20, 2021
LA’s toxic secret
An elementary school in L.A. County was built on a contaminated site and made its community sick — How that community came together to demand change, and a controversial plan to build a new school.
Bonus · Wed, October 13, 2021
Indie Spotlight: “Infinities”
On today’s indie spotlight, we share “Infinities,” by Boen Wang. It’s about mental illness, toxic workplace environments, Egyptian Rat Screw, and the nature of infinity. Find more of Boen’s work at Boen.cool .
S3 E2 · Wed, October 06, 2021
Do Less Harm
Lill lives in Appalachian West Virginia — it’s coal country, and it’s also the overdose capital of the United States. An increasingly dangerous drug supply and a lack of safe supplies like clean syringes leave people who use drugs vulnerable to disease and death. Lill is trying to fill that gap, providing safe supplies and care all over West Virginia — even as the government tries to stop them.
S3 E1 · Wed, September 22, 2021
Something Extra
Kelly was in her 20s in the 1980s and she was determined enjoy sex without shame...until she got an STI she’d never heard of. And so she married the first person who accepted her. When stigma is all around, it can take decades to break free and find pleasure.
Trailer · Wed, September 15, 2021
Trailer: Season 3
Trailer: Season 3
S2 E3 · Tue, December 29, 2020
Special Programming from Bodies Podcast
KCRW’s Bodies podcast is a documentary show about medical mysteries. Each episode follows one person’s story to uncover the forces that shape their health. Host Allison Behringer guides us through two stories in this one hour special.
S2 E9 · Tue, October 20, 2020
Listen to Appearances
From the brand new podcast Appearances, by Sharon Mashihi, we bring you “Episode 04: Last Ditch Effort.” Appearances is an audio mind trip about an Iranian American woman, the family she carries around in her head, and the family that she wants to have. Listen and subscribe.
S2 E8 · Wed, May 27, 2020
Changing Shape
Nico is obsessed with counting calories. But this compulsion to monitor food doesn’t line up with how they see themself. Why does Nico want parts of their body to disappear? Why isn’t eating disorder treatment working?
S2 E7 · Wed, May 13, 2020
Not This Again
Angelina was a journalist living in Brooklyn when she was diagnosed with ALS. She now lives with her parents. How do you stay true to yourself when you rely on others to keep you alive? More of the episode here .
Bonus · Wed, May 06, 2020
Listen to Here Be Monsters
Is your body more like a machine or a body of water? An excerpt from Here Be Monsters , a KCRW podcast about fear and the unknown.
S2 E5 · Wed, April 29, 2020
Invisible Impact
Stacie escaped her abusive partner. But eight years later, her inner world was still in disarray. Why wasn’t she better? And why did it take her so long to leave?
S2 E4 · Wed, April 15, 2020
Postpartum in a Pandemic
ShiShi was in labor for 12 days. She gave birth, only to find herself at home in isolation during a pandemic. She’s also a doula, so her job is to support people through pregnancy and postpartum. What’s her advice for parents? How is she coping herself?
S2 E3 · Wed, April 01, 2020
The Cost of Silky Soft
Johnson & Johnson knew its baby powder contained asbestos but kept selling it and specifically marketed the product to Black women. Krystal is one of thousands of women who claimed J&J’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer. How did normal body odors become racialized? Who determines if our products are safe?
S2 E2 · Wed, March 18, 2020
Not Tested on Humans
Why did it take doctors years to figure out that a medical device was the cause of Melynda’s debilitating pain? How did this dangerous vaginal mesh get implanted in millions of women?
S2 E1 · Wed, March 04, 2020
Uncontrollable Orgasms
Orgasms are supposed to feel good. But for Angie, they’re painful and spontaneous. Anything can trigger the horny feelings: Bumpy bus rides, loud music, even a hug from her mom. What’s causing Angie’s body to go haywire? This episode of Bodies is about the connection between desire and arousal.
Trailer · Wed, February 26, 2020
Trailer: Season 2
Season 2 of Bodies coming March 4, 2020.
Trailer · Wed, January 22, 2020
Update: Season 2
Bodies is coming back! Season 2 will launch on March 4, 2020. Join Bodies Facebook Group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/BodiesPodcast/ Email us: allison@bodiespodcast.com Follow us: @bodiespodcast
S1 E7 · Wed, October 17, 2018
Unraveling
In a lot of ways, menopause is like puberty. Your hormones are changing and setting off a whole host of bodily changes. It’s something that happens to half the population, but still, it’s full of mysteries. In this episode we hear from Lisa Hartman and another woman who you’ve heard from once before. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group .
S1 E6 · Wed, October 03, 2018
Refusing to Feed
New parents have one job: keep the baby alive. But what happens when the baby won’t eat? Vivian Chen is a trained family doctor, but when she can’t figure out what’s wrong with her own newborn, she must reckon with the shortcomings of her medical training. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group here . Nothing is off the table and everyone is welcome.
S1 E5 · Wed, September 19, 2018
The Bodies Award
Host Allison Behringer plays the three finalists from the KCRW Radio Race “Bodies Award.” She takes us behind the scenes and explains why she chose these short stories. Each piece was created by independent producers in just one day as part of KCRW’s 24-Hour Radio Race. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/ . Nothing is off the table and everyone is welcome.
S1 E4 · Wed, September 05, 2018
Other Than
Jeromey is sixteen when the hair appears on her cheeks. She thinks she’s transforming into a monster. Stuck in a world where beauty begets womanhood, Jeromey creates her own sexuality and power. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/ . Nothing is off the table and everyone is welcome.
S1 E3 · Wed, August 22, 2018
Anxious Mess
For Reese, the hum of daily life isn't a hum at all. It's exhausting, disorienting and always out of her grasp. What people assume about her work as a stripper is just one of the false assumptions that she must overcome. It isn’t until she starts talking to women in an online forum that she begins to find answers. Join the conversation in our Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/
S1 E2 · Wed, August 08, 2018
Bleeding
KalaLea has terrible, awful periods. But don’t a lot of women? Well, yes and no. After more than a decade of suffering, KalaLea discovers that the cause of the pain is common for Black women like herself, but far from normal. Join the conversation in our Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/
S1 E1 · Wed, July 25, 2018
Sex Hurts
For Bodies host Allison Behringer, sex suddenly becomes painful. This is her journey to find out why. Join the conversation in our Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/ . Nothing is off the table, and everyone is welcome.
Trailer · Mon, July 23, 2018
Bodies Trailer
“What’s wrong with me?” Bodies is a new documentary series that begins as a medical mystery. But once you peel back the layers, more questions emerge.
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