They Didn't Teach Us This in Sex Ed!

This episode includes discussion of stillbirth and maternal death. Before we’re born, we’re all inside humans. That’s how obstetrician Dr Rosie Townsend describes babies in the womb, and it sums up the problem perfectly. We can monitor a pregnant woman’s blood pressure, measure her baby’s heart rate and use ultrasound to see inside the womb. But we can’t examine, touch or talk to an inside human the way we can any other patient. So when it comes to understanding how a pregnancy is progressing, and predicting when something might go wrong, modern medicine has some surprising blind spots. In this episode of They Didn't Teach Us This in Sex Ed! , Dr Rosie Townsend, obstetrician and researcher, joins Erin to explore why predicting risk in pregnancy is so difficult, how this shapes decisions about birth, and how new research could transform maternity care. From the risks of planned and emergency caesarean sections to the challenge of predicting stillbirth, Rosie explains why identifying a pregnancy as high risk isn't enough. We also need to know when a baby might be in danger and when intervention is justified. Rosie shares her fascinating research into wearable sensors, changes in maternal heart rate and imaging the blood vessels at the back of the eye, techniques that could help clinicians understand how an individual woman's body adapts to pregnancy and identify complications earlier. We also explore why personalised risk assessment matters, how better monitoring could improve outcomes in both high- and low-resource settings, and why access to simple, effective maternity care remains vital to saving lives around the world. If we want to make better decisions about pregnancy and birth, we first need to understand what is happening inside the human we cannot directly see, examine or speak to. In this episode, you'll learn: Why predicting stillbirth is so difficult, and why identifying a high-risk pregnancy isn’t enough without knowing when a baby may be in danger. How the risks of vaginal birth, planned caesarean section and emergency caesarean section compare, and why decisions about birth are rarely straightforward. How wearable sensors and retinal imaging could reveal how a woman’s body adapts to pregnancy and help clinicians identify complications earlier. Why monitoring the mother and baby together, alongside better individualised risk assessment, could improve maternity care and save lives around the world. Rosie's work highlights a fundamental challenge in maternity care: we need to get better at distinguishing between pregnancies that are progressing normally and those where something is beginning to go wrong. That means developing better tools, but also giving women the information and time they need to make decisions about their own care. A note on the numbers: Rosie mentions three million stillbirths a year. The latest UN estimate is about 1.9 million stillbirths in 2023. If you’ve been affected by the loss of a baby, Sands and Tommy’s offer support. To find out more about Rosie’s work, visit her University of Edinburgh profile . Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube

In this episode, Dr John Reynolds-Wright discusses one of the most common outcomes of pregnancy and one of the least openly talked about: abortion. He explains what actually happens during an abortion, why the evidence on women's pain is so thin, and why a Victorian criminal law still decides who is allowed to provide abortion care today. Our conversation also covers whether telemedicine abortion really is as safe as being seen in clinic, the legal grey area between contraception and abortion that researchers call contragestion, and the myths about abortion that John would most like to see die. In this episode you'll learn: The 1967 Abortion Act doesn't give women a right to abortion. It gives doctors an exemption from prosecution under an 1861 law still sitting on the statute book, and it still takes two doctors' signatures Median blood loss for a medical abortion at eight weeks is about 70ml, just under the classic threshold for a heavy period Nobody proposes pain relief for a fetus during a vaginal birth and John asks why the question only arises around abortion A note on the law: this episode was recorded in May 2026. Since then, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 has removed criminal liability for women in England and Wales in relation to their own pregnancies, at any gestation. Nothing has changed for providers, and the framework John describes, including the two-doctor requirement, still stands. To find out more about John's work, visit his University of Edinburgh profile and the British Society of Abortion Care Providers website. You can find support and information at BPAS , MSI Reproductive Choices UK , NUPAS , NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot and the RCOG's patient information on abortion care. Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube

In this episode, Dr Lucy Whitaker discusses one of the most common yet least understood conditions in reproductive health: endometriosis. She explains what's actually happening in the body when cells similar to the womb lining grow elsewhere, why some women live with severe disease and no symptoms while others are in daily pain, and why the current one-size-fits-all approach to treatment doesn't reflect how differently this condition shows up in each person. The conversation also explores why diagnosis so often takes years, the ground-breaking ENDO 1000 project that's making research more accessible through at-home participation, and the search for new treatments - from repurposed drugs to CBD trials - that offer real hope for the future. In this episode you'll learn: Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women yet the amount of disease someone has doesn't reliably predict how much pain they're in Endometriosis doesn't stop when your period does; many women lose that cyclical pattern over time, and being told “it can't be endo” for that reason is a myth There's still no reliable blood test for endometriosis, which is a major reason average diagnosis takes years New research is opening up the potential for faster diagnosis and more personalised treatment To find out more about Lucy's work, visit the EXPPECT website and read about the groundbreaking ENDO 1000 project . You can find support and information at Endometriosis UK , Wellbeing of Women , and NHS Inform . Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube

In this episode Prof Colin Duncan and Prof Mick Rae reveal why Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) was never really about ovarian cysts and why the condition has now been renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS). The Profs explain what the name change means for people living with the condition, why PCOS/PMOS is much more than a reproductive disorder, and how changes in metabolism, hormones and even early fetal life may shape the development of the condition. From irregular periods and fertility challenges to weight gain, insulin resistance and new treatment approaches including GLP-1 medications, Colin and Mick explore the science behind one of the most common reproductive health conditions. They also take us behind the scenes of their pioneering research using sheep as a model to understand how PMOS develops and how discoveries in the lab could lead to better treatments and support for people affected by the condition. In this episode you’ll learn: Why PCOS was never actually caused by ovarian cysts and why the name is changing to PMOS How early life and fetal development may influence the risk of developing PMOS What current and future treatments could mean for people living with PMOS Why understanding PMOS as a whole-body condition could transform how it is diagnosed and treated To find out more about Colin and Mick's work, you can find them online: Duncan group Prof Mick Rae Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube

In this episode, Professor Rod Mitchell discusses the critical factors influencing fertility and reproductive health, emphasising that these factors begin much earlier than adulthood. He explores how early life experiences, environmental impacts, and medical treatments can affect future fertility. The conversation also delves into the importance of fertility preservation for children undergoing cancer treatment and the innovative techniques being developed in this field. Additionally, the episode addresses the ongoing decline in male fertility rates, and gives an insight into the future of reproductive health research. In this episode you’ll learn: Fertility is influenced by factors that begin before birth meaning fetal development and early life are crucial for future fertility Environmental factors impact reproductive health and conflicting information can be overwhelming, especially for pregnant women Male fertility is declining, but it might not be as bad as we think Fertility preservation is vital for children with cancer and recent successes in fertility preservation provide hope To discover more about Rod’s work you can find him on LinkedIn or follow him on X @RodTMitchell. You should also run out immediately and buy tickets to his upcoming Edinburgh Festival show ' SPERMAGEDDON - 30 Minutes to Save Humankind ' at the Stand Comedy Club! Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube

In this episode of The Didn't Teach Us This in Sex Ed podcast, we’re at the Fertility 2026 conference, where I managed to nab four experts for a quickie about their work, to give you a taste of what's to come. Professor Bola Grace tells us about the role of digital media in disseminating reproductive health information; Professor Paul Fowler explains the impact of environmental chemicals on fetal development; Dr Sugha Murugesu tells us about new advancements in miscarriage diagnosis; and Porsche racing driver Toby Trice shares his unique personal journey through male infertility and how he’s using his platform to raise awareness about male fertility issues. In this episode you’ll learn: How to navigate the wealth of reproductive health information online and how to find information you can trust Which environmental chemicals pose a risk to fetal development, and what steps we can take to minimise those risks How miscarriage diagnosis can be improved with more accurate thresholds, and what new clinical tools that are currently being developed to help women. How sharing personal experiences of infertility can help drive advocacy and awareness Plus, for the petrol heads, there's some fun facts about Toby's Porsche Cayman at the end! Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube

What if I told you that sex education only ever gave us part of the picture? That behind the awkward lessons and basic diagrams, there’s a much deeper picture about how our bodies work, and how our fertility is shaped, but that we were never taught? This is They Didn’t Teach Us This in Sex Ed . The official podcast from the Society for Reproduction and Fertility. In this series we get up close and personal with the world’s leading experts in reproductive health and fertility to bring you the latest science, insights, and practical takeaways we weren't taught, but probably should have been. Join us for fascinating conversations with the scientists and medics shaping this field. We’ll dive into breakthroughs in human fertility, uncover the weird and wonderful mating secrets of exotic species, tackle the controversies that spark debate, and deliver evidence-based answers without the jargon. (Well, maybe just a wee bit of jargon!) Please share and make sure you subscribe so you never miss a beat.... or a breakthrough! Hosted by Dr. Erin Williams @DrErinWill Theme Song: youth - ghost Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Free Download/Stream: http://ncs.io/youthghost Watch: http://ncs.lnk.to/AT/youtube