Dr.Sophia, ObGyn - Embrace your body. Embrace yourself.

Black Maternal Health week is from April 11 to April 17. The statistics are still dire: black pregnant women die 3 to 4 times more than the rate of white women. You read that correctly 3x-4x more in today's United States! In this episode, we talk to an amazing politician and activist around Black Maternal Health, Antonio Reynoso -. the current Brooklyn Borough President. He is not only completely committed to this important issue, ...

Herpes. It’s a word that people don’t even like to say. It has a lot of negative connotations and is the pun of jokes…and it shouldn’t. In this episode we talk openly about all different aspects of herpes: what it truly is, how it’s transmitted, its symptoms, its management, how to talk about it with your partner, how your sex life is not over, cold sores, etc. We also address head on the “bad rap” of herpes as being portrayed as a...

Our very own co-host, Touseef Mirza, has entered menopause and is curious on whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a good option for her. In this episode, we get personal and go over her lab results and address all the questions she has on what is being measured and why we need to consider the different bloodwork elements to understand what is happening from a menopause standpoint. This is the second installment of this seri...

Perimenopause and menopause can cause many symptoms that can go under the radar, such as mental health issues and how it can affect your menstrual cycle. In this episode, we go through the basics of perimenopause and menopause, explain why changes are occurring in your body, how these stages can affect a woman’s life in minor to major ways, and what you can do to alleviate symptoms. Dr. Sophia also shares the personal stories of 2 ...

Happy New Year Everyone! We are celebrating the New Year of 2025 with the ultimate concept of a new beginning…which is birth. In this episode, Dr. Sophia shares why she is still enthralled by the magic of birthing as an ObGyn. She also explains different aspects that can help the birthing process be a more healthy and enjoyable experience for both the mother and the baby. In essence, we are all magical beings as we all went through...

The first period in a girl’s life is momentous but can feel confusing, overwhelming, and even scary. So it’s good to know the basics of what happens during the first period so that it’s less daunting. Also, if you are a caretaker of a girl who might be getting her period soon, or has started her period, we talk through how you can address this potentially uncomfortable conversation so that the girl understands what is going on and ...

STD/STI testing is not just meant for when we are in our twenties and/or when we are not in a monogamous relationship. In this podcast, through an actual patient story, we talk about why it’s important to get routine STD/STI testing no matter our relationship status – without shame. Basically, if you are having sex with someone, even if it’s with your significant other, you should get STD/STI testing in order to take care of your h...

In celebration of the 1st year Anniversary of the Dr Sophia, ObGyn podcast, Touseef shares her favorite episode from the past year “To endure or not to endure.” On this podcast, we openly explore why it is that women may not seek certain medical care or treatment in order to not feel pain and/or to feel better. Is it a rational decision? Does it stem from conditioning? Or something else? For example, we discuss menopause and hormon...

In celebration of the 1st year Anniversary of the Dr Sophia, ObGyn podcast, Dr. Sophia shares her favorite episode from the past year “Can I Touch You.” In this episode, we talk about why it’s important for doctors to ask to touch patients before they examine them, how patients’ bodies are to be honored and respected by health care professionals, and how we can advocate for ourselves in a way that cultivates mutual respect and good...

Considering that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are on a quest to actually have a wider conversation about breasts, namely breast pain. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground in terms of what constitutes breast pain, when it occurs, why it occurs – either before menopause and after menopause–, if it is an indication of breast cancer, how to alleviate breast pain, etc. We also talk about why you should not be anxiou...

Do you know what vaginal health is? This is a topic that is rarely talked about. So in this episode we talk openly and in detail about aspects you need to know about your vagina: including how it smells like, its pH environment, its microbiome, yeast infections, bacterial vaginitis (BV) infections….and Dr. Sophia’s favorite subject, vaginal discharge (or vaginal secretions)! Join us and get ready to hear about so many things you wo...

Perimenopause seems elusive…until it hits you. Dr. Sophia is going through this personally, and it is quite a whirlwind. Listen as she explains, even as an ObGyn who deals with perimenopausal patients all the time, actually experiencing these symptoms first hand are surprising and almost…unbelievable. One of the reasons why it’s shocking is that we go through perimenopause at a time in our lives where we are in our vibrant 40s and ...

It’s your choice! You get to decide what is best for yourself and your health because it’s your body. We are absolutely delighted to have Dr. Sandy Dorcelus, ObGyn, as our guest for today’s show. Dr. Dorcelus specializes in family planning and she joins us for an important and candid conversation on all things related to abortion, women’s health, and a women’s right to choose. We go through the basics of abortion, stigmas surroundi...

Did you know that there are at least 8 options for birth control? Most of us know only a few, and don’t know what they do exactly, or their pros and cons clearly. In this episode, we go through all forms of birth control from the pill, patch, ring, injectables, IUD, implants, condoms, vaginal gel, spermicide, and sterilization. We describe each of them, how to use them, the timeframe in which they are used, whether they are hormona...

We have a tendency to view doctors as “Gods” when it comes to making decisions for our health care. We feel that doctors always have the right and only answer(s) and that we are left to abide by them. But that is not so, as Dr. Sophia explains, each one of us as individuals have agency, have a say, in our health. In today’s episode, we explore why this is important and how we can address this. For example, we can do this by listeni...