The Arc Woman Podcast

🧸 A teddy bear for a one-year-old must meet at least five safety standards before it can be sold in Australia. Vibrators, on the other hand, have no such requirements. In this episode, we look at the rules for children's toys compared to those for vibrators and dildos, and explore why sex toy regulation is an overlooked women's health issue.
⚖️ We compare how Australia, the US, EU, and UK handle sex toy regulations. Why Australia has no mandatory chemical limits or lab testing for sex toys, how the "therapeutic claim trapdoor" lets the industry dodge TGA oversight by never mentioning health, why "medical grade" is the sex toy equivalent of "all natural," and how the EU caps phthalates at 0.1% by law.
🧬 We discuss why no study has ever measured how much phthalate a person absorbs from an inserted toy and the limited research about phthalates, heavy metals like cadmium, and what's still untested, from silicone to jelly to TPE.
🦠 What about hygiene? HPV DNA can be found on porous toys even after cleaning. We talk through the link between shared and uncleaned toys and bacterial vaginosis, and 18,500 vibrator injuries in US emergency departments over two decades. Plus connected toys, data privacy, and the hacked app cases.
🛒 Learn which materials to favour, red flags for plasticisers, how to clean and store your toys, what to ask brands, and how to report an unsafe product to the ACCC (or your local equivalent) so the regulation conversation actually moves.

All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon.
🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.

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🎙️ In this episode I'm joined by Adelle Sushames, clinical psychologist, late-diagnosed AuDHDer, and founder of Nurture Clinical Psychology a specialist in diagnosing and supporting autistic women and girls across the lifespan. This one is personal for me, and I think a lot of you are going to hear yourselves in this conversation.
🧠 We cover why the diagnostic criteria were built on young white boys, what the female presentation of autism actually looks like, why girls become expert maskers before anyone even suspects a diagnosis, and how perimenopause can completely flip the way autism and ADHD show up in your day-to-day life.
⚡ Adelle breaks down the colour wheel model of autism, why high/low functioning language causes harm, what misdiagnoses women receive most often before getting an accurate one, and why "everyone's a little bit autistic" is not the supportive statement people think it is.
🩺 We also get into autistic burnout versus depression, spoon theory, the upcoming NDIS changes and what they mean for women with level one diagnoses, self-identification, and what Adelle wants every woman to know in the week after she receives a positive diagnosis.
Find Adelle at neurodivergentally.com and @neurodivergent_aly on Instagram. Her card decks NDM and Spoon Thieves and Spoon Savers are available on her website and work across all ages.
arcwoman.com.au
🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🔬 In this episode I'm joined by Alice Molloy endometriosis researcher at the University of Edinburgh, research technician on the landmark Endo1000 project, and someone who started reading peer-reviewed papers at 16 from her post-surgery bed because no one would tell her what was happening in her own body.
🧬 We get into the full science, the three subtypes of endometriosis, why lesions manufacture their own local estrogen supply, progesterone receptor loss, how the immune system is actively recruited to protect lesions instead of clearing them, and why the co-occurrence of autoimmune conditions, histamine intolerance, and gut dysfunction is mechanistically predictable.
⚡ Alice breaks down what's actually coming in treatment the precision peptide just approved by the FDA for human trials, dichloroacetate and the Epic 2 randomised trial currently underway at Edinburgh, the androgen biomarker finding showing a specific 11-ketotestosterone signature in over 95% of endometriosis patients, and where the saliva microRNA test actually sits in the peer review process.
📰 We also talk about The Telegraph's "disability is trendy" article, why online chronic illness communities are a survival mechanism not a lifestyle choice, and what nine years average diagnostic delay becomes for women of colour.
Find Alice at @earthwithalice on Instagram and TikTok, and @wombdecoded for the fully referenced science content. Support or join the Endo1000 project at endo1000.com
arcwoman.com.au
🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ Everything you need to know about laparoscopies, with fertility specialist and surgeon Dr. Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor. Mostly framed around endometriosis, but still relevant if you're heading into a lap for PMOS or any other reason.
⚕️ A look at exactly what happens inside the theatre, from how a diagnostic lap differs from an excision, the gas-and-gravity technique surgeons use to get a clear view of the pelvis, and the infamous shoulder tip pain.
🩺 You’ll learn all the useful tips for pre-surgery prep like why iron and blood sugar control change your surgical risk and recovery, the ultrasound vs MRI conversation, and the discussion that every patient deserves to have before they’re on the table regarding fallopian tubes.
😰 The parts nobody prepares you for: what the theatre actually feels like, why patients describe feeling exposed, and why Dr Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor stands beside her patients right until they go under.
📅 We’ll discuss the 72 hour red flags that mean call your doctor immediately, what week one actually looks like (and why most people try to do too much), and what changes by week two, including when it's safe to return to exercise, driving, intercourse, and trying to conceive again.
🔬 Plus the excision vs. ablation debate, what it means when your lap comes back clear, and why surgery treating inflammation isn't the same as guaranteeing you'll be pain-free.
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Rebecca Mackenzie-Proctor practices at Stellar Fertility, find her there for surgical or fertility consultations.

All references are in the full article available on my Substack and Patreon.
🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

🎙️ In this solo episode I'm sharing the 10 things I come back to again and again in clinic the foundational steps I ask every woman to work through before seeking specialised help, because a specialist will most likely get you to do all of these first anyway. Think of it as clearing the muddy waters so you actually know which systems need more support.
🍳Macronutrients properly explained why carbohydrates are not the enemy, how your carb needs track with how much you train, why most women are eating half the fibre they need, why protein requirements are individual and not a flat 120g rule, and why your morning meal choices matter more than you think for insulin sensitivity and circadian rhythm.
🩸 The three minerals worth testing and why iron, zinc, and magnesium plus vitamin D's specific role in ovarian and endometrial tissue.
💪 Why eating enough is the single biggest lever in clinic right now, especially in the current under-eating and Ozempic culture. Plus the case for resistance training over Pilates, why muscle mass becomes non-negotiable as you age, and why daily pleasure is part of the protocol.
🩺 If you'd like more support after working through these steps, you can join the Arc Woman clinic waitlist here
Want to work with me 1:1? Book in with me here!
🔵 Arc Woman™ content is protected by copyright and trademark laws. Reuse or repurposing requires written consent. This podcast is not a replacement for medical advice.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands