Stuff Mom Never Told You

The Oxford English Dictionary declared "vape" its 2014 Word of the Year, and it's not just men getting into vaping culture these days. Cristen and Caroline puff on how the rapidly growing e-cigarette industry is selling women on vaping and how it compares to how Big Tobacco lit up female smokers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is the Ebola virus killing more women than men in West Africa? Cristen and Caroline chart the spread of the Ebola virus and the gender roles that put women more at risk for contracting Ebola virus and other pandemics. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nail polish that changes color in the presence of date rape drugs is just one of many products and apps being developed to prevent rape. Cristen and Caroline parse out the pros and cons this emerging cottage industry and whether it ultimately contributes to eradicating rape or perpetuating victim-blaming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The verdict on female lawyers' proper courtroom attire is murky at best. Cristen and Caroline investigate why workplace wardrobe is particularly vexing for women attorneys and how that reflects on broader gender equity issues in legal professions. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might seem like a preposterous question, but many researchers wonder how much of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is physical fact versus culturally constructed fiction. Cristen and Caroline chart the medical history of PMS and how moodiness most commonly associated with might not be a byproduct of menstruation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where do our death rituals come from? Kate Sweeney, author of "American Afterlife: Encounters in the Customs of Mourning" talks to Cristen and Caroline about the role women have played in death and mourning from Victorian hair jewelry to modern-day memorial tattoo artists. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is gang membership among girls on the rise? Cristen and Caroline explore the history of girl gangs and what gang life means for young women past and present. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost as soon as The Golden Girls premiered in 1985, it became one of the most beloved shows on television. Cristen and Caroline discuss the show's history and incredible legacy as a sitcom that wasn't afraid to tackle important issues such as aging, sexual health and even gay marriage. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime in the United States. Cristen and Caroline uncover the cycle of domestic violence and manipulation that keeps female and male victims from leaving their partners and the long-term health impacts of this epidemic of abuse. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent years, tattoos have become a common part of breast cancer recovery. Beginning with a brief refresher on the history of women and ink, Cristen and Caroline discuss the different ways tattoos are providing new and empowering choices for women who've undergone mastectomies. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.