In 1951, doctors discovered HeLa cells and science was forever changed. In a matter of years, HeLa cells would be used to test the polio vaccine, exposed to nuclear explosions, and even sent to space. But the most incredible thing about HeLa cells is that they all came from the same woman.

Is birth control the best thing to ever happen to women, or are we guinea pigs in the world’s largest experiment? Is voicing qualms about the pill in today’s climate a betrayal to women? When it comes to birth control, the talking points - and the options - have remained largely unchanged for decades. Is it time for a change?

18 deaths and 200,000 complications including serious infection or miscarriage - this episode of Anecdotal tells the story of the Dalkon Shield: an intrauterine device used by millions of women in the 1970’s, despite glaring red flags throughout its development.

In Part II of our Women’s History Month special, we set the record straight and finish discussing the history of female doctors.

Think female doctors are a recent phenomenon? Think again! Join me as I explore how witch hunts, war, and the professionalisation of medicine led to the exclusion of women from medicine (despite studies showing woman physicians have better patient outcomes than men.)

Is PMDD real? Can PMS drive women to violence? All this and more on this episode of Anecdotal.

Nazis, cover-ups, and tens of thousands of innocent victims. This episode tells the story of thalidomide, the deadly drug that caused untold suffering to women everywhere and transformed pharmaceutical laws around the world.

Introducing Anecdotal