In this episode of Another Bloody Podcast, we talk with Sharon Walker Epps, CEO of the Rowan Center, about the long-lasting impact of sexual violence, why so many survivors wait decades to disclose abuse, and what healing can look like when support comes early.

Sharon shares her own path from Wall Street to advocacy, shaped in part by her daughter’s experience as a survivor, and explains how sexual assault resource centers help people in the immediate aftermath of trauma and years later. We talk about delayed disclosure, the overlap between midlife and first-time disclosure, the hidden financial and emotional costs of getting help, and the services survivors may not realize are available, from crisis counseling and hospital advocacy to long-term therapy, prevention education, and help navigating the legal system.

We also discuss male survivors, victim-blaming, the realities of underreporting, the rise in online exploitation, and why prevention and education matter more than ever. This is a hard but important conversation about trauma, recovery, and the community resources that can help survivors find a way forward.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline, 24/7 confidential support, crisis counseling, and connection to local services across the U.S.: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673); https://www.rainn.org

The Rowan Center
Sexual assault resource agency serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut.
24/7 Hotline: 203-329-2929;
https://www.therowancenter.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24/7 confidential support for anyone experiencing intimate partner violence: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233);
Text: START to 88788; https://www.thehotline.org/

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
CyberTipline to report child exploitation, online enticement, trafficking, or abuse imagery: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678);
https://report.cybertip.org;
https://www.missingkids.org

Thorn
Works to combat online child sexual exploitation: https://www.thorn.org

KidSafe HQ
Digital safety resource created by the Rowan Center to help parents protect children online and offline: https://www.therowancenter.org

National Human Trafficking Hotline, 24/7 confidential support and reporting: 1-888-373-7888;
Text: 233733 (BEFREE); https://humantraffickinghotline.org

Connecticut Office of Victim Services
May provide financial assistance to eligible crime victims: 1-800-822-8428;
https://jud.ct.gov/crimevictim/

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline support for emotional distress or mental health crisis:
Call or text 988
24/7; https://988lifeline.org

CDC: The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, statistics on the frequency of sexual violence: https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/media/pdfs/sexualviolence-brief.pdf

National Sexual Violence Resource Center: https://www.nsvrc.org/

The Grateful Garment (Go shopping for supplies to support SA survivors!): https://gratefulgarment.org/

Find Local Help Anywhere in the U.S. Remember, local rape crisis centers, domestic violence agencies, and child advocacy organizations exist in most communities. RAINN and the National Domestic Violence Hotline can connect you.

This week, inspired by Casey Johnston's 2025 book A Physical Education, Heather and Lisa talk about the diets they've tried and despised, body image, and what fitness means for them. Is there a workable way for women over 50 to conserve bone mass, build muscle tone, and feel fit and healthy? Heather thinks she may have found the answer and Lisa is ready to give it a try.

Here are links to some of the sources we used to frame this conversation:

A Physical Education by Casey Johnston

https://www.caseyjohnston.website/my-work/a-physical-education

Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe https://aasgaardco.com/store/books-posters-dvd/books/starting-strength-basic-barbell-training/

National Eating Disorders Association

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/body-image-and-eating-disorders/

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/weight-stigma/

Researchers from Penn State weigh in on weight-bearing exercise and bone health

https://pennstatehealthnews.org/2025/04/the-medical-minute-keep-your-bones-strong-during-menopause-and-beyond/

Researchers from UC Davis on the role weight-bearing exercise plays in preventing GLP1-related muscle loss

https://health.ucdavis.edu/news/health-wellness/glp-1-and-health-beyond-weight-loss-in-the-ozempic-era/2025/11

A study on why it can be difficult for autistic people to navigate hellos and goodbyes

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1026088531558

This week, we are doing something new. Heather is having a 1:1 sit down with Lili Zarghami, founder of the online magazine Jenny, for a candid, unfiltered conversation about GLP-1 drugs, weight, and the complicated realities of living in a woman's body.

From illness and aging to body shaming and the quiet mental load of trying to do everything exactly "right"—and still gaining weight—we unpack the promises and pitfalls of GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro.

This isn’t a before-and-after story tied up in a pink bow. It’s about what happens when weight loss works, when it doesn’t, and why both outcomes can mess with your head. Show notes: You can read Lili Zarghami's essay series, "A Month of Mounjaro" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/01/14/mounjaro-diary-part-1/ You can read Heather O'Neill's essay, "Out for Blood" at Jenny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/02/07/endometriosis-hysterectomy-gaslighting/ You can buy Johann Hari's book, "Magic Pill," here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743989/magic-pill-by-johann-hari/

Another Bloody Podcast co-hosts Lisa Pierce Flores and Heather O'Neill are both survivors of Stage 4 endometriosis. Here, in Part 2 of their deep dive into endometriosis, they interview one another about their many years of suffering from the disease, attempting to find a diagnosis, and finally, after many of false starts and a fair amount of medical gaslighting, how they each found some level of relief from their symptoms. For a research-based rundown on the disease, listen to Another Bloody Podcast Episode 4, Bloody Hell: Welcome to the (Not So) Wonderful World of Endometriosis.

Show Notes:

You can read Heather O'Neill's essay, "Out for Blood" at Janny Magazine, https://jennymag.com/2024/02/07/endometriosis-hysterectomy-gaslighting/

“The Association Between Endometriosis and Risk of Endometrial Cancer and Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9673303/

In this episode, we unpack the Kristin Cabot “kiss cam” scandal—and the fallout that follows when someone's worst moment becomes entertainment for everyone else. From public shaming and double standards to the mental health toll of viral outrage, we look at why women still bear the brunt of judgment, even when the story is more complicated.

Sources & Links

• "I Watched an Acquaintance Get Slut-Shamed By the Entire Country" by Heather O'Neill (Jennymag.com): https://jennymag.com/2026/03/26/kristin-cabot-cold-play-kiss-cam-slut-shamed/
• “The Ritual Shaming of the Woman at the Coldplay Concert” by Lisa Miller (New York Times): https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/style/coldplay-concert-couple-kiss-cam-woman.html
• Oprah and Kristin Cabot Interview (Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLR3SaA0xTY
• Oprah and Kristin Cabot Interview (Podcast): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oprah-and-kristin-cabot-in-an-exclusive-interview/id1782960381?i=1000755731692

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, so we’ve put together a multi-part series of episodes to examine this debilitating disease that affects 190 million people worldwide.

As Stage 4 endometriosis survivors, your hosts Lisa and Heather know what they’re talking about — between them, they've experienced almost everything this debilitating disease has to offer.

This first episode provides a rundown on all things endo: who is at risk, diagnosis, and treatment options. In our next episode we’ll take a deeper dive into our personal endometriosis journeys. Special thanks to Jason Bridges for audio engineering assistance. Here are some notes on the sourcing we consulted prior to our discussion:

“The Burden of Endometriosis on Women’s Lifespan,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7370081/

“Diagnosing diagnostic error of endometriosis,” BMJ Open Quality, 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11962774/

Endometriosis Foundation of America, https://www.endofound.org/enpowr

Office on Women’s Health, https://womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/endometriosis

“Next-gen tech can detect disease biomarker in period blood,” 2025, https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/next-gen-tech-can-detect-disease-biomarker-period-blood

“Total endometriosis funding by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) from FY 2008 to FY 2024,” https://www.statista.com/statistics/1242205/endometriosis-research-funding-united-states/

“NIH Diabetes Research Funding FY2021,” https://www.thejdca.org/publications/report-library/archived-reports/2022-reports/nih-diabetes-research-funding-fy2021.html

“We Must Increase Funding on Women’s Health Research,” Harvard Political Review, 2024, https://harvardpolitics.com/increase-funding-on-womens-health/#

“Endometriosis in a Man as a Rare Source of Abdominal Pain,” 2018, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29670782/

World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis

“Does the United States Have an Infertility Crisis?” New York Times, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/well/infertility-fertility-america.html

“Age and Sex Composition,” U.S. Census Bureau, 2023, https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/decennial/c2020br-06.html

“Surgery for endometriosis,” Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, 2025 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK613275/

From author Elizabeth Gilbert to podcast comedy goddess Amy Poehler, the media has been flooded lately with very smart women citing the supposed fact that single women live longer than married women. But is this true? According to current scientific and census data, not exactly. But it is true that men benefit more from marriage in almost every conceivable way than women do. We break down the numbers for you, de-bunk some commonly held misconceptions, and explore why married women end up taking on more of the domestic and emotional labor that so often comes with marriage.

Special thanks to Jason Bridges for audio engineering assistance.

Notes on the sourcing we consulted prior to our discussion can be found at www.anotherbloodypodcast.com.