Bodies artwork

Bodies

38 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1.9K ratings

Each episode of this documentary series begins with a medical mystery. Sometimes the sickness is in the body, and sometimes the sickness is in the system. Once you peel back the layers, more questions emerge. Created by Allison Behringer and supported by KCRW.

Health & Fitness
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Episodes

The Fight for Abortion Training

June 07, 2023 14:30 - 41 minutes

The overturning of Roe v. Wade has severely restricted how doctors can access training in abortion care and it’s already having a devastating ripple effect on patients seeking all kinds of reproductive care. Two medical residents in abortion-restricted states fight for training and for the future health of their patients. Plus, the centuries-long battle over who gets access to abortion training in the first place.

From This is Uncomfortable: The Price of Eggs

June 06, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes

From This is Uncomfortable, we bring you the story of Ashleigh Griffin. She hoped the fertility industry could put her on the road to financial stability. But the decision to donate her eggs had some unexpected costs.

The Fourth Trimester

May 31, 2023 07:00 - 41 minutes

Jess was overjoyed when she got pregnant. But after giving birth, her reality spiraled out of control. She didn’t know it, but she had postpartum psychosis, a mental health condition that occurs after about 1 in every 500 births. Read the full transcript here.

Early Birds

May 17, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes

Puberty is starting younger and younger, especially estrogen-dominant puberty. We talk to three kids and one teen about extra early puberty and the funny, scary, embarrassing and joyful experiences that come with it.

From Embodied: Child-Free not Childless

May 10, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes

From the Embodied podcast, we bring you “Decided: Child-Free not Childless.” Embodied host Anita Rao has interrogated many aspects of parenthood. But how about the decision to become a parent at all? She talks with three women about making their child-free decisions and meets a psychotherapist who's devoted her career to helping people find clarity in that choice.

The Great Beyond

May 03, 2023 07:00 - 29 minutes

Angelina Fanous has been living with ALS for nearly a decade. She is almost fully paralyzed and losing her ability to speak. As she prepares for death, she’s thinking about the story she’ll leave behind. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies.

Diverging

April 26, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes

No matter how hard producer Hannah Harris Green tried, there were certain areas of life where she found herself to be deficient. Until she realized that a diagnosis could help relieve her shame instead of adding to it. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies. 

Touch

April 19, 2023 07:00 - 27 minutes

A vending machine ritual, a life-changing massage, a spiffy velvet outfit and a belly full of caterpillars. Four stories of touch. Transcript at kcrw.com/bodies. 

Trailer: Season 4

April 05, 2023 07:00 - 1 minute

Sneak peek: Bodies, new season 4 is full of medical mysteries and self-discovery. New episodes coming April 19.

Reading the Signs of your Body

December 01, 2021 08:00 - 29 minutes

Growing up and going through puberty, the only thing many of us learned about the menstrual cycle was the period part. But there’s so much more to it. How charting the cycle’s fertile signs can be the basis for an effective method of contraception. And, how it saved a woman’s pregnancy. 

Not your average

November 17, 2021 08:00 - 37 minutes

This week, the FDA will make a decision on whether or not to approve the first ever treatment for achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. But not everyone is celebrating. This controversial treatment is forcing parents of children with achondroplasia to grapple with an age-old question: What’s best for my child?

Bodies Bonus: Six Inches

November 12, 2021 08:00 - 10 minutes

When Cody went online to search for a prosthetic penis, he couldn’t find anything that met his needs. But when he realized he could create his own prosthetic, he also realized that this was how he could earn a living. Now he has a business that primarily serves other trans people looking for prosthetic genitals. 

Carved from Secrets

November 03, 2021 12:00 - 26 minutes

When River was first told that something was wrong with their body, they didn’t think it was that big a deal. But the medical system and their parents disagreed. Outside pressure to make River “normal” would cause them tremendous pain and turmoil — until they discovered there’s more than one right way to be a human. 

LA’s toxic secret

October 20, 2021 12:00 - 37 minutes

An elementary school in L.A. County was built on a contaminated site and made its community sick — How that community came together to demand change, and a controversial plan to build a new school.

Indie Spotlight: “Infinities”

October 13, 2021 12:00 - 25 minutes

On today’s indie spotlight, we share “Infinities,” by Boen Wang. It’s about mental illness, toxic workplace environments, Egyptian Rat Screw, and the nature of infinity. Find more of Boen’s work at Boen.cool.

Do Less Harm

October 06, 2021 12:00 - 47 minutes

Lill lives in Appalachian West Virginia — it’s coal country, and it’s also the overdose capital of the United States. An increasingly dangerous drug supply and a lack of safe supplies like clean syringes leave people who use drugs vulnerable to disease and death. Lill is trying to fill that gap, providing safe supplies and care all over West Virginia — even as the government tries to stop them.

Something Extra

September 22, 2021 07:00 - 33 minutes

Kelly was in her 20s in the 1980s and she was determined enjoy sex without shame...until she got an STI she’d never heard of. And so she married the first person who accepted her. When stigma is all around, it can take decades to  break free and find pleasure.

Trailer: Season 3

September 15, 2021 12:00 - 1 minute

Special Programming from Bodies Podcast

December 29, 2020 20:00 - 58 minutes

KCRW’s Bodies podcast is a documentary show about medical mysteries. Each episode follows one person’s story to uncover the forces that shape their health. Host Allison Behringer guides us through two stories in this one hour special.

Listen to Appearances

October 20, 2020 07:00 - 36 minutes

From the brand new podcast Appearances, by Sharon Mashihi, we bring you “Episode 04: Last Ditch Effort.” Appearances is an audio mind trip about an Iranian American woman, the family she carries around in her head, and the family that she wants to have. Listen and subscribe.

Changing Shape

May 27, 2020 12:00 - 26 minutes

Nico is obsessed with counting calories. But this compulsion to monitor food doesn’t line up with how they see themself. Why does Nico want parts of their body to disappear? Why isn’t eating disorder treatment working?

Not This Again

May 13, 2020 07:00 - 22 minutes

Angelina was a journalist living in Brooklyn when she was diagnosed with ALS. She now lives with her parents. How do you stay true to yourself when you rely on others to keep you alive? More of the episode here.

Listen to Here Be Monsters

May 06, 2020 07:00 - 6 minutes

Is your body more like a machine or a body of water? An excerpt from Here Be Monsters, a KCRW podcast about fear and the unknown.

Invisible Impact

April 29, 2020 07:00 - 35 minutes

Stacie escaped her abusive partner. But eight years later, her inner world was still in disarray. Why wasn’t she better? And why did it take her so long to leave? 

Postpartum in a Pandemic

April 15, 2020 07:00 - 23 minutes

ShiShi was in labor for 12 days. She gave birth, only to find herself at home in isolation during a pandemic. She’s also a doula, so her job is to support people through pregnancy and postpartum. What’s her advice for parents? How is she coping herself? 

The Cost of Silky Soft

April 01, 2020 07:00 - 34 minutes

Johnson & Johnson knew its baby powder contained asbestos but kept selling it and specifically marketed the product to Black women. Krystal is one of thousands of women who claimed J&J’s baby powder caused their ovarian cancer. How did normal body odors become racialized? Who determines if our products are safe?

Not Tested on Humans

March 18, 2020 07:00 - 42 minutes

Why did it take doctors years to figure out that a medical device was the cause of Melynda’s debilitating pain? How did this dangerous vaginal mesh get implanted in millions of women? 

Uncontrollable Orgasms

March 04, 2020 08:00 - 32 minutes

Orgasms are supposed to feel good. But for Angie, they’re painful and spontaneous. Anything can trigger the horny feelings: Bumpy bus rides, loud music, even a hug from her mom. What’s causing Angie’s body to go haywire? This episode of Bodies is about the connection between desire and arousal. 

Trailer: Season 2

February 26, 2020 08:00 - 1 minute

Season 2 of Bodies coming March 4, 2020.

Update: Season 2

January 22, 2020 08:00 - 1 minute

Bodies is coming back! Season 2 will launch on March 4, 2020. Join Bodies Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/ Email us: [email protected] Follow us: @bodiespodcast

Unraveling

October 17, 2018 07:00 - 31 minutes

In a lot of ways, menopause is like puberty. Your hormones are changing and setting off a whole host of bodily changes. It’s something that happens to half the population, but still, it’s full of mysteries. In this episode we hear from Lisa Hartman and another woman who you’ve heard from once before. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group. 

Refusing to Feed

October 03, 2018 07:00 - 33 minutes

New parents have one job: keep the baby alive. But what happens when the baby won’t eat? Vivian Chen is a trained family doctor, but when she can’t figure out what’s wrong with her own newborn, she must reckon with the shortcomings of her medical training. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group here. Nothing is off the table and everyone is welcome.

The Bodies Award

September 19, 2018 07:00 - 15 minutes

Host Allison Behringer plays the three finalists from the KCRW Radio Race “Bodies Award.” She takes us behind the scenes and explains why she chose these short stories. Each piece was created by independent producers in just one day as part of KCRW’s 24-Hour Radio Race. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/. Nothing is off the table and everyone is welcome.

Other Than

September 05, 2018 07:00 - 27 minutes

Jeromey is sixteen when the hair appears on her cheeks. She thinks she’s transforming into a monster. Stuck in a world where beauty begets womanhood, Jeromey creates her own sexuality and power. To learn more and to share your own story, visit our Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/. Nothing is off the table and everyone is welcome.

Anxious Mess

August 22, 2018 07:00 - 33 minutes

For Reese, the hum of daily life isn't a hum at all. It's exhausting, disorienting and always out of her grasp. What people assume about her work as a stripper is just one of the false assumptions that she must overcome. It isn’t until she starts talking to women in an online forum that she begins to find answers. Join the conversation in our Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/

Bleeding

August 08, 2018 07:00 - 36 minutes

KalaLea has terrible, awful periods. But don’t a lot of women? Well, yes and no. After more than a decade of suffering, KalaLea discovers that the cause of the pain is common for Black women like herself, but far from normal. Join the conversation in our Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/

Sex Hurts

July 25, 2018 07:00 - 33 minutes

For Bodies host Allison Behringer, sex suddenly becomes painful. This is her journey to find out why.  Join the conversation in our Facebook group at: www.facebook.com/groups/BodiesPodcast/. Nothing is off the table, and everyone is welcome.

Bodies Trailer

July 23, 2018 07:00 - 2 minutes

“What’s wrong with me?” Bodies is a new documentary series that begins as a medical mystery. But once you peel back the layers, more questions emerge.