Blood Buds Basics
List the basic steps of using a menstrual cup.
Wash hands → insert folded cup → it collects fluid for up to 12 hrs → pinch base & remove → empty, rinse, reuse.
This condition causes pelvic pain from uterine-like tissue growing outside the uterus.
What is endometriosis? (It affects about 1 in 10 people with a uterus.)
This change in the breast is a common early warning sign of cancer.
What is a lump or thickened area?
Every first visit to a gynecologist includes a pelvic exam and Pap smear.
Myth. First visits (recommended around age 13–15) are usually just a conversation. Pap smears don't start until 21.
Black women's breast cancer death rate vs. white women's — small, moderate, or large gap?
What is large? About 40% higher, despite similar or lower diagnosis rates.
True or False: Menstrual cups are often made of medical-grade silicone.
True — it's flexible, durable, and body-safe.
This hormonal disorder causes irregular periods, acne, and excess hair growth.
What is PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)?
Women get this intense head pain condition about 3x more than men.
What is migraine?
Emergency rooms give women and men equal pain meds for equal reported pain.
Myth. A 2024 study found women get less pain medication and wait longer than men reporting the same pain.
Hispanic women's uninsured rate vs. white women's — same, double, or triple?
What is triple? About 18% vs. 7%.
True or False: A menstrual cup can get lost inside your uterus. Why?
False — the cervix blocks it from passing through.
This common infection causes burning and urgency when peeing and is more common in women than men.
What is a UTI, or urinary tract infection?
About 80% of people with these immune-system disorders are women.
What are autoimmune diseases? (Think lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorders.)
Black women naturally have a higher pain tolerance than white women.
Myth. It's a debunked belief, but many medical trainees still believe it, which has led to Black patients being undertreated for pain.
Black maternal mortality vs. white — double, triple, or 10x higher?
What is triple? Roughly 3.5 times higher, per CDC data.
List the steps before inserting a menstrual cup.
Wash hands → fold the cup → relax muscles → insert angled toward tailbone → check the seal.
This severe form of PMS causes intense mood symptoms like depression, irritability, or anxiety in the two weeks before a period starts.
What is PMDD, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder? It's more disruptive than typical PMS and can be treated.
This bone-thinning disease is common in women after menopause.
What is osteoporosis?
IUD insertion is quick and only mildly uncomfortable for most patients, so pain medication usually isn't necessary.
Myth. Pain varies a lot and is often more intense than assumed — real pain relief options should be offered (local anesthetics, blocks).
Percentage of postpartum depression cases go undiagnosed or untreated.
About half (50%). Many women don't get diagnosed or treated at all.
List the steps for safely removing a menstrual cup.
Wash hands → relax → pinch base to break seal → pull down & out → empty, rinse, reinsert.
These noncancerous growths in the uterus cause heavy periods and pressure.
What are uterine fibroids?
Women are diagnosed with this mood disorder about twice as often as men.
What is depression?
Heart attack symptoms look the same in women as in men.
Myth. Women often get subtler symptoms like nausea, fatigue, or jaw pain, and get misdiagnosed more often.
Uninsured women get routine cancer screenings — slightly less, about half as often, or almost never?
What is about half as often? Insurance is a huge predictor of preventive care.