Brave & Curious with Dr Lora Shahine

Can a hormonal IUD affect your fertility later? If you used a progestin IUD, should you take it out months before trying to conceive? And how do patients make sense of fertility advice when even doctors are debating the evidence in real time?
In this episode of Brave & Curious Dr. Said Daneshmand joins Dr. Lora Shahine for a thoughtful, nuanced conversation about hormonal IUDs, endometrial lining, uterine adhesions, and fertility planning. 
Their conversation is sparked by a recent online debate in the reproductive medicine community. Dr. Shahine and Dr. Daneshman explore what is known, what is still being studied, and why clinical experience matters alongside published research.
Listeners will learn how levonorgestrel IUDs may affect the uterine lining in a small subset of patients, what current research says about return to fertility after IUD removal, and why "rare" does not mean "impossible." 
This episode offers reassurance, context, and practical guidance for anyone using an IUD, planning pregnancy, navigating infertility, or trying to make informed decisions about contraception and reproductive health.
Ongoing Research Study through UCSF: FeRTILE Study  is being done to learn whether long-term use of an intrauterine device (IUD) affects how long it takes to become pregnant. By taking part, participants may help researchers learn more about fertility and birth outcomes after IUD use. Learn more here.
In this episode you'll hear:
[0:40] What is the IUD and Fertility Controversy?
[1:11] IUDs: Benefits and Context
[7:43] What We're Seeing in Our Practice
[15:25] Dr. D's Research on IUDs and Endometrial Lining 
[20:45] Reflection on Topic 
[33:56] Future Research Plans
Resources: 
Studies mentioned
Abel 2021 J Assist Reprod Genet
Carr 2021 Contraception
Peipert 2022 Am J OBGYN
Dr. Daneshmand Instagram
Fertilitea with Dr. D Podcast
 
Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations
Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books
Join the Learn at Pinnacle app to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Could your sleepless nights, mood swings, joint pain, or "I just don't feel like myself" feelings be connected to perimenopause? Do you really need hormone testing to know what is happening? And is menopause hormone therapy actually as scary as we were once told? 
Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch, hosts of OvaryActive and co-authors of Estrogen, Interrupted, join Dr. Lora Shahine for this episode of Brave & Curious. Their conversation opens up a thoughtful, funny, and myth-busting conversation about menopause, perimenopause, hormone health, and why women deserve to understand their bodies.
They also explain the difference between menopause and perimenopause, why symptoms can start years before periods stop, why hormone labs often do not tell the full story, and how symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, vaginal dryness, weight changes, itchy ears (yes, we said "itchy ears"), burning mouth, and joint pain can all fit into the bigger picture.
Perimenopause is often a "story-based" diagnosis rather than a single lab result, and treatment options are available. This conversation will walk listeners through all of that and more. Listeners will feel informed, validated, and ready to ask better questions.
In this episode you'll hear:
[0:24] Meet The Doctors of Ovaryactive Podcast
[10:45] Defining menopause and perimenopause
[14:55] Common Symptoms (More than Hot Flashes)
[18:37] Why labs fall short
[23:07] Unusual menopause symptoms
[28:05] Diagnosing perimenopause and menopause
[32:17] Non-hormonal treatment options
[42:18] The WHI study
[50:45] Breast cancer risk and Hormone Therapy
[59:51] Talking to your doctor
 
Resources mentioned: 
perimenopausedrs.com/ovaryactive
Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube 
Estrogen, Interrupted by Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su & Dr. Amy Voedisch
 
More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su: 
Gennev:  www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su
LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su
 
More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:
Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

 
Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations
Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books
Join the Learn at Pinnacle app to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!
 
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

What if the "final frontier" of fertility care is not IVF technology, but the aging ovary itself? Can science help improve egg quality, mitochondrial function, and reproductive lifespan? And how do patients sort through what is proven, what is promising, and what is still very much in the "ask your doctor before you try this" category?
In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine welcomes reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Roohi Jeelani for a fascinating conversation about ovarian rejuvenation, age-related fertility decline, and the future of fertility treatment. 
Together, they discuss why age remains one of the biggest factors in IVF success, how egg quality changes over time, and why topics like oxidative stress, mitochondrial health, inflammation, and lifestyle optimization are becoming such important parts of the fertility conversation.
In this episode you'll hear:
[1:07] Meet Dr. Roohi Jeelani
[2:32] Age and fertility
[4:23] Egg quality basics
[8:06] Sleep and fertility
[9:35] Stress and cortisol
[14:58] Movement and PCOS
[16:54] Nutrition for fertility
[18:51] Trimester zero prep: Small, sustainable changes
[29:25] CoQ10, Inositol, Melatonin
[35:38] NAD and egg quality
[43:56] GLP-1 fertility questions
[47:22] Peptides and PRP
[55:33] Ovarian rejuvenation research
[1:01:04] Future fertility medicine
Resources mentioned: 
onto.health
@roohijeelanimd on Instagram | LinkedIn
@onto-health-co on LinkedIn
Your Leggings Could be Causing Infertility? with Dr. Lora Shahine on YouTube
Can CoQ10 Improve Egg Quality and Sperm Health for TTC? with Dr. Lora Shahine on YouTube
Does Growth Hormone Improve IVF Outcomes? with Dr. Lora Shahine on YouTube

Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations
Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books
Join the Learn at Pinnacle app to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Have you been told your fertility tests are normal, but pregnancy still isn't happening? What does unexplained infertility actually mean when it clearly feels like something is going on? And how do age, egg quality, sperm function, endometriosis, inflammation, and implantation issues factor into a diagnosis that can feel more frustrating than reassuring?
In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine takes a compassionate deep dive into unexplained infertility to explain how it's diagnosed, why it affects so many patients, and what may be happening behind the scenes when standard fertility testing does not reveal a clear answer.
Listeners will learn the most common hidden contributors to unexplained infertility, treatment options, and when moving to IVF may be the most effective path forward.
In this episode you'll hear:
[0:49] Dr. Lora Shahine's personal fertility story
[3:06] How Diagnosis Works
[4:31] How Common is Unexplained Infertility?
[8:07] Possible Cause #1: Age & Fertility
[11:51] Possible Cause #2: Hidden Sperm Factors
[13:48] Possible Cause #3: Egg Quality Unknowns
[14:13] Possible Cause #4: Implantation Mysteries
[15:19] Possible Cause #5: Tubal Function Problems
[16:49] Possible Cause #6: Endometriosis Link
[19:233 Possible Cause #7: Inflammation and Lifestyle
[20:39] What to Do Next
[23:38] Treatment Plans: IUI vs IVF
[31:31] Wrap up and next steps
 
Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations
Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books
Join the Learn at Pinnacle app to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.

Are you frustrated by a diagnosis of unexplained infertility? What if a "normal" semen analysis is not telling the whole story about sperm health? Could a new male fertility test help explain why fertilization is not happening, even when sperm count, motility, and morphology look fine?
In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Lora Shahine welcomes Jeff Lysiak, PhD. He is a reproductive biologist, and co-founder and Chief Science Officer of PS Fertility. He is here to to talk about what standard semen analysis may miss. 
Together, Dr. Shahine and Dr. Lysiak explore the science behind sperm fertilization competence, the role of phosphatidylserine (PS) on live sperm, and how Dr. Lysiak's research led to PS Direct, a diagnostic test designed to measure sperm's ability to bind and fertilize an egg beyond traditional semen parameters.
Dr. Shahine and Dr. Lysiak also discuss the future of male reproductive health research, including lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, and the growing need for more precise answers earlier in the fertility journey.
In this episode you'll hear:
[0:39] Meet Jeff Lysiak, PhD
[2:01] From Placenta to Sperm
[3:24] PS Discovery Explained
[5:01] How Sperm Meets Egg
[9:02] From Lab to Clinic
[10:19] Limits of Semen Analysis
[12:46] PS Score and Misdiagnosis
[14:12] At Home PS Test Kit
[18:20] Where PS Fits Clinically
[21:13] Varicocele & Repair Surgery
[24:14] Using PS to Guide Care
[27:26] Lifestyle Factors
[33:006] Future Research Directions
[34:21] Where to Find the Test & Connect with Jeff
 
Resources mentioned: 
PSFertility.com
 
Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations
Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books
Join the Learn at Pinnacle app to earn FREE CE Credit for listening to this episode!
This episode was sponsored by PS Fertility.
This episode was produced by Audiotocracy Podcast Production.