12/23/2022

Friends of Franz Podcast S2 E1: Dr. Shieva Ghofrany at Your Cervix

According to the American Cancer Society, about 14,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer in the United States are said to be diagnosed. This statistic can bring so much fear, which warrants education on screening and preventative modalities. Within the gynecologic realm, another root of wary comes from the terms sexually transmitted disease, STD, or STI. When uttered, the room usually goes quite silent. Behind these words, spells of stigma and prejudice remain, which can result in the avoidance of these topics. However, when pertinent things are unspoken, mayhem usually arises due to the lack of knowledge and necessary precaution. This is why we tackle these polarizing topics today: human papillomavirus, the Gardasil vaccine, herpes, safe sexual practices, reproductive anatomy, cervical cancer, colposcopy, and Pap smears. Can men get HPV? Does HPV affect the ability to get pregnant? How can we screen for cervical abnormalities? What does an abnormal Pap smear mean?

We are joined today by Dr. Shieva Ghofrany, a board-certified OBGYN physician and a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists with over two decades of experience. Harnessing her past battles with ovarian cancer, six miscarriages, three births, and endometriosis, she co-founded the virtual woman's health online education platform Tribe Called V.