Hysterical Histories: Unhinged Medical Myths about Womens Bodies

Welcome to The Sick Gaze Podcast! In this episode, we time-travel through centuries of wild medical myths, questionable “treatments,” and deeply rooted biases that have shaped women’s healthcare as we know it.

From the ancient idea of the “wandering womb” to Victorian “hysteria cures,” to the rise of douching ads and eugenics-fueled clitoridectomies, this episode dives into the bizarre and often horrifying ways women’s bodies have been misunderstood, medicalized, and controlled. We talk about how tuberculosis once became fashionable (“consumptive chic”), why doctors thought cycling caused bicycle face, how midwives were demonized as witches, and how childbirth shifted from community-centered care to sterile hospital rooms.

The three of us - Molly, Tayler @distaaybled, and Amy @amyrosaliee - are all chronically ill women who’ve experienced medical dismissal firsthand. So we decided to dig into the history that built the biases we still face today. Our conversation moves through time and theme, connecting the dots between superstition, sexism, and the modern medical system.

Take care of your spoons!
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