Periods and Wanking in Space with Lauren Church
In this episode, Hannah is joined by Lauren Church, who is working on a Masters in Space Physiology at King’s College London. Lauren discusses sex and women’s health in space, and also what we do and don’t know about how being in space might affect women’s brains and bodies differently to men’s. She and Hannah talk about periods in space, and what astronauts do to avoid them. Finally, Hannah and Lauren discuss the crucial topic: has anyone ever wanked in space??
Read the episode transcript here!
SHOW NOTES
What we chat about…
The Spiderman effect: reading people’s facial expressions if you’re upside down
Arguing more frequently in space
Astronauts physically orienting themselves in space
When did Lauren first find out there were gender disparities in space research, or that women’s bodies weren’t being considered?
What do we know about how being in space affects women’s bodies differently to men’s?
Female astronauts being strongly encouraged to take the combined pill while in space
What happens if someone gets their period in space?
Why the pill and not the coil or an implant?
How would you best manage a period in space?
Blood clotting as a side effect of the pill
Devil’s advocate: why bother sending women into space at all?
Issues that women’s bodies don’t experience in space that men’s do
Has anyone ever had sex in space?
Has any astronaut ever admitted to wanking in space?
Does sexual wellbeing come up in astronaut training?
What do we currently know about what might happen if we sent pregnant people or babies into space?
Would children that grew up on the moon look different to us?
Is there a point where someone’s body is too used to gravity on another planet to be able to adjust back to being on Earth?
How do you pee in space?
What would happen if someone got a UTI in space?
Is COVID-19 affecting NASA’s plans for putting people on the moon in the short-term future?
The practicalities and symbolism of putting a woman on the moon in the Artemis mission
Would Lauren go to space if she had the chance?
If Lauren could change one thing about gender equality in space medicine, what would it be?
USEFUL LINKS
Mentioned in the episode:
Lauren’s TEDx talk: https://youtu.be/4og8V_PgOSE
First NASA class to have gender parity: https://www.statista.com/chart/17487/number-of-female-nasa-astronauts/
Interstellar: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/
Peeing in space: https://twitter.com/MaryRobinette/status/1152277166996017152
Artemis mission: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/
MORE ABOUT LAUREN CHURCH
Lauren Church is working on a Masters in Space Physiology at King’s College London. Find out more about her:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LaurenCSpace/
Research Team Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paraboladies/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurencspace
TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/4og8V_PgOSE
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