3: A Broken Optimism

Sex hurts the first time, but then it gets better. Right? This is the message so many of us grew up with. We saw it in movies and heard it from friends. But what if sex isn’t supposed to hurt? How much pain is too much pain? When is pain “normal” and when does it require medical attention? These are questions that Maura, a teacher and dancer, has spent almost her whole life thinking about. In today's episode, we hear from Maura, and many others, about how and why they've spent years putting up with pain.

What is Tight Lipped?

Tight Lipped is a storytelling podcast that makes public what is often thought of as “private pain.” We ask big questions about female chronic pain. We explore how gender, race, sexual orientation and class impact women and non-binary folks' experiences of healthcare and of their own bodies. Our show focuses on conditions that are extremely common (like vestibulodynia, vaginismus and endometriosis), yet carry with them a social stigma and often impact mental health, identity and intimate relationships.