Menopause is not just hormonal.
It’s historical. Cultural. Political. Personal.

In this powerful Black History Month conversation, Dr. Arianna sits down with Omisade Burney-Scott — cultural worker, storyteller, and founder of The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause — to radically expand how we understand midlife.

This episode challenges the narrow, binary narrative that has long defined menopause in the United States and asks a deeper question:

Who has been centered in this conversation — and who has been left out?

Together, we explore:

• The concept of the Menopausal Multiverse

• How menopause has been flattened into a limited medical narrative

• “Weathering” — the biological impact of chronic stress and generational trauma

• Why reproductive justice includes menopause

• Cultural identity and how it shapes healthcare access and outcomes

• The power of language — and why “ladies” may not be the right default

• How we create safe containers for new narratives to emerge

This conversation goes beyond symptoms and prescriptions.

It’s about who is seen.
Who is heard.
And who has historically been excluded from care.

Listen with curiosity.
Listen with openness.
Because this one may stretch you — in the best way.

About Our Guest

Omisade Burney-Scott (she/her) is a Black Southern, 7th-generation North Carolinian feminist, cultural worker, and social justice advocate with decades of experience in nonprofit leadership and philanthropy. She is the creator of The Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, a multimedia narrative-shift project rooted in reproductive justice and cultural storytelling.

Timestamped Breakdown

00:00 – Opening reflections & Black History Month framing
03:45 – Introducing Omisade and her work
06:20 – The Menopausal Multiverse explained
11:10 – How menopause became a narrow, binary narrative
15:30 – Identity, race & lived experience in midlife health
20:40 – Weathering: chronic stress & generational trauma
27:15 – Reproductive justice in midlife
33:50 – Who gets centered in menopause conversations
39:10 – Language, inclusion & cultural competency
44:25 – Expanding care beyond hormones alone
49:40 – What providers must understand
55:15 – Final reflections on widening the frame of care

Resources & Links

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube
📍 Book a menopause consultation at Tula Wellness
📘 Buy The Menopause Myth: What Your Mother, Doctor, and Friends Haven’t Shared About Life After 35
📊 Take the Menopause IQ self-assessment
📖 Download a free chapter of The Menopause Myth
📱 Follow Dr. Arianna on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn

If you love the podcast, leaving a review helps more women find this conversation and access evidence-based midlife education.

Welcome back family! In this episode,, I’m diving into a conversation that so many women are having silently — what happened to my desire? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I wanted to talk honestly about how menopause impacts the brain, dopamine, intimacy, and sexual motivation. This episode is about understanding the biology behind desire, giving yourself grace, and redefining intimacy in midlife. You are not broken — you are evolving.

Timestamp Breakdown

00:00 – Valentine’s Day & the Desire Conversation
Why this episode tackles what we don’t usually say out loud.

08:30 – Estrogen & Dopamine Explained
How hormone shifts alter motivation, pleasure, and sexual wanting.

22:15 – Why Desire Feels Optional
The dopamine drop and its impact on libido and initiation.

41:00 – Marriage, Midlife, and Evolving Intimacy
From dopamine-based attraction to oxytocin-based connection.

1:05:00 – You Are Not Broken
How to reframe desire changes with biology, not blame.

If you love the podcast, I'd be so grateful if you left me a review! Your feedback helps me educate and empower other women like you.

Watch this full episode on ⁠YouTube!⁠

Where to find Dr. Arianna

⁠⁠⁠Book a menopause consultation at Tula Wellness⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY MY BOOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "The Menopause Myth; What Your Mother, Doctor, and Friends Haven't Shared About Life After 35

FOLLOW DR. ARIANNA ON SOCIALS!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What's Your Menopause IQ ? — ⁠⁠Take a quick self-assessment⁠⁠ to gauge your menopause knowledge and symptoms.

Dowload a Free Chapter of My Book: The Menopause Myth — Learn the truth about hormones, symptoms, and thriving after 35.

In this unapologetically juicy episode of the Stay Juicy Podcast, Dr. Arianna sits down with Maureen Pollack, co-founder and president of LovAbility, for a powerful conversation about pleasure, self-love, and why women deserve access to their bodies without shame.Maureen shares the deeply personal story behind inventing the WaterSlyde, a body-safe, eco-friendly aquatic stimulator designed to make pleasure accessible to women of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Together, they explore the pleasure gap, the cultural stigma surrounding female sexuality, and how self-pleasure can become a pathway to confidence, healing, and empowerment — especially in midlife.This episode is about permission. Permission to feel. Permission to explore. Permission to stop putting yourself last.

Listeners receive 15% off your order for a limited time at LovAbilityInc.com with code STAYJUICY ! Limitations may apply.

Resources Mentioned:

⁠LovAbility⁠ – Women-owned sexual wellness brand⁠The WaterSlyde⁠– Patented aquatic stimulator for pleasure & hygiene⁠Arousal Balm & Bomb Balm⁠ – Vulva-safe pleasure and self-care productsIf you love the podcast, I'd be so grateful if you left me a review! Your feedback helps me educate and empower other women like you.

Watch this full episode on ⁠YouTube!⁠

Where to find Dr. Arianna

⁠⁠⁠Book a menopause consultation at Tula Wellness⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY MY BOOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "The Menopause Myth; What Your Mother, Doctor, and Friends Haven't Shared About Life After 35

FOLLOW DR. ARIANNA ON SOCIALS!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Books ReferencedBecoming Supernatural – Joe DispenzaBreaking the Habit of Being Yourself – Joe DispenzaEpisode 10 – Highlights00:00 – Why Pleasure MattersDr. Arianna sets the tone for a powerful conversation about permission, embodiment, and self-love.07:40 – The Origin of the WaterSlydeMaureen Pollack shares the personal moment that led to an unexpected innovation in sexual wellness.17:45 – Redefining Women’s PleasureWhy pleasure is about connection, confidence, and autonomy — not shame or indulgence.23:10 – Understanding the Pleasure GapHow culture, medicine, and silence have shaped women’s relationship with desire.34:20 – Midlife, Menopause, and Reclaiming DesireWhy midlife can be a powerful turning point for pleasure and self-knowledge.46:30 – Accessibility and Inclusion in Sexual WellnessWhy inclusive design matters — and who has been left out of the conversation.57:40 – Permission to FeelWhat it truly means to give yourself permission to explore pleasure without guilt.1:07:30 – Final TakeawayComing home to your body is not selfish — it’s revolutionary.