If you're new to this podcast - hi! I'm so glad you're here.

This is the episode I want you to start with. Whether you've just been diagnosed, you've been searching for answers for years, or you typed something into Google at 2am that you've never said out loud to anyone - you're in the right place.

In this solo episode, I walk you through the basics of chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pain - what it is, the conditions that fall under this umbrella (vulvodynia, vaginismus, vestibulodynia, pudendal neuralgia, interstitial cystitis, lichen sclerosus, endometriosis +++), why so many of us go undiagnosed for years, and the one statistic that changed how I see all of this: 1 in 4 people with vulvas will experience pelvic or vulvovaginal pain at some point in their lives.

I also share why I started The World's Tightest Community in the first place, what this podcast can be for you as a resource, and the most important thing I can tell you if you're in the thick of it right now: pain down there is not a black box. There are root causes. There are treatments. There are people on the other side of this. And you are nowhere near as alone as you feel.

If you're scared, exhausted, or just looking for somewhere to start - this one is for you.

Connect with me!

• Instagram: @theworldstightestcommunity
• Website: theworldstightestcommunity.com
• Email: mathilde@theworldstightestcommunity.com

In this episode:

• The 1 in 4 statistic and why it matters
• The most common chronic vulvovaginal and pelvic pain conditions explained
• Why pain down there is not a black box - and the real root causes behind it
• Why most doctors aren't trained in vulvovaginal pain (and what that means for you)
• How to start advocating for yourself in medical appointments
• Why "the world's tightest community" - and what this space is really about
• How to use the podcast as a resource and where to go next

• A reminder that people do get better, and what that actually looks like

Can CBD help with pelvic pain - and if so, how does it actually work?

In this episode, I speak with Tamar Hill, co-founder of Medroots, a company making CBD and low-dose THC suppositories for pelvic pain, vulvodynia, vaginismus, dyspareunia, and sexual health. Tamar is a former biology teacher turned entrepreneur, and she brings both the science and hard-won knowledge of navigating the CBD regulatory landscape.

We cover the endocannabinoid system and why our bodies have cannabinoid receptors concentrated in reproductive tissue - and what that means for people managing chronic pelvic pain conditions including vulvodynia, vaginismus, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and dyspareunia. We talk through how CBD suppositories work, why delivery method matters for pelvic pain specifically, how low-dose THC differs from high-dose, how magnesium supports muscle relaxation alongside CBD, and the research barriers that make formal clinical studies on CBD cost-prohibitive. Tamar also walks through exactly how to evaluate a CBD product - including the one test that separates a quality product from a marketing play. I also share my own experience using Medroots' suppositories for penetrative pain, and what I noticed.

Whether you've been curious about CBD suppositories for pelvic pain, tried CBD without much guidance, or want to understand the science before you decide - this one is worth your time.

Want to try the Medroots CBD suppositories? Head to this link and use code TWTC20 for 20% off at checkout.

In this episode:

• CBD for pelvic pain - what the evidence actually says
• The endocannabinoid system explained - and why it matters for vulvodynia and vaginismus
• Why CBD suppositories may work better for pelvic pain than oils, gummies, or tinctures
• Low-dose THC for pain and pleasure - why dosage is everything
• CBD and vaginismus - how muscle relaxation and anticipatory pain connect
• Magnesium in CBD suppositories - what it does for hypertonic pelvic floor
• CBD for endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, dyspareunia, and IBS
• How to read a CBD product label - full panel third-party testing explained
• Full spectrum vs broad spectrum vs CBD isolate - what the difference means for you
• The legal status of CBD and hemp in the US - and what's changing
• Mathilde's personal experience using CBD suppositories for penetrative pain

Connect with Tamar Hill / Medroots:

• Website: medroots.com
• Email: info@medroots.com
• Instagram: @medrootscbd

Connect with Mathilde:

• Instagram: @theworldstightestcommunity
• Website: theworldstightestcommunity.com

What does it mean to do everything right for fifteen years — and still not get to the bottom of your pain?

In this episode, I speak with Carli Cutchin, a writer and disability advocate with a background as a comparative literature scholar. Carli has lived with pudendal neuralgia for fifteen years and writes about chronic pain and disability for publications including Ms. Magazine. She is one of the sharpest thinkers I've come across on this topic, and this conversation goes well beyond the personal story.

We go into Carli's full fifteen-year journey — from the initial onset of pain, through years of PT, nerve blocks, and conservative treatments that provided only partial relief, to a devastating relapse in 2020 that left her mostly bedridden. We cover the eventual diagnosis of pudendal nerve entrapment, what that actually means and how it differs from pudendal neuralgia, and the decompression surgery with Dr. Hibner that she wishes she'd known about much earlier.

We also dig into the ideas underneath all of it — how medicine frames chronic pain, the language it uses for these conditions, and what Carli sees as the specific cost of those frameworks for women. Her constructivist perspective on this is something I found myself thinking about long after we finished recording.

Whether you're navigating pudendal neuralgia yourself, wondering whether entrapment might be relevant to your situation, or just someone who likes to think carefully about the bigger picture — I think you'll take a lot away from this one.

In this episode:

• How Carli's pain started and why it took so long to get the right diagnosis
• The difference between pudendal neuralgia and pudendal nerve entrapment
• What decompression surgery involves and what recovery looks like
• The trauma and somatic work Carli did — and why she's clear it didn't cause her pain
• Her critique of how medicine talks about chronic pain in women
• What she wishes she'd been told in year one

• The word "pudendal" — and what it means that it comes from the Latin for shame

Connect with Carli Cutchin:

• Instagram: @carlicutchin
• Website: carlicutchin.com

Connect with Mathilde:

• Instagram: @theworldstightestcommunity

• Website: www.theworldstightestcommunity.com