PP #67: Female Athletes, Periods and Birth Control with Jessica Drummond

On this episode of The Period Party, Nat & Nicole talk with Jessica Drummond (MPT, CCN, CHC) -- the Founder and CEO of the Integrative Women's Health Institute.

• Is it true that all athletic women should consider being on birth control so that their periods don’t disrupt their competitive performance?
• For young athletic girls who are just starting their menstrual cycles, how can we educate them (and their parents and coaches) about menstrual health and it’s relationship to their general health?
• What can young athletic girls who aren’t getting a period do? When is the time to explore further and how do you support parents in this?
• What is a Female Athlete triad, and how does it impact a girl throughout the rest of her life.
• For perimenopausal athletes who’s periods may be becoming naturally more irregular, what red flags can they look for to be sure that they are avoiding Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)?

Jessica is passionate about caring for and empowering women who struggle with women’s and pelvic health conditions. She is equally passionate about educating and supporting clinicians in confidently and safely using integrative tools to transform women's and pelvic healthcare. Having over a decade of experience as a women’s and pelvic physical therapist plus owning a private women’s health clinical nutrition and coaching practice gives her a unique perspective on the integrative, conservative options for pelvic pain management.

Jessica was educated at the University of Virginia, Emory University, The Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and Duke Integrative Medicine. She is currently a doctoral student in clinical nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.