This edition of Forthright Radio is in two segments. In the first part, award-winning author, Lydia Reeder, discusses her latest book, THE CURE FOR WOMEN: DR. MARY PUTNAM JACOBI AND THE CHALLENGE TO VICTORIAN MEDICINE THAT CHANGED WOMEN’S LIVES FOREVER, published by St. Martin’s Press. It explores the pseudoscience that ties women’s health issues to their reproductive biology, and highlights the women doctors, scientists and suffragists, particularly Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, who fought back against these attempts to control women’s bodies and lives. At the end of her book, she quotes Ely Van De Warker, who wrote, “A woman’s ovaries belong to the Commonwealth; she is merely their custodian.”

We spoke with Lydia Reeder via Skype on March 7th, 2025.

Then, in our second segment, we speak with Pagan Kennedy about her latest book, THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE RAPE KIT: A TRUE CRIME STORY. Our interview with Pagan begins at 25:50.

We spoke with Pagan Kennedy on March 10, 2025.

Judge clarifies: Yes, Trump was found to have raped E. Jean Carroll https://web.archive.org/web/20240116123815/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/19/trump-carroll-judge-rape/

Vitullo Evidence Collection Kit for Sexual Assault Examination https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_2009657

‘I screamed and the world listened’: how astronaut Amanda Nguyen survived rape to fight for other victims https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/05/i-screamed-the-world-listened-how-astronaut-amanda-nguyen-survived-rape-fight-for-other-victims

Pronatalists are ascendant on the right. Can they agree on how to make Americans have more babies? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/11/what-is-pronatalism-right-wing-republican

Idaho’s parental consent law prohibits minors from accessing rape kit exams without parents https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/08/06/idahos-parental-consent-law-prohibits-minors-from-accessing-rape-kit-exams-without-parents/

Idaho’s anti-trans law makes it illegal to medically examine child rape victims https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/08/idahos-anti-trans-law-makes-it-illegal-to-medically-examine-child-rape-victims/

Idaho set to train 250 sexual assault nurse examiners by the end of the year https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/08/09/idaho-set-to-train-250-sexual-assault-nurse-examiners-by-the-end-of-the-year/

Andrew Tate, Accused of Sex Trafficking, Is Trump’s Kind of Guy https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/opinion/andrew-tate-donald-trump.html?searchResultPosition=1

Ultrasound now needed for pill abortions in Wyoming after lawmakers override veto https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-pill-abortion-bill-law-veto-override-087e35a9d245a8d063fc8c047f4fe050