The Men's Health Foundation Podcast

On this very special edition of the Men's Health Foundation Podcast, TJ Griffin, MHF program manager for community engagement, and Stephanie Johnson, MHF PCC & MSS program manager, discuss the importance of Black History Month. Joined by Brandye Combs, Wesley Health D2C manager, and Royal Telfar, APLA program coordinator, they share some of the challenges that Black people face when seeking he...

In this episode of the Men’s Health Foundation Podcast, we sit down with Angela Bartolome, LCSW and Behavioral Health Director at MHF, to talk about “bigorexia”: a form of body dysmorphia centered around muscle size and perceived physical adequacy. Angela breaks down what bigorexia looks like in everyday life, why it can be difficult to recognize, and how it can impact mental health, relationships...

MCC (Medical Care Coordination) is a vital service that helps people living with HIV stay healthy and ready for any of life’s challenges. Men’s Health Foundation is proud to offer this program but federal funding cuts threaten to put an end to these initiatives, putting the lives of many individuals at stake. On today’s episode, MCC Program Manager Stephanie Johnson and Data-2-Care (D2C) Program M...

In honor of Women's History Month and National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, we are highlighting clinical research focused on HIV care and prevention for women. Erica Kill and Ashley Toomey, two research coordinators from Mills Clinical Research, along with Dr. Manuel Pardo, physician and HIV specialist, join us in this month’s episode to discuss the current state of HIV care for wom...

For this Valentine’s episode, we’re discussing polyamory and the guidelines that apply to the relationship with ourselves or to any of our partners, with new MHF Behavioral Health Specialist Preston Lopez, LMFT. Have you ever thought of being in an open relationship? Have you ever rejected the idea because you thought it was just an excuse for people to cheat on their partner? If so, Preston is he...

World AIDS Day, recognized annually on December 1st since 1988, honors the lives lost to the HIV epidemic and raises awareness about HIV/AIDS. Holding the memory of the lives lost brings light to their stories of resilience and resistance, offering hope for the future. In this episode, Rob Lester and T.J. Griffin join hosts David Watson and Marc Esposo for a discussion on their personal and profes...

The World Health Organization recently declared a global health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak in several African countries. While the United States experienced its own outbreak 2 years ago, new questions have been raised about the potential severity of this resurgence. Is the outbreak caused by a different more contagious form of mpox? What extra precautions can be taken to protect agai...

Is there such a thing as having too much sex or watching too much porn? What’s the difference between something that’s done for pleasure and an addiction? How do these things affect gay men in particular? These are questions that we discuss with behavioral health specialist, Brandon Simpson, AMFT, who specializes in treating patients who struggle with sex and porn addiction. It's no secret tha...

There are many barriers that gay youth of color experience in South LA when it comes to affordable healthcare, housing, and sexual health education, but one community center is trying to change that. This Pride Month, hosts David Watson and Marc Esposo welcome André-Jamison Molette, Director of SoCal Club. SoCal Club is a youth space in South LA for young gay men of color ages 12-29. In this conve...

Have you ever wondered about joining a clinical trial, but never really understood how it works? This episode is for you. In celebration of Clinical Trials Day, join hosts David Watson and Marc Esposo for an insightful conversation with guests Michael Hirsch, RN, and Nelson Guzman from Mills Clinical Research. Their mission is to help create cutting-edge technologies in HIV medicine by offering cl...

On this episode, we talk with "sex detectives" Rick Turpin and Nestor Kamurigi, more formally known as Community-Embedded Disease Intervention Specialists. On the frontlines of stopping the spread of STIs, they take on the task of anonymously informing sexual partners of possible exposure. Unpacking the rising rates of syphilis in the U.S. and debunking STI myths runing rampant on TikTok...

It's that time of year! Many folks are feeling the effects of seasonal depression, or "seasonal affective disorder." Brandon Simpson, AMFT joins us to unpack some common misconceptions and to share insights as a behavioral health specialist focused on men's health and gay men's health. Read a transcript of this episode at www.menshealthfound.org/podcast-transcript-episode-2

In our first episode, we dive deep on DoxyPEP with two of our providers, Michael Tran, FNP-C and James Bon, MSN, FNP-BC. DoxyPEP is a post-exposure preventative medication to treat syphilis and chlamydia within 72 hours after potential exposure. Michael and James talk us through the basics of what you need to know, and share their insights as care providers specializing in sexual health. Read a tr...