Common Corpus No. 5
For all women, for life
Welcome back to Common Corpus, our weekly curation of the best evidence-based women’s health content designed to help you navigate, optimize, and advocate for your well-being at every stage of life.
Following our discussion several weeks ago of how women’s brains change during pregnancy, this week, we explore how the male brain also adapts in response to parenthood. We also look at whether endometriosis should be re-classified as a whole-body inflammatory condition, and the fascinating connection between jaw and pelvic floor tension, along with much more.
We hope you find this week’s resources insightful, useful, and empowering as you navigate your own health journey.
And if you want to learn more about what Common Corpus is, and why we do what we do, please visit our About page.
News & Noteworthy
What’s making the news in women’s health
How fatherhood rewires the male brain
Becoming a father triggers profound biological and structural changes in a man’s brain, permanently rewiring his mind and hormones to optimize for caregiving.
Just like in women, the transition to fatherhood induces measurable structural changes in the male brain, including a decrease in grey matter volume that “prunes” neural pathways to make parenting behaviours and social cognition more efficient.
Research shows men experience a significant, natural drop in testosterone levels around the time their baby is born. This biological shift is designed to reduce risk-taking and re-focus a man’s priorities onto his new family.
The more time a father spends directly caring for his infant, the larger the drop in his testosterone and the stronger the neurological adaptations.
These hormonal and structural shifts correlate directly with greater empathy, patience, and capacity to bond deeply with his newborn.
While these changes are highly adaptive for childcare, this intense neurological re-modeling can also leave new fathers more vulnerable to sleep disturbances and their own postpartum mental health challenges.
The takeaway: This research dismantles the myth that the biological “parenting instinct” is exclusively female, proving that involved fathers undergo their own dramatic physiological re-modeling to prepare for childcare. Understanding this is important for modern families, as it validates the biological power of active, hands-on fatherhood, while highlighting the often-overlooked need to support men’s mental health during the postpartum transition.
Should endometriosis be classified as a whole-body inflammatory disorder?
Experts argue it is time to redefine endometriosis, shifting its medical classification from a localized reproductive issue to a systemic, whole-body inflammatory disorder.
While traditionally viewed purely as a pelvic disease, where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, emerging research highlights that endometriosis is fundamentally driven by systemic immune dysfunction.
Patients routinely experience widespread, non-pelvic symptoms, such as debilitating fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and gastrointestinal issues. These are directly caused by chronic, low-grade inflammation circulating throughout the entire body.
The condition shares striking similarities with autoimmune diseases and is frequently accompanied by other systemic inflammatory co-morbidities, suggesting the pelvic lesions are a symptom of a broader immune issue rather than the sole cause.
Because the current standard of care primarily relies on localized surgeries and hormone suppression, it often fails to provide long-term relief because it treats the anatomical lesions rather than the systemic inflammatory environment driving the disease.
The takeaway: Reclassifying endometriosis as a whole-body inflammatory disorder would represent a massive shift in how we understand the condition, but one that validates the debilitating symptoms experienced by women. It also lays the foundation better treatment that can address the root cause of the disease rather than just (often temporarily) managing pelvic pain.
LINK (news article), LINK (original research)
The Latest Research
The latest in academic research in women’s health
The link between jaw tension and pelvic floor tension
A fascinating randomized controlled trial reveals that treating jaw tension can directly and positively impact pelvic floor function in women. Researchers discovered that just a single 15-minute session of soft tissue therapy on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) significantly enhanced the ability of the pelvic floor muscles to relax, measurably decreasing their resting tension. This research matters immensely for women dealing with pelvic floor dysfunction, chronic stress, or TMJ pain, as it shows these seemingly distant areas are deeply connected through the body's continuous fascial network, known as the "deep front line." The key takeaway is that persistent pelvic floor hyperactivity or pain may actually be linked to tension in the jaw, meaning that treating the jaw could indirectly help to resolve pelvic floor issues. This ‘jaw-pelvis connection’ is also a reminder of the need to look beyond localized symptoms and adopt holistic, full-body assessments when helping women with their pelvic health.
The impact of loneliness and social isolation on cognitive function
A newly published study of over 900 perimenopausal women reveals a striking link between psychosocial well-being and cognitive function, demonstrating that loneliness (defined as a subjective social experience) and social isolation (defined as an objective state of limited social interactions) severely exacerbate subjective cognitive decline (SCD). This research matters for women in midlife and their healthcare providers, as it validates the frequently reported, distressing symptom of perimenopausal “brain fog” while highlighting that its root causes extend beyond mere hormonal shifts. The main findings show that while both subjective loneliness and objective social isolation independently increase the risk of cognitive decline, women experiencing a combination of the two face a compounded, higher risk for severe SCD. The research suggests that maintaining robust social connections and emotional support networks is not just a “nice-to-have” during the menopause transition, but a vital, protective medical strategy for preserving long-term brain health. Ultimately, this reminds women (and their health care providers) to actively prioritize social well-being and community ties as a legitimate, necessary intervention to maintaining cognitive health.
Listen & Learn
The latest in women’s health audio content worth your time
Brick House Bones - How to strengthen bones with PT with Dr. Lisa Moore
In an empowering episode of You Are Not Broken, Dr. Kelly Casperson sits down with physical therapist and bone health expert Dr. Lisa Moore to completely reframe how we approach osteoporosis. This episode is a must-listen for any woman who has been handed an osteoporosis or osteopenia diagnosis and was told simply to “be careful” to avoid injury. This advice often leaves women paralyzed by the fear of fractures, but Dr. Moore effectively dismantles this anxiety by explaining how bone health is highly dynamic, not a fixed, one-way decline, and explains that it is never too late to address bone health and that osteopenia and osteoporosis can be reversed. A crucial takeaway is that weak bones alone don’t cause most fractures, falls do. This means targeted power training (strength combined with speed) and real-world dynamic balance exercises should be considered non-negotiable for longevity. Ultimately, this conversation is practical and optimistic, reminding us of the body’s incredible adaptability, and that it is never too late to start lifting, moving, and actively rebuilding a resilient skeleton.
Hormone & Fertility Expert Roundtable
A powerhouse panel of experts, including menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver, longevity orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright, fertility expert Dr. Natalie Crawford, and female physiology researcher Dr. Stacy Sims, exposes how the gender health gap has systematically left women misdiagnosed and under-treated. They connect the dots between diverse issues like PCOS, endometriosis, and menopause, illustrating how women’s symptoms are frequently dismissed as “normal” or ignored entirely. The panel addresses head on the historical bias in medical research that has normalized female suffering and left women’s unique physiology deeply misunderstood by modern healthcare systems. This episode is an important listen for women at any stage of life, whether they are navigating the side effects of birth control in their 20s, struggling with fertility and family planning in their 30s, or entering the often-misunderstood phase of perimenopause, and beyond.
The Global Perspective
Women’s health around the world
Nurses for new parents sets a new global standard of postpartum care
The Netherlands sets the global gold standard for postpartum care with its unique, state-funded “kraamzorg” system that sends maternity nurses directly into new parents’ homes.
In the Dutch healthcare system, every family is legally entitled to a maternity nurse (a kraamverzorgster) who provides comprehensive in-home care for the first eight to ten days following childbirth.
These specialized nurses offer around 49 hours of dedicated support, including daily medical monitoring of both the mother’s recovery and the newborn’s health, as well as vital assistance with breastfeeding.
Beyond medical and infant care, the nurses actively take on practical household chores such as cleaning, laundry, and making meals, allowing the parents to fully rest and bond with their baby in a stress-free environment.
Because this service is a universal entitlement covered by basic national health insurance, this critical early-days support is accessible to all families, regardless of income.
The takeaway: The Dutch model provides an inspiring blueprint for what equitable, comprehensive postpartum support actually looks like. This system treats the physically and emotionally vulnerable “fourth trimester” not as an afterthought, but as a critical medical period requiring structured, compassionate care to protect the long-term well-being of both parents and children.
Common Interest
Quick hits that we found interesting, thought-provoking, or useful this week
A landmark change to FIFA regulations recognizes the Afghan women’s soccer team, allowing them to compete internationally as the country’s official women’s team (and providing funding to rebuild the team) for the first time since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and subsequent ban on women’s sports. LINK
Alice Braham sets an impressive new record as the fastest woman over 50 at the 2026 London Marathon, smashing the previous record by nearly 9 minutes. LINK
Ever wonder what exactly is happening with your hormones and cycle during perimenopause and menopause? In this short video, Dr. Jen Gunter explains what is happening to your cycle during perimenopause and what it means for hormones. LINK
May 6th is World Maternal Mental Health Day. Another reason to take stock of the types of policies like the Dutch kraamzorg (see above) to support new parents. LINK
Lots of interesting stuff! Thanks for this.
Lots of interesting, thought provoking information!