In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tami Rowen discuss the controversy surrounding the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and its potential link to autism. She emphasizes that the evidence is largely anecdotal and not supported by robust scientific studies. Dr. Rowen highlights a study published in Environmental Health in 2025 that found a weak association between Tylenol use and autism, but adds that a subsequent study revealed flaws in the earlier study and showed no association. Fever in pregnant women can have dangerous effects and should be relieved. She stresses that Tylenol is the safest pain reliever and fever reducer for pregnant women, who experience fevers in 20% of pregnancies. Dr. Rowen criticizes the media and some health officials for misrepresenting the risks, potentially leading to harmful decisions by pregnant women.

Key Takeaways:

• Tylenol is the safest option that we have in terms of a fever reducer and pain reliever. Fevers actually have more association with autism than Tylenol does in the research.

• On the other hand, Ibuprofen and NSAIDs are unsafe in pregnancy, especially in the third trimester.

"Pregnancy is quite an uncomfortable state of being. We tell pregnant women, and we tell women in general, to tough out a lot of things, but pain is not something that I think is reasonable. I think that it goes against the principle of doing no harm, to tell people they should just suffer with pain when there is actually effective and safe medication for them." — Dr. Tami Rowen

Episode References:

• The Conversation Article: https://theconversation.com/as-an-ob-gyn-i-see-firsthand-how-misleading-statements-on-acetaminophen-leave-expectant-parents-confused-fearful-and-lacking-in-options-265947

Connect with Dr. Tami Rowen:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/tami.rowen

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky:@CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Lucas F.W. Wilson discuss his book, Shame-Sex Attraction, which explores the experiences of conversion therapy survivors. Lucas explains that conversion therapy aims to change sexual orientation or gender identity, despite its ineffectiveness and harmful nature. He traces the history of conversion practices from the 1800s to the present, highlighting various methods like electroshock therapy and aversion therapy, and their rapid growth after 1976 up through the heyday in the early 2000s. Dr. Wilson shares his personal journey through conversion therapy at Liberty University and emphasizes the broader impact of conversion practices on societal beliefs and individual identities. He advocates for empathy and understanding to challenge these practices.

Key Takeaways:

• There are no known cases where conversion therapy has actually changed someone's sexual attraction. While there is anecdotal evidence from the organizations perpetuating the claims, research shows that it is not effective.

• "Pastoral Counseling" and other similar phrases are used to mask or obfuscate the practice of conversion therapy to hide the work that is being done.

• There is no typical or standard conversion therapy. The experiences range widely from person to person.

• Conversion practices can be seen throughout many, if not all, people's lives, even if they've never been to official conversion therapy, nor is it solely for those who are part of the queer or religious community.

• It is important to engage with ideas and communities that are different from your own.

"I would argue that probably every single person in this world at some point has been told 'don't act like this,' whether they were a kid or older, and that message has stayed with them and affected how they present their gender and how they identify." — Dr. Lucas F.W. Wilson

Episode References:

• Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family by Garrard Conley

• 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture

• Genocidal Intentions: Social Death and the Ex-Gay Movement by Sue E. Spivey and Christine M. Robinson

Connect with Dr. Lucas F.W. Wilson:

Professional Bio: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/historical-studies/people/lucas-wilson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-wilson-2a0753b1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luke.wilson.96

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukeslamdunkwilson/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lukeslamdunkwilson

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lukeslamdunkwilson

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lukeslamdunkwilson.bsky.social

X: https://x.com/wilson_fw

Other Publications: https://utschools.academia.edu/LucasWilson

Book: Shame-Sex Attraction: Survivors' Stories of Conversion Therapy
Book: At Home with the Holocaust

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Joe Pierre discuss the phenomenon of false beliefs, as explored in his book, False. Joe explains the distinction between clinical delusions and delusion-like beliefs, emphasizing the continuum of belief conviction and the role of motivated reasoning. He highlights the impact of political affiliation on belief spread and the concept of "suicide by false belief." Joe also discusses the importance of intellectual humility, cognitive flexibility, and analytical thinking in combating misinformation. He notes Finland's success in addressing misinformation through societal education and advocates for a similar approach to foster a culture of truth.

Key Takeaways:

• There is a spectrum of conviction when we are discussing delusion-like beliefs - such as conspiracy theories.

• Misinformation refers to information that isn't true. Disinformation is usually used to mean deliberate misinformation. Knowing the difference can be tricky because it relies on knowing the intent of the person spreading the misinformation.

• The Holy Trinity of Truth Detection is something people can learn and adopt - they aren't always intuitive. They must be learned and valued for people to adopt them.

"False beliefs always have at least the potential for harm. They don't always cause harm, but they certainly carry the risk of harm. And these days, because of some of the false beliefs that are going around - like beliefs about vaccines or climate change denialism - I sometimes refer to what's going on right now as suicide by false belief, because these beliefs really are potentially dangerous." — Dr. Joe Pierre

Connect with Dr. Joe Pierre:

Professional Bio: https://drjoepierre.com/index.php/about/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psychunseen/

Website: https://drjoepierre.com/

Book: https://drjoepierre.com/index.php/false/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-pierre-1b33469/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.