Join us for an in-depth discussion with Dr. Lauren Streicher as we answer the top 10 questions about perimenopause and menopause. Learn about hormone therapy, menopause symptoms, and expert treatment options to navigate this significant life stage.

Episode Summary of interview with Dr. Lauren Streicher

In this episode of Fempower Health, host Georgie Kovacs welcomes back Dr. Lauren Streicher, a renowned expert in menopause and women's health. Dr. Streicher is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University, an author, and the host of the podcast "Inside Information: The Menopause Podcast." Together, they delve into the top ten questions women have about perimenopause and menopause, ranging from the efficacy of home menopause tests to the complexities of hormone therapy and managing menopause symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and joint pain. Dr. Streicher offers clear, evidence-based insights, aiming to dispel myths and provide women and clinicians with reliable information to make informed decisions about menopause care.

Key Discussion Points on Top 10 Perimenopause and Menopause Questions:

• Do home menopause tests work for diagnosing perimenopause and menopause?
• When are most women done with menopause symptoms?
• How long is it safe to take hormone therapy, and what are the risks and benefits?
• What role does progesterone play in menopause management, and how does it differ from estrogen?
• Can birth control pills be used to manage perimenopausal symptoms effectively?
• Does estrogen therapy increase the risk of breast cancer?
• What are the implications of the BRCA gene mutation for hormone therapy?
• Why might vaginal estrogen not alleviate painful sex, and what other treatments can help?
• Is it normal to experience hot flashes years after menopause, and what does it mean for cardiovascular health?
• What are the connections between menopause and conditions like dry mouth and arthritis?

“Menopause and midlife are often confused. Not everything is menopause, and not everything is aging. Sometimes, it's both.” - Dr. Lauren Streicher 
Related to this episode on Top 10 Questions about Perimenopause and Menopause:

• Check out Dr. Lauren Streicher's Podcast: "Inside Information: The Menopause Podcast"
• Review the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Study
• Learn about the SWAN Study (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation)
• Read about Dr. Vonda Wright's Research on Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause
• Read Dr Lauren Streicher’s journal article: Diagnosis, causes, and treatment of dyspareunia in postmenopausal women

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Fempower Health Guest Bio

In addition to serving as the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health, Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Menopause and the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine. 

Dr. Streicher is also a Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a member of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Inc., The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, and The Scientific Network on Female Sexual Health and Cancer. Dr. Streicher is a Certified Menopause Practitioner of The Menopause Society, serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Menopause and is a Senior Research Fellow for the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University.                                                                                            

In addition, Dr. Streicher is a best-selling author and has written multiple books about women’s health and menopause, including Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever and Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist’s Guide to Turning Down the Heat. She is the host of “Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More Podcast” and writes a regular column for Prevention Magazine and The Ethel by AARP. 

Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has appeared multiple times on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, NBC Nightly News and more. 

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor.  Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**