⚡️In this fun and fierce episode Alicia gets into it with triple positive breast cancer survior/HRT advocate Nikki Kuehl NP, busting through the nightmare of hormonal health and the patriarchal trash heap that’s shaped women’s medical narratives for decades. Nikki reveals her own story—surviving breast cancer, crash-landing into menopause, and realizing just how little real information women - and medical practitioners - are provided while being expected to politely endure the hellspiral.

Together they rip into the infamous Women’s Health Initiative study—the one that slammed the brakes on HRT access for an entire generation—and unpack how fear, misinformation, and outdated science still warp the conversation. They reclaim the truth: hormones aren’t a luxury; they’re a quality-of-life lifeline. And women deserve to understand their options, not tiptoe through a minefield of myths. They dive into the messy politics of hormone therapy, the pros and cons of patch vs. pill, and the absolute necessity of women being fully educated and empowered in their choices so they can make positive change in themselves and the world. They imagine a full-on MENOPUNKS revolution where women refuse silence, demand better care, and take back control of their bodies, their health, and their stories.⚡️

⚡️MENOPUNKS IS A MISINFORMATION SHATTERING FEATURE DOCUMENTARY AND PODCAST ABOUT PERI/MENOPAUSE AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS SEEN THROUGH THE LENS OF DEFIANT GENX MUSICIANS, TRAILBLAZING FEMALE DOCTORS AND OPINIONATED CELEBRITY CULTURE BEARERS ⚡️

GET ON THE LIST: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.menopunks.com⁠⁠⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Menopause and Hormone Therapy

03:00 The Impact of the Patriarchy on Women's Health

05:59 Nikki's Personal Journey with Breast Cancer and Menopause

08:55 The Education Gap in Hormone Therapy

12:01 Rage Against Misinformation in Women's Health

14:56 Navigating Hormone Therapy After Cancer

17:52 The Evolution of Hormone Therapy and Women's Health

20:47 The Role of Research in Understanding HRT Risks

22:53 The Golden Girls and Hormone Replacement Therapy

24:35 The Shift in Women's Health Perspectives

26:38 The Controversial WHI Study and Its Impact

29:28 The Fallout of HRT Miscommunication

31:14 The Consequences of Hormonal Deficiency

34:19 The Role of HRT in Women's Health

37:39 Inflammation and Its Effects on Women

40:39 Sugar, Insulin Resistance, and Hormonal Changes

43:44 Mirena IUD and Hormone Replacement Therapy

46:18 Navigating Menopause Conversations with Healthcare Providers

49:19 Hormone Replacement Therapy: Pills vs. Patches

56:29 Understanding Dosage and Effectiveness of HRT

01:00:44 The Gender Disparity in Hormone Therapy Access

01:05:52 Informed Decision Making in Hormone Therapy

01:07:33 Empowerment Through Knowledge and Choice

01:10:46 The Impact of Hormonal Optimization

01:12:05 Menopunkapalooza: A Celebration of Change

01:18:27 Reclaiming Identity Through Music

01:24:50 The Future of Women and Hormonal Health