Perimenopause can feel like your body is working against you—but it doesn’t have to.

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn Moyers sits down with Dr. Janeeka Benoit (Dr. J), an internal medicine and sports medicine physician, to cut through the confusion about weight, metabolism, and hormones.

We talk about why BMI doesn’t tell the whole story, why muscle is your secret weapon for lasting health, and how to stop letting the scale define your worth. If you’re ready to finally understand your body, make informed choices, and build strength that lasts, this conversation is for you.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Why BMI falls short—and what actually matters for women in midlife

How to use body composition, not a number on a scale, to guide your health

Why muscle is essential for metabolism, hormones, and long-term wellness

How to approach strength and fat loss sustainably—without shame or extremes

👩🏽‍⚕️ About Dr. J

Dr. Janeeka Benoit—aka Dr. J—helps women lose fat, build muscle, and reclaim control of their health. After struggling with obesity herself, she became a trainer, then a physician, learning how the body adapts and thrives when given the right support.

🔗 Connect with Dr. J

Follow her on Instagram: @heydrj_

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

Mood swings, anxiety, irritability, low motivation—sound familiar?

If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and don’t feel like yourself anymore, this episode is for you.

Dr. Carolyn Moyers is joined by Dr. Chelsea Angelocci, a board-certified psychiatrist with advanced training in integrative psychiatry, to unpack why mood changes are so common during the menopause transition—and why they’re often misunderstood or dismissed.

We talk about how hormonal shifts affect mental health, why midlife mood symptoms don’t always fit neatly into a psychiatric box, and what a more thoughtful, whole-person approach can look like. You’ll walk away feeling validated, informed, and less alone—and with a clearer sense of what actually helps.

If you’ve ever wondered:

Is this anxiety? Depression? Hormones? Or all of the above?

Press play.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

🔗 Connect with Dr. Chelsea Angelocci

📸 Instagram: https: www.instagram.com/centeredpsychiatry/

🌐 Website: https: www.centeredfw.com

Is it perimenopause—or is it your thyroid?

Dr. Dana Gibbs returns to the Sky Women’s Health Podcast to tackle one of the most confusing overlaps in midlife women’s health: thyroid dysfunction and the perimenopause transition.

You may remember Dr. Gibbs from Episode 129, where we explored how chronic stress and cortisol disrupt hormone balance. In this episode, we go deeper—focusing on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid disorders in perimenopause, and what happens to thyroid management when hormone therapy enters the picture.

We cover:

Why thyroid symptoms and perimenopause symptoms are so easily confused

How Hashimoto’s often shows up—or worsens—during the menopause transition

What estrogen and progesterone therapy can change about thyroid labs and dosing

When thyroid medication adjustments may be needed after starting hormone therapy

Red flags that mean your symptoms aren’t “just menopause”

Why coordinated care and proper monitoring matter more than ever in midlife

If you’ve been told your labs are “normal” but you still feel exhausted, foggy, or off—this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and don’t miss Episode 129 for our deep dive on stress, cortisol, and hormone balance.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

Think fertility only matters if you’re trying to get pregnant? Think again.

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn Moyers talks with Erica Bove, MD, OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist, about what fertility science reveals about perimenopause, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and long-term hormone health — even for women who are done having children.

We cover:

Why perimenopause symptoms start years before menopause

What POI and early menopause are often mistaken for

What women who’ve gone through IVF or fertility medications should know in midlife

How ovarian aging impacts sexual health, bone health, and overall wellbeing

If you’re in your 40s or 50s and your body feels unfamiliar — this episode will help it make sense.

🎧 Press play.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

Sky Women’s Health grew.

The podcast grew.

Women’s health moved forward.

And I made some big, scary, values-aligned decisions.

In this year-end episode, I’m reflecting on:

• Growth without compromise

• Advances in menopause & sexual health care

• Meeting women where they are

• Learning to get help

• And asking myself: What would we do if we weren’t scared?

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

#SkyWomensHealth

#MenopauseCare

#PerimenopauseSupport

#SexualHealthMatters

#WomenInMedicine

At-home HPV testing has been approved by the FDA and is being widely marketed as a breakthrough in cervical cancer screening—offering convenience, privacy, and accessibility. But as enthusiasm grows, so do important questions.

Can at-home HPV testing truly replace the Pap test? What cancers might be missed? And how should women and clinicians thoughtfully integrate this new option into evidence-based care?

In this episode of Sky Women’s Health, Dr. Carolyn Moyers talks with Dr. Richard Hopley, pathologist and Director of Clinical Pathology at PathAdvantage, to unpack what the headlines aren’t telling you about FDA-approved at-home HPV tests.

We discuss why HPV-only testing sounds appealing, what it does well, and where it falls short—especially when used as a replacement for the Pap test.

Why This Matters to You

* HPV testing alone can miss some cervical cancers—even with a negative result

* Certain at-home tests detect transient infections, increasing anxiety and unnecessary procedures

* The Pap test still provides critical information HPV tests cannot

* Convenience should never come at the cost of missed or delayed diagnoses

What You’ll Learn

* Who at-home HPV testing may help—and who it may not

* Why many experts still recommend Pap + HPV co-testing

* How to interpret HPV results without panic

* How to make informed screening decisions that prioritize long-term health

Bottom line: At-home HPV testing may expand access, but it does not replace comprehensive gynecologic care. Knowing the limits of new technology helps you protect your health—without relying on headlines alone.

https://www.pathadvantage.com/at-home-hpv-testing-promise-or-peril/

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

If you felt whiplash reading recent headlines about estrogen and perimenopause—you’re not alone.

At the 2025 Menopause Society Annual Meeting, a research poster analyzing data from more than 120 million women unexpectedly ignited a media firestorm. News outlets quickly framed the findings as proof that starting estrogen in perimenopause prevents breast cancer, heart attacks, and stroke—sparking viral conversations that went far beyond what the data can actually support.

In this episode of Sky Women’s Health, Dr. Carolyn Moyers is joined by Dr. Rachel Pope, MD, gynecologist, menopause specialist, and mentor on the research team behind the poster, to slow the conversation down and bring clarity back to the science.

Together, we unpack what the study really showed, what was lost in translation, and how women should interpret this information when making decisions about hormone therapy.

Why This Study Caught Fire

* The study used a massive electronic health record database of over 120 million patient records

* It compared women who started estrogen:

* during perimenopause

* after menopause

* or never used estrogen

* It examined rates of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke

* Media headlines quickly implied causation—despite this being a retrospective, observational study

What the Data Actually Showed

* Women who used estrogen during perimenopause (within 10 years before menopause) did not have higher rates of breast cancer, heart attack, or stroke compared with the other groups

* These findings support the idea that earlier initiation may be safe and potentially beneficial—but do not prove protection or prevention

* The results align with the broader timing hypothesis of hormone therapy, but do not settle the debate

Critical Limitations That Didn’t Make the Headlines

* This study relied on diagnosis codes, not individual chart review

* It did not analyze:

* type of estrogen

* dose or route

* type of progestin

* There was no breakdown by race, ethnicity, or other demographic factors

* Because perimenopausal women are younger, some conditions (like breast cancer or cardiovascular disease) may simply not have occurred yet during the study’s timeframe

* Like all retrospective studies, it cannot determine cause and effect

Why This Still Matters for Women

* Many women experience significant symptoms during perimenopause, often years before their final period

* Hormone therapy can be life-changing for symptoms and quality of life

* This study helps normalize thoughtful, earlier conversations—but it does not replace individualized medical decision-making

* Observational data like this helps generate hypotheses and funding for future prospective trials, which we still urgently need

The Real Takeaway

This study doesn’t mean everyone should start estrogen in perimenopause—and it doesn’t mean estrogen prevents disease. What it does mean is that earlier use appears reassuringly safe in this dataset, and that women deserve nuanced, evidence-based counseling rather than fear-driven or headline-driven decisions.

If you’re navigating perimenopause, the most important factors remain:

* your symptoms

* your health history

* your goals

* your personal risk profile

* shared decision-making with a menopause-informed clinician

Resources Mentioned

* The Menopause Society provider directory at Menopause.org for finding evidence-based menopause care

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

Can you use vaginal estrogen and systemic hormone therapy?

Absolutely — and most women actually need both.

If you’re still experiencing:

• dryness or burning

• painful sex

• tearing when you wipe

• urinary urgency/frequency

• recurrent UTIs

…it’s not you, and it’s not that your hormones “aren’t working.”

It’s that systemic estrogen doesn’t fully treat Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM).

Here’s what the research shows:

✔ Up to 84% of women experience GSM

✔ 20–30% of women on systemic HT still need vaginal estrogen

✔ 50–70% benefit from using both

Local vaginal therapy directly restores the vulvar and vaginal tissue.

You deserve comfort, pleasure, and confidence again.

Relief is absolutely possible.

👉 Listen to this episode to learn the exact treatment options available and why they work.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

Meet the researcher who brought a room of sexual medicine experts to their feet.

This week on Sky Women’s Health, I’m talking with Dr. Janeane Anderson — one of the most compelling voices in sexual health equity, breast cancer survivorship, and patient-clinician communication.

We dive into:

✨ The sexual symptoms women experience during endocrine therapy

✨ Why so many women suffer in silence

✨ How communication profoundly affects treatment adherence

✨ Racial disparities in quality-of-life and cancer outcomes

✨ What clinicians can do TODAY to change the experience for patients

✨ How patients can advocate for themselves in the exam room

If you care about women’s health, survivorship, and truly patient-centered care — this episode will move you.

#breastcancersurvivor #sexualhealth #womenshealthmatters #menopausedoctor #patientexperience #shareddecisionmaking #isswsh #oncologycare #womenshealthresearch #skywomenshealth

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com

THE FDA FINALLY REMOVED THE BLACK BOX WARNING on both systemic estrogen and low-dose vaginal estrogen — and it’s one of the biggest wins in women’s health in decades.

For years, millions of women avoided hormone therapy because of outdated, frightening warnings that did NOT match the scientific evidence. This led to unnecessary suffering — from painful sex to recurrent UTIs to fear-based avoidance of safe, effective treatments.

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn Moyers (Board-Certified OB/GYN + Menopause Specialist) breaks down the NEW FDA labeling, the real data on hormone therapy safety, and why vaginal estrogen is one of the safest and most life-changing treatments in menopause care.

🔥 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Why the FDA removed the black box warning for vaginal estrogen and systemic estrogen

The real evidence about cancer, heart attack, stroke, and blood clot risk

Why low-dose vaginal estrogen is safe — even for people afraid of hormones

How vaginal estrogen improves lubrication, painful sex, and satisfaction

How it reduces urinary urgency, frequency, leakage, and prevents UTIs, sepsis, and hospitalization

The harms caused by fear-based avoidance of hormone therapy

Patient stories that illustrate how badly this update was needed

🔍 WHO THIS EPISODE FOR

Women in perimenopause or postmenopause

Anyone suffering from GSM, vaginal dryness, or recurrent UTIs

Partners who want to support their loved one

Clinicians seeking clarity on the new estrogen labeling

Anyone confused (or scared!) about hormone therapy

🔗 Connect with Dr. Carolyn Moyers

📸 Instagram: @drcarolynmoyers

🎥 YouTube: @drcarolynmoyers

🌐 Website: www.skywomenshealth.com