In recent years, people are increasingly blaming perimenopause for a constellation of symptoms: weight gain, hair loss, brain fog. But does the evidence support this point of view? Who’s profiting from it? And what does it mean for perimenopause to be such a hot topic?

On this episode of the “First Opinion Podcast,” host Torie Bosch speaks with Patricia Bencivenga and Adriane Fugh-Berman of the Georgetown University Medical Center’s Pharmed Out project about their research on menopause and perimenopause, and why they’re concerned about women being too quick to blame their hormones.

“Women have been seen as erratic and unstable due to their hormone changes and their hormones for hundreds of years, right? You’re erratic, and untrustworthy when you’re pubescent, and then again your hormones are out of control when you’re PMSing, and then again, when you were having your period or you’re on the rag, or then again when you are pregnant, or then when you postpartum, or now perimenopausal or menopausal. So at what point are we going to be seen as fully stable and secure people?” said Bencivenga.