Many women complain that physicians are reluctant to treat menopause with the full range of available therapies, often dismissing symptoms as 'natural' and something to be endured. A review article in CMAJ  finds that physician fears around menopausal hormone therapy and lack of knowledge regarding treatment options often impede patients from receiving treatment.

On this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Iliana Lega, the lead author of the review entitled "A pragmatic approach to the management of menopause." Dr. Lega is a Clinician Scientist and Endocrinologist at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto. She encourages physicians to update their therapeutic understanding of menopause and to initiate conversations with women about the symptoms of perimenopause as they enter their forties.

Drs. Omole and Bigham also hear from Janet Ko, the co-founder and president of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. She shares her personal experience of receiving a delayed diagnosis of perimenopause and the impact of hormone replacement therapy on her well-being. Ms. Ko also shares the results of the foundation's study on women's experience receiving care for menopause, and reports that 72 percent of women found medical advice to be unhelpful or only somewhat helpful.

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The CMAJ Podcast is produced by PodCraft Productions