Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: THE Menopause Podcast

If you would like to read a transcript of this episode along with some additional information, head on over to my substack- substack.com/@DrStreicher Chances are you have heard at least one expert say that systemic hormone therapy will prevent heart disease. But you also may have heard other experts say, No- if you don’t have hot flashes or low bone mass, it is not recommended to take hormone therapy to prevent heart disease down the road. So, who is right? Why is this controversial?  Isn’t the data, the data?  In this episode, I explain why experts are not all on the same page when it comes to the long-term cardiovascular benefits of hormone therapy.  ·      The Difference between a Randomized Controlled Trial and an Observational Trial ·      Why the WHI was an excellent study- and why it was problematic ·      What we learned From the WHI about Hormones and Cardiovascular Health ·      The Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN)  ·      What we learned From the SWAN about Hormones and Cardiovascular Health ·      What we learned From the SWAN about Hormone therapy and Cardiovascular Risk ·      What we learned From the SWAN about Hormone therapy and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease ·      If hormone therapy should be prescribed for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease-  the view of the two opposing sides  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 Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  Substack/cm/@DrStreicher  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.      The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.     Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.      If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

The only thing predictable about perimenopause is that it is …unpredictable. My guest today is Dr. Steven Goldstein, a tenured professor at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine, the past President of the International Menopause Society, Past President of The Menopause Society, and one of the WORLD’S  top experts on the science of perimenopause.   The problem with the standard definition of menopause.  Why bleeding and having a period is not the same thing Why perimenopausal women bleed erratically Why anxiety and other symptoms occur during  How to interrupt FSH and estradiol blood levels The best treatment for perimenopause Why birth control pills work so well during perimenopause Myths about birth control pills  The concept of “suppression and substitution” How long perimenopause lasts What triggers perimenopause Why fibroids often grow during perimenopause How to know if symptoms are perimenopause hormonal fluctuations or something else How long someone can stay on a birth control pill When the 12-month rule doesn’t hold When perimenopause and menopause hit before the age of 40.  When perimenopause hits before 40 why it needs to be treated Options if someone can’t take birth control pills  When you can ignore irregular bleeding and when it needs to be evaluated What Black women need to know about perimenopause bleeding The likelihood of cancer if there is a uterine polyp and you are not bleeding Link to John Rock’s Error Article 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 Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  Substack.com/@DrStreicherDrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.  The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.  If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org    Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Men have always had the clear advantage of being able to inspect their genitals with very little effort on their part. Women’s genitals are not quite as accessible, resulting in a lot more uncertainty about what’s normal and what’s not. No wonder women are frequently blindsided by not only the physical changes that occur with the onset of menopause but also symptoms like dryness, painful sex, itching, recurrent urinary tract infections, and that constant “gotta go” feeling!  Why the term VAGINAL ATROPHY is problematic GENITOURINARY SYNDROME OF MENOPAUSE- What it is and what it means The PHYSICAL CHANGES that result from a lack of estrogen The genital and urinary SYMPTOMS that women experience because of LACK of ESTROGEN Options to Treat GSM Lubricants  Long-Lasting Moisturizers  Local Vaginal Estrogen  DHEA  Ospemifen                                         Dr. Streicher is now on Substack!                 A transcript of this episode with related videos, podcasts, and graphics can                                     be found on  Dr. Streicher’s FREE Substack                                    https://substack.com/@DrStreicher                                                    Replens™ Brand                  Thank you to Replens™ Brand for Sponsoring This Episode                                          Follow Replens on Instagram                              For more information on Replens Products Related Episodes: Episode 4: Is Your Lubricant Helping or Hurting Your Vagina? Episode 5: Vaginal Estrogen- Rings, Creams, and Other Things  Episode 27:  Using Vaginal Estrogen but Sex Still Hurts Like Hell  Episode 44 A Deep Dive into RECURRENT UTI Episode 63 DHEA-An Estrogen Alternative for Vaginal Dryness  Episode 74 Ospemifene- A Pill a Day to Keep Dryness Away                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.  The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner.  While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.  If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org    Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Studies reveal that 70% of women experience a sense of being overlooked socially and professionally once they hit 50. The term for this phenomenon is Invisible Woman Syndrome. In this episode, I am joined by Christine Morrison, who writes about the social constructs in the fashion, beauty and wellness industry that inform the way society views women, and the way women often feel about themselves as they get older. Christine Morrison’s writing has appeared in print and online vehicles such as The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Quality Edit and Margot Magazine, among others, and in advertising campaigns for Alastin Skincare, French Connection, Juicy Couture and more. Prior to focusing on writing full-time, Morrison held leadership positions in the fashion and beauty industries, including serving as Global Vice President of Beauty and Apparel Marketing for Calvin Klein.  Her forthcoming book, “Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself,” – in which she reflects on the meaning behind, and the humor in, the relationship between her sartorial self and formation of identity – is slated to publish Spring, 2026. This episode will change the way you think about aging   For information about my upcoming retreat with Dr. Ellen Gendler: Information About the Mastering Menopause Retreat                                                Christine Morrison                                          Writing In Black and White                           https://www.writinginblackandwhite.com/                          https://writinginblackandwhite.substack.com/             Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writinginblackandwhite/                                                           SUBSTACK Lauren Streicher MD: Inside Information https://substack.com/@DrStreicher Christine Morrison -Writing in Black and White https://writinginblackandwhite.substack.com/ Lorraine Devon Wilk: Musings of a Creative Loudmouth https://substack.com/@lorrainedevonwilke                  Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher           Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.  The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.  If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org    Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.