unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Audacy | Mary Claire Haver, MD
Welcome to unPAUSED, the podcast where bold, unfiltered conversations take place about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and #1 New York Times best-selling author, tackles the conversations women actually need to hear. Dr. Haver sits down with a variety of medical experts, CEOs, and risk-takers to discuss everything that matters, from hormones and identity to financial power, relationships, and the tools needed to build the life you want. unPAUSED is about reclaiming your healthspan—not just the number of years you live, but the number of years you live well. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes of unPAUSED. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.
Recent Episodes
20 episodesThe Sleep Crisis in Menopause: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea & Solutions
Poor sleep during perimenopause and menopause isn't just exhausting—it's linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk, depression, anxiety, weight gain, cognitive decline, and reduced quality of life. Yet for decades, women's sleep complaints have been minimized, dismissed, or blamed on just getting older. In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with board-certified sleep medicine specialist Dr. Andrea Matsumura to unpack what's really happening to women's sleep during the menopause transition and what we can actually do about it. Dr. Matsumura completed her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and her internal medicine residency in Portland, Oregon before returning to Oregon Health & Science University for a fellowship in sleep medicine, where she discovered the critical connection between women's hormones and sleep disorders. Guest links: Dr. Andrea Matsumura (Instagram) Dr. Andrea Matsumura (Facebook) Dr. Andrea Matsumura (LinkedIn) Dr. Andrea Matsumura The D.R.E.A.M. Sleep Method: A Midlife Woman’s Guide to Restoring Rest Articles Worldwide estimation of restless legs syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence in the general adult population (Journal of Sleep Research) Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies (Medicina) Why sleep apnea deserves priority in public health: a call to action (European Journal of Public Health) Poor Quality Control of Over-the-Counter Melatonin: What They Say Is Often Not What You Get (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine) Quantity of Melatonin and CBD in Melatonin Gummies Sold in the US (JAMA) Sleep disorders impact hormonal regulation: unravelling the relationship among sleep disorders, hormones and metabolic diseases (Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome) Comorbid Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (COMISA): Current Concepts of Patient Management (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health) Chronobiological perspectives: Association between meal timing and sleep quality (PLOS One) Effects of red light on sleep inertia (Nature and Science of Sleep) Other Resources Seven or more hours of sleep per night: A health necessity for adults (American Academy of Sleep Medicine) The D.R.E.A.M Sleep Essentials Sleep Goddess Archetype Quiz American Academy of Sleep Medicine To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Katie Couric on Truth, Trust, and Women's Health
From her groundbreaking televised colonoscopy to her breast cancer journey, Katie Couric has turned personal experience into powerful advocacy for the health issues medicine has overlooked. This week on unPaused, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Katie Couric, award-winning journalist, founder of Katie Couric Media, co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer, and author of the New York Times bestseller Going There. Katie spent 15 years co-hosting the Today Show, served as the first solo female anchor of CBS Evening News, and has interviewed nearly every president, world leader and cultural voice of the last four decades. Together, they explore Katie's journey from growing up in Arlington, Virginia, where her parents instilled the importance of education and financial independence, to breaking barriers in network news while navigating profound personal loss. Katie opens up about losing her husband Jay to stage four colon cancer when her daughters were six and two, how that tragedy launched her into cancer advocacy, and why she made the decision to have a colonoscopy on live television — a moment that changed screening rates across America and took the stigma out of a life-saving procedure. Guest links: Katie Couric Media Katie Couric (Instagram) Katie Couric (TikTok) Katie Couric (Facebook) Katie Couric Media (Instagram) Katie Couric (YouTube) Katie Couric (X) Katie Couric (LinkedIn) Katie Couric (Substack) Next Question with Katie Couric (Apple Podcasts) Books:"The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much?," by Leslie Bennetts To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Sex Life Nobody Warned You About: What a Top Sexual Medicine Expert Wants You To Know
Most women go through decades of marriage, menopause and midlife without ever having an honest conversation with a doctor about their sex life. Not because they don't want one — but because most physicians were never trained to have it. This week on unPaused, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. James Simon, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University, board-certified OB-GYN, reproductive endocrinologist, and certified sexual counselor with more than 800 published papers in menopause and sexual medicine. Dr. Simon is a past president of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) and one of the most published clinicians in modern menopause care. Dr. Simon has spent his career treating what most doctors never address — the full picture of how sex, desire, pain and intimacy change for both women and men as they age. He treats couples together, and what he has witnessed across thousands of relationships is that the problems are rarely one person's fault, rarely unsolvable, and almost always rooted in something nobody warned them about. Guest links: James Simon (IntimMedicine Specialists) James Simon (Instagram) James Simon (YouTube) Articles: What if the Women’s Health Initiative had used transdermal estradiol and oral progesterone instead? (Menopause) Erectile Dysfunction (StatPearls) Should we be prescribing testosterone to perimenopausal and menopausal women? A guide to prescribing testosterone for women in primary care (British Journal of General Practice) The Benefits and Harms of Systemic Testosterone Therapy in Postmenopausal Women With Normal Adrenal Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism) Other Resources: Women’s Health Initiative The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement (NAMS) International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISWSH) FDA panel rejects testosterone patch for women on safety grounds (The BMJ) The Saga of Testosterone for Menopausal Women at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (The Journal of Sexual Medicine) Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) Books:“Restore Yourself: A Woman's Guide to Reviving her Sexual Desire and Passion for Life,” by James Simon and Victoria Houston To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Building a Menopause Brand: Naomi Watts on HRT, Hot Flashes & Hollywood
This week on unPaused, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Naomi Watts, Academy Award nominated actress, entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author of Dare I Say It. Naomi's career spans decades in Hollywood, from her breakthrough role in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive to recent work with directors like Ryan Murphy and Lena Dunham. After receiving a shocking early menopause diagnosis at 36 while struggling with fertility, Naomi spent years navigating untreated symptoms in silence before becoming an unexpected advocate for millions of women facing midlife transitions. In 2021, she founded Stripes Beauty, a menopause focused skincare and wellness brand built on community, education, and celebrating womens earned wisdom rather than promising to reverse time. In this conversation, Dr. Haver and Naomi explore the reality of growing up across continents after losing her father at eight years old, the decade long struggle to break into Hollywood, and the moment at 30 when her acting career finally launched. Naomi opens up about the devastating news from her doctor that she was approaching menopause at 36, the desperate fertility journey that followed including traveling to China for herbal remedies and extreme dietary changes, and the perimenopause symptoms she dismissed as allergies or stress in her late twenties including night sweats, migraines, brain fog, and sleep disruption. Guest links: Naomi Watts (Instagram) Naomi Watts (IMDB) Stripes Beauty Other Resources Davina McCall (Instagram) Stacy London (Instagram) Dr. Jen Gunter Books “Inconceivable, 20th Anniversary Edition: A Woman's Triumph over Despair and Statistics,” by Julia Indichova “Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause,” by Naomi Watts“The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Female Libido in Menopause: Desire Loss, Biology & Solutions with Cindy Eckert
This week on unPaused, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Cindy Eckert, founder and CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals and creator of Addyi, the first FDA approved treatment for low libido in women. Cindy is a pharmaceutical entrepreneur who began her career at Merck before founding her first company in 2007, focusing on undermarketed FDA approved products. After successfully building and selling a male sexual health company, she became the only woman running a sexual health company and witnessed firsthand the stark contrast between how medicine treats male versus female sexual dysfunction. Her journey to bring Addyi to market became a cultural battle about whether women's sexual desire matters, leading to two FDA rejections, public hearings, and ultimately a historic approval in 2015 after a six year fight. In this conversation, Dr. Haver and Cindy explore how Addyi works differently from Viagra, targeting brain chemistry and desire rather than blood flow and arousal. Cindy explains that Addyi is a mood drug originally developed for depression that showed an unexpected effect on female libido during clinical trials. The medication works on neurotransmitters in the brain, building over approximately eight weeks to restore spontaneous thoughts, fantasies, and desire in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder or HSDD. She walks through the massive clinical trial requirements, including 13,000 patients compared to Viagra's 4,000, and the three things they had to prove with statistical significance versus placebo: increased interest in sex, more satisfying sexual experiences, and decreased distress from the condition. ADDYI, flibanserin, is for women <65 with low sexual desire disorder who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past, and who have low sexual desire that is troubling to them no matter the type of sexual activity, situation, or sexual partner. The low sexual desire is not due to a medical or mental health problem, problems in the relationship or medicine or other drug use. ADDYI is not for men or to enhance sexual performance. Your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink 1-2 standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your ADDYI dose. Wait at least 2 hours after one to two drinks before taking ADDYI at bedtime and skip your dose if you drink three or more drinks that evening. If you take certain prescription, OTC or herbal medications, or have liver problems, the risk of low blood pressure and fainting increases and you should not take ADDYI. Do not take if you are allergic to any of ADDYI’s ingredients. Sometimes serious sleepiness can occur. Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth. See PI and Boxed Warning at addyi.com/piGuest links: Cindy Eckert Cindy Eckert (Instagram) Recommended Books: “Mars and Venus in the Bedroom: A Guide to Lasting Romance and Passion,” by John Gray Articles: Women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder compared to normal females: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study (Neuroscience) Sexual Dysfunction Induced by Antidepressants—A Pharmacovigilance Study Using Data from VigiBaseTM (Pharmaceuticals) Enhancing Sexual Health for Cancer Survivors (Symptom Science And Palliative Care) Flibanserin Approval: Facts or Feelings? (Sexual Medicine) Clinical trial evidence supporting FDA approval of novel therapeutic agents, 2005-2012 (JAMA) Other Resources: Addyi What is Patient-Focused Drug Development? International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) FDA Expands Approval of Flibanserin for Postmenopausal Women’s Sexual Health (Drug Topics) A Pill for Sexual Desire Reaches a New Group of Women (TIME Magazine)Drug Trials Snapshots Summary Report 2024 (FDA) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Understanding Your Brain Through Perimenopause and Menopause with Dr. Louisa Nicola
An estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer's dementia. The part that should alarm every woman listening is this: almost two thirds of them are women. In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with neurophysiologist and Alzheimer's researcher Dr. Louisa Nicola to unpack what's really happening to women's brains during perimenopause and menopause and what we can do about it. Louisa Nicola is a neurophysiologist, human performance coach, and founder of Neuro Athletics, a consulting firm that works with elite athletes and high-level professionals to optimize brain health and performance. A former world class triathlete, she transitioned into neuroscience and earned her Master of Medicine in neurophysiology from the University of Sydney. Dr. Nicola is currently pursuing her doctorate studying the effects of resistance exercise on brain health. She focuses on optimizing brain function and longevity, particularly in women, through sleep, nutrition, and exercise interventions. Dr. Nicola reveals how Alzheimer's disease doesn't suddenly appear at 70 but starts quietly in our thirties and forties, building up over a 30-year progression. She explains what's happening in the brain as amyloid beta proteins and tau tangles accumulate, why the hippocampus is the first area to go, and the critical role that sleep plays in clearing these proteins through the glymphatic system. The conversation explores why women are more predisposed to tau protein accumulation than men and how estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin inhibit the enzyme that causes tau proteins to become hyperphosphorylated and toxic. Dr. Nicola explains the connection between declining estrogen during perimenopause and increased Alzheimer's risk, including how estrogen helps mediate glucose metabolism in the brain, supports synaptic connections, and why the loss of this hormonal scaffolding leaves women vulnerable to cognitive decline. Guest links: Louisa Nicola (Instagram) Louisa Nicola (Facebook) Louisa Nicola, MMed, PhD(c) (LinkedIn) Louisa Nicola (YouTube) Louisa Nicola (X) Neuro Athletics The Neuro Experience Podcast (Apple Podcasts) The Brain Code Books “Joyspan,” by Dr. Kerry Burnight To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Menopause, Hormones and Women’s Sexual Health with Dr. Rachel Rubin
In this episode Dr. Mary Claire Haver is joined by Dr. Rachel Rubin, a board-certified urologist and nationally recognized expert in sexual medicine, fellowship trained in both female and male sexual health. As assistant clinical professor of urology at Georgetown University and former education chair of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health, she brings unique insight into the stark disparities in how sexual dysfunction is treated across genders. Dr. Rubin founded the Sexual Medicine Research Team, and her advocacy work has been instrumental in changing FDA labeling on hormone therapy and advancing the American Urological Association Guidelines on genital urinary syndrome of menopause. During the conversation, Dr. Haver and Dr. Rubin explore the intersection of menopause, hormones and women's sexual health, revealing why most doctors, including OB-GYNs, receive virtually no training in sexual health despite sexual dysfunction affecting millions of women. Dr. Rubin explains how men's sexual health benefits from 27 fellowship programs while women's sexual health has only three, and why erectile dysfunction research receives billions while female orgasm research gets nothing from the NIH. She breaks down the complete anatomy of the clitoris that most medical professionals never learned, explaining why understanding this matters for surgical outcomes, pleasure, and treating conditions like vulvar vestibule pain that affects penetration, tampon use, and pelvic exams. Dr. Rubin discusses how the vulvar vestibule, the hormone sensitive tissue surrounding the urethra, becomes a source of pain for many women during perimenopause, on birth control pills, or postpartum due to low estrogen and testosterone. Guest links: Dr. Rachel Rubin (Instagram) Dr. Rachel Rubin (YouTube) Dr. Rachel Rubin (Website) Dr. Rachel Rubin (LinkedIn) Dr. Rachel Rubin (Facebook) Dr. Rachel Rubin (X) Books “Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage Hardcover,” by Rachel E. Gross Articles Sexual function after hysterectomy according to surgical indication: a prospective cohort study (Sexual Health) The human cervix: Comprehensive review of innervation and clinical significance (Clinical Anatomy) Brain activation during vaginocervical self-stimulation and orgasm in women with complete spinal cord injury: fMRI evidence of mediation by the vagus nerves (Brain Research) The Impact of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists on Erectile Function: Friend or Foe? (Biomolecules) Effect of Saw Palmetto Extract on Erectile Dysfunction and Libido in Patients with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Because of Benign Prostatic Obstruction (International Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal Plants) “Not feeling like myself” in perimenopause — what does it mean? Observations from the Women Living Better survey (Menopause) Updates on Therapeutic Alternatives for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Managements (Journal of Menopausal Medicine) Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cardiovascular Diseases in Women With Vasomotor Symptoms: A Secondary Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Clinical Trials (JAMA Internal Medicine) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Strong Bones, Strong Body, Stronger Second Half with Dr Jocelyn Wittstein - Part 2
In this continuation of their conversation, Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein and Dr. Mary Claire Haver shift from understanding why menopause affects bones and joints to what actually works for building stronger bones and preventing fractures. If you've been told your bone density is declining, or you're worried about falls and fractures, this episode delivers the practical protocols you need. Dr. Wittstein is a practicing orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and associate professor at Duke University specializing in sports medicine and the female athlete across the lifespan. She's also a former collegiate gymnast and mother of five. Her research focuses on frozen shoulder, ACL injuries in female athletes, and the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. As president of the Forum for Women in Sports Medicine, Dr. Wittstein is changing how we understand the intersection of hormones, movement, and independence in women's bodies. They tackle the questions women ask most. How much exercise is enough? What types build bone? Is jumping necessary? They discuss the LIFT More trial and EFOPS trial, research showing women in structured exercise programs had fifty percent reduction in fracture risk, even as bone density eventually declined. This reveals something crucial: preventing fractures goes beyond bone density numbers alone. Guest links: Jocelyn Ross Wittstein, MD (Duke Health) Jocelyn Wittstein, MD (Instagram) Duke Female Athlete Program Milken Institute Women’s Health Initiative Books:“The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan: Help Prevent and Treat Osteoporosis and Arthritis,” by Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein and Sydney Nitzkorski, MS, RD To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Menopause, Frozen Shoulder and the Joint Pain Wake Up Call with Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein - Part 1
If you've ever struggled to put on a bra, reach behind your back, or lift your arm without searing pain in your shoulder, you're not alone. Frozen shoulder strikes women in midlife at alarming rates, yet for decades, medicine dismissed it as a mystery condition with no known cause. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein saw what others missed: her patients with frozen shoulder were almost all women between forty and sixty, experiencing hot flashes, night sweats, and other symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. What she discovered is changing how we understand the impact of declining estrogen on women's joints, bones, and muscles. Dr. Wittstein is a practicing orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and associate professor at Duke University, specializing in sports medicine and the female athlete across the lifespan. She's also a former collegiate gymnast and mother of five. Her research focuses on frozen shoulder, ACL injuries in female athletes, and the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. As president of the Forum for Women in Sports Medicine, Dr. Wittstein is changing how we understand the intersection of hormones, movement, and independence in women's bodies. In this conversation, Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Wittstein explore how declining estrogen during perimenopause and menopause impacts joints, bones, muscles, and connective tissue. They discuss why frozen shoulder disproportionately affects women in midlife, with some Asian cultures having their own term for it that translates to fifty year shoulder. Dr. Wittstein explains the critical window for treatment, why early intervention can be transformative, and how hormone replacement therapy may prevent it, with preliminary data suggesting women using systemic estradiol have half the risk of developing frozen shoulder. She shares why physical therapy during the inflammatory phase can worsen it and how to recognize the early warning signs. Guest links: Jocelyn Ross Wittstein, MD (Duke Health) Jocelyn Wittstein, MD (Instagram) Duke Female Athlete Program Milken Institute Women’s Health Initiative Books“The Complete Bone and Joint Health Plan: Help Prevent and Treat Osteoporosis and Arthritis,” by Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein and Sydney Nitzkorski, MS, RD To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sally Wainwright on Riot Women, Identity Theft of Menopause, and Writing Real Female Characters
Award-winning British television creator Sally Wainwright joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver to discuss her groundbreaking new BBC series Riot Women, a drama about five midlife women who form a punk rock band while navigating menopause, aging parents, and the complexities of life after 50. Sally, the creative force behind acclaimed series including Happy Valley, Gentlemen Jack, and Last Tango in Halifax, shares how her own experience with perimenopause and menopause inspired the show and why she calls this life stage "identity theft." The conversation explores Sally's journey from bus driver to one of British television's most celebrated showrunners, her commitment to portraying authentic female characters who carry grief, desire, sexuality, rage, and resilience in bodies that reflect actual lived experience, and how brain fog, joylessness, and depression led her to finally try hormone replacement therapy after initially believing outdated myths about breast cancer risk, and how that decision transformed her wellbeing. Dr. Haver and Sally discuss the critical importance of naming menopause symptoms, from the devastating loss of motivation and confidence that can accompany hormonal changes to the sandwich generation pressures of dementia care for aging parents while raising teenagers. The episode examines why female stories, particularly those featuring women over 50, face funding challenges in entertainment, how male writers have historically constructed female characters through the male gaze, and why Sally believes women are more heroic and emotionally articulate than men. They explore the revolutionary aspects of Riot Women, including its honest portrayal of sexual health, libido changes, medical gaslighting, and the transformative power of HRT, rarely if ever depicted on screen with such nuance and optimism. Sally discusses audience response to the series, including an unprecedented volume of thank-you letters to the BBC from viewers who felt seen for the first time, men's surprising embrace of the show despite its focus on female experience, and a handful of critics who complained about the absence of "nice men" despite the show's ensemble of complex, flawed characters of all genders. This conversation offers validation for anyone navigating the physical and emotional challenges of perimenopause and menopause, inspiration for creative midlife reinvention, and hope that entertainment is finally beginning to tell the truth about women's lives with the honesty, ferocity, humor, tenderness, and rage they deserve. Guest links: Sally Wainwright (Instagram) Sally Wainwright (IMDB) Articles Menopausal Hormone Therapy and the Breast: A Review of Clinical Studies (Breast Care) Anhedonia: A Concept Analysis (Archives of Psychiatric Nursing) Other Resources Primary Ovarian Insufficiency in Adolescents and Young Women (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Riot Women (BBC) Clips from Riot Women: 251105_RiotWomen_Ep1_Clip_Satisfaction_Bug.mp4 251105_RiotWomen_Ep1_Clip_WithAttitude_Bug.mp4 251105_RiotWomen_Ep1_Clip_RiotWomen_Bug.mp4 251105_RiotWomen_Ep1_Clip_OneMenopausalWomanToAnother_Bug.mp4 251105_RiotWomen_Ep1_Clip_ForTheRefugees_Bug.mp4 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From Hysteria to Medical Gaslighting and the Path Forward with Dr. Elizabeth Comen
Dr. Elizabeth Comen is a board certified oncologist at NYU Langone Health, co-director of the Mignoni Women's Health Collaborative, and author of the groundbreaking book “All In Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today”. In this powerful conversation about medical gaslighting and women's healthcare, she and Dr. Mary Claire Haver trace the deep roots of medical misogyny and reveal why the healthcare system still dismisses women's symptoms today. Dr. Comen shares the story of a breast cancer patient on her deathbed who, hours from death, apologized for sweating during a hug. It's a moment that captures what nearly every woman experiences in a doctor's office, the reflexive apology for being in a normal human body. Whether it's apologizing for leg hair in stirrups or hiding underwear during an exam, women have internalized tremendous shame about their bodies. Dr. Comen explains this isn't random. It's the legacy of a medical system built by men who dismissed women's pain and symptoms as hysteria, neurosis, or anxiety. Through meticulous research into medical history, Dr. Comen reveals how this medical gaslighting became embedded in healthcare. She discusses William Osler, one of cardiology's founding fathers, who described women's chest pain as "neurotic angina" and wrote that "these women do not die." Yet heart disease is the number one killer of women. She explains how women are twice as likely to call an ambulance for their husband's heart attack than for themselves, and when they do seek help for chest pain, they're far more likely to be misdiagnosed with a panic attack instead of receiving proper cardiac care. Dr. Haver and Dr. Comen discuss the systemic healthcare gaps across medical specialties: why 80% of autoimmune diseases affect women yet it's not considered a women's health field, why female specific surgeries are reimbursed at significantly lower rates than comparable male procedures, why Alzheimer's disease is twice as common in women but received almost no research funding, and how the legacy of dismissing women's sexual health continues in breast cancer and oncology care today. They explore bizarre historical medical fears like "bicycle face," the myth that women would become ugly and infertile from exercise, and how plastic surgery evolved to make women "marriage material" rather than serve their actual health needs. Despite the sobering history of medical misogyny, this conversation ends with hope. Dr. Comen shares why she's optimistic about the cultural shift happening in women's healthcare now, the importance of women advocating for themselves in medical settings, and how the next generation doesn't have to wait for menopause to stop apologizing and start demanding better healthcare. Guest links: Dr. Elizabeth Comen Dr. Elizabeth Comen (Instagram) Dr. Elizabeth Comen (LinkedIn) Dr. Elizabeth Comen, MD (NYU) Books “All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today,” by Dr. Elizabeth Comen “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Menopause Masterclass: Hormones, Brain Fog, Weight & Mental Health with Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Dr. Mary Claire Haver breaks down everything you need to know about perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause in this solo episode, answering critical questions about hormones, symptoms, and treatment with the medical expertise and personal experience that's made her a trusted voice for millions of women. Most women don't realize perimenopause can begin at 35-36 years old, a full seven to ten years before periods stop. Dr. Haver explains why the first signs are often brain-related: fog, anxiety, feeling like "something's not right," rather than physical changes. Menopause itself is just one day (one year after your last period), but postmenopause represents 30-50 years of life without ovarian hormones. Understanding these three phases changes everything about how women can navigate this transition. In this episode, Dr. Haver answers questions like: What is menopause and when does it really start? Why am I gaining weight around my middle even though my diet hasn't changed? Why am I suddenly experiencing anxiety and depression? What changes happen to the vagina and bladder? What are my hormone therapy options? And what about testosterone, do I need it? With estrogen receptors mapped throughout the body, Dr. Haver reveals how declining hormones affect nearly every system. She lists over 40 potential symptoms beyond hot flashes: frozen shoulder, elevated cholesterol, insulin resistance, joint pain, kidney stones, even heightened hearing. Understanding the biology of how your hypothalamus frantically signals ovaries that can't respond explains why menopause impacts so much more than your cycle. She also explains why visceral belly fat triples during this transition regardless of diet and exercise changes, and what that means for long-term health. Dr. Haver shares a revealing statistic: only 8% of OB-GYN residents feel competent treating menopause, and 77% receive zero menopause training. She explains what doctors should know but often don't: hormone therapy as first-line treatment for mental health changes in perimenopause, prophylactic vaginal estrogen for all perimenopausal women (considered safe even for many breast cancer patients), no mandatory stop date for hormone therapy when benefits outweigh risks, and affordable bioidentical options that exist beyond expensive pellets. This episode arms you with knowledge to find menopause-educated clinicians, recognize quality care, and demand treatment that actually works. As Dr. Haver emphasizes throughout the episode, no woman should suffer unnecessarily when safe, effective options exist. Guest links: Mary Claire Wellness The ‘Pause Life Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Instagram) Dr. Mary Claire Haver (YouTube) Books “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver Other Resources The Menopause Society The Women’s Health Initiative Dr. Kelly Casperson Dr. Corinne Menn To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Midlife Divorce: The Facts, The Finances, and The Fallout with Jenny Hutt
Divorce rates for people over 50 have doubled since the 1990s, and women are initiating the majority of them. What's really driving this shift? In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with family law attorney and broadcaster Jenny Hutt to discuss the facts, finances, and fallout of midlife divorce. Jenny Hutt is a family law attorney specializing in divorce and mediation in New York, and she spent two decades as a broadcaster on SiriusXM. She's one of Dr. Haver's earliest supporters, and she brings both personal experience and professional insight to this conversation about a controversial topic relating to women's health: the connection between menopause and divorce. Dr. Haver and Jenny start with the facts: the statistics behind gray divorce, why women are initiating most of them, and what's really happening beyond the oversimplification of "dry vagina" causing divorces. They discuss feeling unsupported, undervalued, and reaching a breaking point after years of caregiving. They also dive into finances: what every woman should know about her money whether she's thinking about divorce or not, the three things to do if you're considering divorce, the difference between mediation and legal representation, how to protect inheritance, and the details around a postnuptial agreement. They also address the financial reality that women's household income drops 41% on average after divorce compared to 23% for men. Finally, they explore the fallout: the stress on the sandwich generation of caring for aging parents while raising children, how trauma strains marriages, rebuilding identity after a long marriage, the shame women feel, and why the other side of divorce can bring unexpected peace and freedom. Guest links: Jennifer Hutt Just Jenny Podcast (Apple Podcasts) Jennifer Koppleman Hutt (Wisselman Harounian Family Law) Jenny Hutt (e-mail) Jenny Hutt (Instagram) Other Resources U.S. Divorce Rates Down, Marriage Rates Stagnant From 2012-2022 (U.S. Census Bureau) Women More Likely Than Men to Initiate Divorces, But Not Non-Marital Breakups (American Sociological Association) Books“The Galveston Diet: The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormonal Symptoms,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Leaving Her Dream Job for Menopause Advocacy: Tamsen Fadal on HRT & Purpose After 50
What happens when a news anchor loses her words on live television and discovers it's not stress, but menopause? Emmy Award-winning journalist Tamsen Fadal joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver to share why she walked away from her dream job in pursuit of changing the conversation around women's health, the powerful story behind her New York Times bestselling book How to Menopause, and her groundbreaking PBS documentary The M Factor. Tamsen spent 30 years in broadcast journalism without saying the word "menopause" on air—not once. Then perimenopause hit. Brain fog made her skip words on the teleprompter. A hot flash so severe during a live newscast left her sweating and pale, eventually forcing her off the set entirely. Despite erratic bleeding, insomnia, and mounting symptoms, doctor after doctor missed the diagnosis. But once she understood what was happening, she couldn't stop talking about it. She co-produced The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause with three other women, self-funding the documentary after she was told there was no audience. The trailer went viral. PBS picked it up. Over 1,000 community screenings followed in 43 countries. Dr. Haver and Tamsen reflect on meeting at their first menopause conference, the moment they both realized how little training doctors receive, and why this work feels like a calling. Guest links: Tamsen Fadal The Tamsen Show “The (M) Factor” Documentary Tamsen Fadal (Facebook) Tamsen Fadal (YouTube) Tamsen Fadal (LinkedIn) Tamsen Fadal (Instagram) Tamsen Fadal (TikTok) Books “How to Menopause,” by Tamsen Fadal “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver “The Galveston Diet,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver “The Wisdom of Menopause,” by Dr. Christiane Northrup “The Menopause Manifesto,” by Dr. Jen Gunter This episode covers: -Why many women are prescribed antidepressants for hot flashes instead of hormone therapy -Growing up with a mother who suffered through surgical menopause in silence -The fear of HRT and what finally changed Tamsen's mind -Writing a book publishers said had "no audience" and then hitting the New York Times bestseller list -Why the Women's Health Initiative headlines continue to harm women decades later -Walking away from a 30-year career as a primetime news anchor to focus on menopause advocacy -The "shelf life" for women in journalism and ageism in media -Her new documentary Before the Pause focusing on perimenopause -Why millennials are approaching menopause differently than Gen X -Finding community, purpose, and a second act in midlife Articles The North American Menopause Society recommendations for clinical care of midlife women (Menopause)The Estrogen Dilemma (Time Magazine) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Orgasm After Menopause: Vibrators, Testosterone & Solutions with Dr. Lauren Streicher (Pt. 2)
In our last episode of unPAUSED, we began a conversation with Dr. Lauren Streicher about orgasm, sexual function, and why these topics are still so taboo. Because there was so much to talk about, we decided to make this a two part episode. So today, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues this conversation. Dr. Streicher is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the host of Dr. Streicher's Inside Information Podcast, and the creator of Come Again, a 30 episode audio series on sexuality and sexual function. She's been at the forefront of sexual medicine for decades, pushing conversations forward that most clinicians still avoid. In this episode, we're diving into why vibrators work when nothing else does and what the research shows about vibration versus other types of stimulation. Dr. Streicher explains non-hormonal arousal creams, CBD oil for the clitoris, and whether these products actually help. We discuss the role of neurotransmitters in orgasm and walk through the FDA-approved libido drugs Addyi and Vyleesi, including why testosterone is often the preferred option for women and why pellets are problematic. Dr. Streicher breaks down the orgasm gap between men and women and explains why it actually narrows with age. She walks us through her clinical approach when a patient comes in struggling with orgasm, why pain must always be addressed first, and how to find a sexual medicine expert. We also talk about what gives her hope for the future of this field and why not every woman needs to have an orgasm for sex to be pleasurable and successful. Guest links: Dr. Streicher Dr. Streicher (Instagram) Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More (Apple Podcasts) Lauren Streicher - Faculty Profile (Northwestern Medicine) Dr. Streicher (YouTube) Subscribe to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm DrStreicher.com/comeagain Use code UNPAUSED20 for 20% off (This code expires Dec 23) Dr. Streicher's Podcast Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More DrStreicher’s Substack https://drstreicher.substack.com/ Gyne Hacks! (Including how to How to Get a Hands-free Free Vulvar View) Books: “Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Hot Flash Hell-A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat (Dr. Streicher's Inside Information),” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy: Advice from a Gynecologist on Your Choices Before, During, and After Surgery,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman,” by Dr. Ian Kerner “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Where Did My Orgasm Go? Menopause, SSRIs, and the Science of Pleasure with Dr. Lauren Streicher
What happens to your orgasm after menopause? It's something nearly half of women experience changes with in midlife, but so few are talking about it. In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Lauren Streicher to discuss exactly what changes to orgasm, libido, and sex, why it happens, and what you need to know if you're struggling. Dr. Streicher is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the host of Dr. Streicher's Inside Information Podcast, and the creator of Come Again, a 30 episode audio series on sexuality and sexual function. She's a senior researcher at the Kinsey Institute and one of the true pioneers of sexual medicine, helping to define and legitimize a specialty that for decades simply didn't exist. Dr. Haver and Dr. Streicher start with the basics: what an orgasm actually is, the anatomy of the clitoris, and why most women cannot have an orgasm from penetrative sex alone. Dr. Streicher explains vaginal orgasms, cervical orgasms, the G spot, and the historical research of Princess Marie Bonaparte, who measured the distance between the clitoris and vaginal opening in 240 women in an effort to understand why she couldn't orgasm during intercourse. They discuss what happens to orgasm and sex post menopause, including the role of blood flow, nerve health, clitoral atrophy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and medications, especially SSRIs that can affect both libido and orgasm. Dr. Streicher walks through how genitourinary syndrome of menopause affects the clitoris, why the pelvic floor matters for orgasm, and why so many women have never even seen their own anatomy. They also talk about anorgasmia, the inability to have an orgasm, both primary and acquired, and why this is almost never discussed in medical training. Guest links: Dr. Streicher Dr. Streicher (Instagram) Dr. Streicher: Menopause: The Inside Info (Substack) Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More (Apple Podcasts) COME AGAIN Lauren Streicher - Faculty Profile (Northwestern Medicine) Dr. Streicher (YouTube) Subscribe to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm DrStreicher.com/comeagain Use code UNPAUSED20 for 20% off (This code expires Dec 23) Dr. Streicher's Podcast Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More DrStreicher’s Substack https://drstreicher.substack.com/ Gyne Hacks! (Including how to How to Get a Hands-free Free Vulvar View) Books: “Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Hot Flash Hell-A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat (Dr. Streicher's Inside Information),” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy: Advice from a Gynecologist on Your Choices Before, During, and After Surgery,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman,” by Dr. Ian Kerner “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Menopause, Misogyny and the Medical System: Dr Sharon Malone Sets the Record Straight
Dr. Sharon Malone has spent decades fighting for women to get the healthcare they deserve, and she's not slowing down. As Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Women's Health, host of "The Second Opinion" podcast, and author of the New York Times bestseller "Grown Woman Talk," Dr. Malone joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver in this episode to talk about reshaping how we think about menopause, aging, and women's health advocacy. For too long, women have been told to accept suffering as normal. Hot flashes, brain fog, joint pain, sleep problems, the complete unraveling of quality of life during perimenopause and menopause? Dr. Malone talks about being done with that narrative. In this conversation, she explains how the medical system has systematically failed women, from keeping them out of research studies to applying male-centric data to female bodies, from dismissing their menopause symptoms to perpetuating dangerous myths about estrogen and hormone therapy that have left an entire generation undertreated. She breaks down the Women's Health Initiative, the deeply flawed study that scared women away from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). She explains exactly what went wrong, why the study enrolled women who were too old to answer the questions it claimed to address, and why doctors are still getting it wrong today, decades after the original findings were walked back. The cost? A generation of women suffering unnecessarily while billions in research dollars went elsewhere. Dr. Malone also tackles the intersection of gender and racial bias in medicine, explaining why your zip code matters more than your genetic code when it comes to health outcomes. From her own journey navigating medical school as a Black woman in the 1980s to losing her mother to cancer at just 12, she points out the healthcare disparities from both sides of the exam table. At 66, Dr. Malone is proof that midlife isn't about decline. It's about stepping into your power. And she shares a clear message, that women have accepted suffering for far too long, and it's time to demand better. Guest links: Dr. Sharon Malone Dr. Sharon Malone (Alloy) Dr. Sharon Malone (Instagram) Dr. Sharon Malone (X/Twitter) Dr. Sharon Malone (Threads) Dr. Sharon Malone (Facebook) Dr. Sharon Malone (Alloy/YouTube) Dr. Sharon Malone (LinkedIn) The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon Books “Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy,” by Dr. Sharon Malone “The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Can't Take Estrogen? Dr. Corinne Menn on Who Can, Who Can't & What's Changed
In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Corinne Menn to tackle one of the most common questions in women's health: "Can I take estrogen?" As a board-certified OB-GYN, certified menopause practitioner, and 24-year breast cancer survivor, Dr. Menn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation about who can take hormone therapy, who can't, and what's changed in recent years. Dr. Menn's own story provides powerful context for this discussion. At just 28 years old, during her second year of medical residency, she discovered a lump in her breast just one week before learning her mother had recurrent ovarian cancer. Within days of her mother's sudden death, Dr. Menn received her own devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. What followed was a grueling journey through mastectomy, chemotherapy, and induced menopause while simultaneously completing one of medicine's most demanding training programs. Throughout this conversation, Dr. Menn shares the profound gaps in survivorship care that she experienced firsthand and continues to witness in her patients today. The medical system, she explains, is focused on treating cancer but often fails to prepare women for the marathon of side effects that follow, particularly the devastating impact of estrogen deprivation on sexual health, mental health, bone density, and cardiovascular risk. Guest links: Dr. Corinne Menn Dr. Corinne Menn (Instagram) Dr. Corinne Menn (Facebook) Dr. Corinne Menn (Alloy Health) Dr. Corinne Menn (LinkedIn) Dr. Corinne Menn (TikTok) Dr. Corinne Menn (YouTube) Dr. Corinne Menn (Substack) Dr. Corinne Menn (Young Survival Coalition) Books “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver “You Are Not Broken: Stop ‘Should-ing’ All Over Your Sex Life,” by Dr. Kelly Casperson This episode explores: -Why family history of breast cancer is NOT a contraindication to HRT -The truth about Factor V Leiden, fibroids, endometriosis, and migraines: what really excludes you from hormone therapy -The concept of "weird Barbie" and why perfect candidates don't exist -How the medical system is focused on treating cancer but often fails to prepare women for the marathon of side effects that follow, particularly the devastating impact of estrogen deprivation on sexual health, mental health, bone density, and cardiovascular risk -How women with BRCA mutations (previvors) can protect themselves from ovarian cancer while managing hormone loss -Why vaginal estrogen should be considered essential for breast cancer survivors -The critical safety difference between oral and transdermal estrogen -Non-hormonal options for managing hot flashes and night sweats -Why one in eight women lose ovarian function before natural menopause -The importance of updated genetic testing if you were tested before 2013-2014 -The profound gaps in survivorship care and why 89% of breast cancer survivors feel their menopausal care is inadequate -How addressing menopausal symptoms helps women stay adherent to life-saving cancer treatments and maintain quality of life. -What comprehensive, individualized care should look like for every woman To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Still Bobbi: Bobbi Brown on Reinvention, Midlife Entrepreneurship & Finding Purpose After 60
What does it look like to begin again at 62 and thrive? Beauty industry pioneer Bobbi Brown joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver for an intimate conversation about her new memoir Still Bobbi, building Jones Road Beauty in her sixties, leaving behind the company that bore her name for 25 years, and redefining what success, purpose, and aging mean in the second half of life. Bobbi Brown revolutionized the beauty industry with her "no makeup makeup" philosophy in the 1990s, sold her company to Estée Lauder, and spent decades as creative director before exiting in her late fifties. But instead of retiring, she launched Jones Road Beauty at 62 during a pandemic, proving that passion and entrepreneurship don't disappear with age, they evolve. In this personal conversation, Bobbi shares her journey from Chicago to building a global beauty empire, the emotional reality of leaving the company with her name on it, and why she refuses to use the term "anti-aging." She opens up about growing up with a mother who struggled with mental illness, losing her brother to HIV, and how weighted vest training and strength over skinny became her midlife mantras. Dr. Haver and Bobbi connect over shared experiences of menopause, hormone therapy, and the relentless pressure of being a founder. They discuss what it means to perform when exhausted, learning to say no, and why the maintenance phase of any transformation whether weight loss or career pivot is often the hardest part. Bobbi's memoir Still Bobbi is a story of resilience, grit, and determination for anyone who thought their best work was behind them. Guest links: Jones Road Beauty Bobbi Brown (Instagram) Bobbi Brown (Threads) Bobbi Brown (TikTok) Bobbi Brown (LinkedIn) Bobbi Brown (Facebook) Bobbi Brown (Website) Jones Road Beauty (Instagram)Jones Road Beauty (Facebook) Articles High-Impact Mechanical Loading Increases Bone Material Strength in Postmenopausal Women-A 3-Month Intervention Study (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research) Other Resources Institute for Integrative Nutrition Miracle Balm (Jones Road Beauty) Bobbi Brown Teaches Makeup and Beauty (Masterclass) Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (Hulu) American College of Culinary Medicine The Bobbi Kit 5.0 (Jones Road Beauty) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
GLP-1s and Midlife Metabolism Part 2: Dr. Rocio Salas Whalen Breaks Down the Science of Weight Loss and Menopause
What happens after you lose the weight? Few are focused on this important question about GLP-1 medications. In Part 2 of this conversation on GLP-1s and Midlife Metabolism, triple Board-certified in Obesity Medicine; fellowship-trained in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen continues her discussion with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, going deeper into what happens after weight loss including the physical and emotional changes no one prepares you for, and what the future of these medications looks like. Dr. Salas-Whalen, founder of New York Endocrinology and author of the upcoming book Weightless, tackles the questions women are actually asking: How do I know if I'm getting good care? What about compounding pharmacies? Will I need therapy? And what comes next in obesity medication? The conversation addresses the psychological shifts that happen when you reach your goal weight for the first time in your life. Dr. Salas-Whalen shares what she's learned from following patients long-term and why the maintenance phase is actually the most important part of treatment. Dr. Salas-Whalen also addresses the cost and accessibility crisis around Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, the environmental impact of single-use injection pens, and why direct-from-manufacturer vials (like Eli Lilly's Zepbound vials) are making treatment more affordable. She shares her standard of care for obesity treatment and explains exactly what questions to ask before starting GLP-1 therapy. For women experiencing perimenopause and menopause weight gain, this episode provides useful information about what to expect beyond initial weight loss, how to maintain results long-term, and why proper medical supervision with body composition monitoring is essential for protecting muscle mass and metabolic health. Guest links: Meet Your Endocrinologist - Dr. Salas-Whalen (NY Endocrinology)Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen (Instagram) Books: “Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications, Sustainable Weight Loss, and the Health You Deserve” by Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices