Shows
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreIs Your Transdermal ESTROGEN... Getting ABSORBED?
Transdermal estrogen in the form of a patch, gel, or cream is often the preferred delivery method for menopausal hormone therapy. Unlike oral estrogen, in addition to other advantages, transdermal estrogen does not increase the risk of blood clots. But a new study, published in the journal Menopause, indicates that your transdermal estrogen… may not be doing what you think it’s doing. Today, I am speaking with one of the authors of that study, Dr. Louise Newson.
My Substack post summarizing the study:
https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/is-your-estrogen-patch-gel-or-spray?r=740mq
Link to article...2025-04-1749 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreCOME AGAIN!
Welcome to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm Podcast
What if suddenly your tried-and-true maneuvers that consistently ended in orgasm no longer worked? Or it took so long and the climax so pathetic it was hardly worth the effort? Along with hot flashes, sandpaper sex, and a loss of libido, add the inability to have an orgasm to the list of post-menopause surprises your mom "forgot" to warn you about.
In this episode you will hear the first two episodes of COME AGAIN-a new podcast series with science-based information to get your libido to kick in and yo...2025-03-2031 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTEETH TALK with Whitney DiFoggio MA, RDH
As our bodies age, so do our teeth. And, no surprise, menopause also has an impact on dental health. My guest, Whitney Difoggio, AKA Teeth Talk Girl ,knows it all when it comes to dental hygiene ,anti-aging tips and post menopause teeth, gums, and tongues.
Whitney DiFoggio, founder of teethtalkgirl.com, is a passionate dental health communicator and registered dental hygienist, recognized as "Teeth Talk Girl" on social media (@teethtalkgirl). With a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Illinois Chicago and a master’s degree in health communication from Arizona State University, she is currently purs...2025-03-1352 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Dark History of the Pelvic Exam
The vagina is a dark and mysterious place. It is the passage by which most of us enter the world. As an adult, it is the place where our sexuality is housed, hopefully, associated with pleasure, but it can also be a place associated with pain, and sometimes trauma.
It is impossible to see the vagina without a speculum since the vagina is completely internal. And it was the invention of the speculum that allowed physicians to help women suffering from gynecologic conditions. But, there is a dark history to the origins of the speculum exam, and ev...2025-03-061h 02
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreGLP-1 Drugs- The Good, The Bad, and the Unknown
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic™ and Wegovy™ do a great job at helping folks lose large amounts of weight, but there is emerging evidence that the benefits go well beyond achieving a healthy weight. And then there is the dark side…can they also harm?
In this episode, Dr. Alexandra Sowa, an internist who is certified in obesity medicine, and the author of the just published book The Ozempic Revolution: A Doctor's Proven Plan for Success to Help You Reverse Obesity, End Yo-Yo Dieting, and Protect Yourself from Disease discusses the impact of the GLP-1 drugs throughout the body.
...2025-02-2044 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreAll Hot Flashes Do Not Mean MenopauseHot flashes, the hallmark of menopause are experienced by up to 80% of women. And if you are in your late 40s or early 50s and dressing in layers, carrying a fan, and sweating through your pajamas, chances are, it’s menopause. But maybe it’s not.
In this episode I run through the list of conditions that have nothing to do with menopause, that can cause women to sweat through the day and night.
Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK
• Articles
• Monthly newsletter
• Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research
• Monthly Zoom Q and A Webinar...2025-02-1315 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MorePaternalism and the Uterus
The 1950s and 60s were a time of medical paternalism in America. The doctor, who was male in 98 percent of cases, decided what was best for his patient and unilaterally made decisions that were rarely, if ever questioned. In 1969 Dr. Marcus Welby was the TV prototype of this godlike paragon, and he spoke decisively and with authority in countless American households, including my own, on a weekly basis. This paternalistic approach to medical care affected both male and female patients but had a more profound impact on women since they regularly required medical intervention due to childbirth and...2025-02-0616 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Secret Fantasy Life of Women with Dr. Justin LehmillerSexual fantasy is at the top of the list when it comes to taboo topics. My guest, Dr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist, an award-winning educator, a prolific researcher, and is the host of The Sex and Psychology podcast. He is also the author of The popular book, Tell Me What You Want_ The Science of Sexual Desire and How it Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life based on his survey of sexual desire in America, including how fantasies change as women age.
The most common sexual fantasy
If people intend or desire to act out th...2025-01-3049 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreIs Bioidentical Always Best?
Many, if not most women and clinicians believe that bioidentical estrogen is always best when it comes to post menopause hormone therapy. This comes from the premise that bio-identical estrogen is completely natural and therefore safer and more effective than other forms of estrogen. Except that is not necessarily true.
In this myth-busting episode, I discuss:
Why words and terms need to have precise meanings
The difference between HT, HRT and MHT
The three general categories of estrogen
Synthesized
Conjugated
Bioidentical
How the term bioidentical came to be
Four myths about bioidentical estrogen
Bioidentical estrogen is completely natural
...2025-01-2317 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Problem with Pellets
Less than 3% of post-menopause women use commercially produced hormone therapy. However, increasing numbers of women dealing with hot flashes, insomnia, painful sex, and loss of libido are using non-FDA-approved hormone pellets. Millions of women have no idea that they are using a form of hormone therapy that is unregulated and associated with side effects such as an enlarged clitoris, and male pattern baldness, as well as an increased risk of hysterectomy.
How pellets are different than FDA-approved commercial hormone therapy
Why pellets are so popular
The problem with pellets
Side effects from pellets
Irreversible side effects
Typical...2025-01-1621 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreYour Post Menopause Urethra with Dr. Kelly CaspersonMost women don’t even think about their urethras, but an estrogen-starved urinary tract can be the culprit when it comes to recurrent urinary tract infections and that persistent “gotta go” feeling.
In this episode I sit down with Dr. Kelly Casperson, a board-certified urologist, a certified Menopause Practitioner of the North American Menopause Society, and the host of the hit podcast You Are Not Broken to discuss the role of estrogen in urinary health including:
· How to get rid of URINARY URGENCY
· How to use a local vaginal estrogen to alleviate many BLADDER SYMPTOMS
· Why s...2025-01-0954 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHormone Therapy to Help the Heart?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 ex...2024-12-0523 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreGenital Dryness and Misbehaving BladdersMen 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 PHYSICA...2024-11-2122 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreInvisible Woman SyndromeStudies 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 Sk...2024-11-1444 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreDon't Be Duped: Misleading Marketing and the FDAYou grab a product off the shelf—maybe it promises to help with bladder control, take off ten pounds, erase wrinkles, or boost orgasms. You assume it will do what it claims to do because it has the FDA seal on the package. Most consumers have no idea that most over-the-counter products have not been tested to ensure product claims are legitimate.
The history of the FDA
Why estrogen disappeared from face cream in 1962
The different FDA categories and what they mean
FDA Approved
FDA Cleared
FDA Listed
FDA Registered
What it takes to be FDA-approved
Why testosterone was never FDA-a...2024-10-2426 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Menopause Society Meeting Episode149
The Menopause Society Meeting
Insights from an Insider
Once a year, the Menopause Society holds an annual meeting where thousands of experts gather to present their research and learn from each other. In this episode, I will discuss some of the most interesting research presented at the meeting…and explain why I didn’t attend the meeting.
· VOICE as a Predictor of HEALTH
· The impact of TESTOSTERONE on the VOICE
· How to find out if you have a GENETIC MUTATION
· How ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is being used to read MAMMOGRAMS
· How a MAMMOGRAM can predict HEART DISEASE
· How WORK can make your MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS worse
· ...2024-10-1025 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreGYNE HACKS for Midlife Women
You know what a Hack is…something that solves a problem, simplifies a task or reduces frustration. Who doesn’t love a good hack? This episode is loaded with GYNECOLOGIC HACKS ...your gyne never told you. Useful tips, tricks and solutions for frustrating gyne problems. Alternative uses for products that are intended to be used on your vulva or in your vagina. And if this does well, I’ve got plenty more.
· How to Easily Remove Your Estring™ Hack
· Hands-Free Vulvar View Hack
· Expired Birth Control Pill Hack
· Ditch Your Vaginal Estrogen Applicator Hack
· Silicone Lubricant Hacks
· ...2024-10-0317 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTESTOSTERONE for ALL? with Kelly Casperson MD
Put a group of menopause experts in a room, and there are certain things everyone will agree on. But there are other topics, that do not result in universal agreement. And, usually, when that happens, it’s the battle of the academic purists vs …everyone else. And in the menopause world right now, there is no more controversial topic than the use of testosterone as part of the standard hormone therapy cocktail.
So today, Dr. Kelly Casperson, the host of the You Are Not Broken podcast, and I will discuss WHY there is controversy and where that leaves us in...2024-09-1254 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreESTROGEN for the FACE? THE FACTS!Something happens to skin after your 40th birthday, and that something isn’t good. So is it just a coincidence that wrinkles and sags show up at the same time your periods disappear, or is it just one of those mid-life things? The answer is both. Post menopause skin without estrogen is dryer, thinner, blotchier, hairier, and wrinklier. So, is TOPICAL ESTROGEN the answer? And is it safe?
The specific impact of loss of estrogen on skin
Why bone loss impacts the way your face looks
Why you get increased facial hair post menopause
When estrogen was in over-t...2024-09-0522 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWho Do You Believe When Experts Disagree? with Tamsen FadalIn a world where women are barraged with information when it comes to how best to manage menopause, it can be overwhelming and confusing. Between having their symptoms dismissed by their regular physician, and then being overwhelmed with information on social media, it’s hard to know what’s fact and hype. And what do you do when the doctor you trust, tells you that the social media expert you also trust is wrong?
In this episode, I chat with Tamsen Fadal, a menopause advocate who has made it her mission to help perimenopausal and menopausal women navigate through the i...2024-08-2949 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreDon’t Go with This Flow: Post Menopause BleedingIt can be terrifying to have bleeding when you are post-menopause. It’s not just about making the midnight run for tampons, it’s that stomach-dropping fear that “blood equals cancer” that causes women to spend hours consulting Dr. Google for some reassurance. But, although most women imagine the worst, in most cases, postmenopausal spotting or bleeding is not, is not, an indication of anything serious.
How to know WHERE the blood is coming from
The 3 causes of Post Menopause VAGINAL WALL BLEEDING
What causes Post Menopause CERVICAL BLEEDING
Causes of UTERINE BLEEDING post menopause
Uterine POLYPS
Uterine FIBROIDS
Uterine ATROPHY
...2024-08-2229 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhen Your Hair Today is Gone Tomorrow - PART 2In Part 1 on Mid-Life Hair Loss, I covered hair care strategies, vitamins, and supplements. And pretty much every section ended with the equivalent of “Don’t waste your money.” This episode has useful advice to get those follicles to kick in and significantly increase the hair on your head.
TOPICAL minoxidil
ORAL minoxidil
FINASTERIDE
Dutasteride
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP Injections)
Low Light LASER
HORMONE THERAPY
Testosterone
Estrogen
Also of interest:
Episode 139 Hair When Your Hair Today is Gone Tomorrow
Episode 117 Top Tips for Terrific Skin & Hair with Dr. Ellen Gendler
Episode 122 Navigating Menopause Celebrity Style- Here We Go Again!2024-08-1520 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHair Today- Gone Tomorrow-Part 1For guys, middle-aged hair loss is upsetting, but not something that generally prompts a doctor’s appointment. But that is not the case for women that are suddenly seeing a lot more scalp. While not exactly a medical emergency, it qualifies as an emotional emergency.
This is PART 1 of 2 parts on post-menopause hair loss. This episode covers hair care strategies, vitamins, and supplements. PART 2 will include pharmaceuticals such as topical minoxidil, oral minoxidil, finasteride, platelet rich plasma injections, estrogen and testosterone therapy.
Part 1:
WHY women lose hair mid-life
NON-HORMONAL causes of hair loss
What androgenic alopecia looks...2024-08-0122 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Shocking Trend Happening in Bedrooms with Debby Herbenick PhDA recent New York Times article was titled “The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex”. Before I even clicked, I knew what that troubling trend was since I had recently attended a medical conference where I heard a lecture from Dr. Debbie Herbenick about the increasing numbers of young adults who were including CHOKING as part of their sexual repertoire. Today I am having a conversation with Dr. Herbenick about how common this practice has become, why it is problematic, along with other current trends in sexual practices across America, and in all age groups.
What SEXUAL PLEASURE looks like and...2024-07-2549 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreA Short History of Estrogen Therapy
“The physician who puts a woman on ‘Premarin’ makes her pleasant to live with once again- something for which husbands are grateful" 1960 Premarin ad
The history of hormone therapy goes back over 100 years. And it didn’t start with horses; it started with cows. If there is a theme, it is that history continues to repeat itself, and following the money is as important as following the science.
For more information on this topic:
Episode 21: Say Yes! to Testosterone for Women
Episode 122 Navigating Menopause Celebrity Style- Here We Go Again!
Episode 66 Don’t...2024-07-1821 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe FACTS on CLOTS and ESTROGENWomen who have a history of a blood clot, or a risk factor that makes them at high risk for developing a blood clot are generally told that hormone therapy is not an option. And then there is that terrifying black box warning on every single estrogen product, including local vaginal estrogens, that states, “Using estrogen alone may increase your chances of getting strokes or blood clots”
Except nothing in that statement is true when it comes to transdermal or local vaginal estrogens. So, why is it even there? And what is the risk?
In this episode:
Why g...2024-06-2725 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhy You Need to Keep Seeing a Gyne with Dr. Shieva GhofranyMore likely than not, if you are over 65, your internist has declared everything between your belly button and your thighs to be the “NO NEED” zone. “NO NEED” for a pap, “NO NEED” need for a speculum, “NO NEED” to remove your underpants, and definitely “NO NEED” to see a gynecologist unless you have a specific problem. But in today’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Shieva Ghofrany to explain the flaw in this reasoning and why “no complaint” is not the same as “No problem”.
We discuss specific issues that are addressed post menopause:
Pap tests and other screening tests...2024-06-0657 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreAre You Ever Done with Menopause?
… and how to increase longevity with and without hormone therapy
The idea that menopause only lasts for a few years is a common misconception. You may have even been told by a medical professional that when you no longer have hot flashes, you are done with menopause!
But menopause means you’re no longer producing estrogen. There are hormone receptors throughout the body and there are lifelong consequences of being without estrogen even if perimenopausal symptoms are in the rear-view mirror.
In this episode:
Why not every woman has long-term health issues post menopause
The lon...2024-05-3021 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MorePCOS Problems Post Menopause with Dr. Allison RodgersWhen I first learned about PCOS during my training, I was told that once a woman with PCOS hit menopause, irregular periods, excess hair growth dealing with fertility problems and other manifestations of PCOS were in the rear-view mirror. And that’s true, but we now know that women who had PCOS during the reproductive years, are not entirely off the hook down the road and that PCOS early in life is associated with several health issues later in life. Today I am having a conversation with reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Alison Rogers, about the impact of PCOS later in life.
...2024-05-2335 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreA Deep Dive into RECURRENT UTI-Update!The only thing more miserable than a urinary tract infection (UTI) is when it happens again, and again, and again. But, good news, there are ways to prevent post menopause RECURRENT URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS. But sometimes urinary urgency, burning and that “gotta go” feeling is NOT FROM an INFECTION, and need a completely different kind of treatment. You need to know the difference.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher covers:
WHY post menopause women have so many UTIs
The typical symptoms of a UTI
What BLOOD in the urine means
Why symptoms that MIMIC a UTI but are not caused b...2024-05-0226 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreAll Hormones Are Not Created Equal With Dr. James SimonEvery available type of hormone therapy will effectively eliminate hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. However, all hormone therapy is not the same. Individual formulations impact bone health, breast health, and cardiovascular health differently. In episode 123, Dr. James Simon and I discussed starting hormone therapy after the age of 60. In this episode, we discuss the nuances between different hormones and their impact on breast cancer and bone health.
Why it is important to individualize hormone therapy
Why there is the perception that estrogen causes breast cancer
There is a difference between causing breast cancer and making breast cancer grow...2024-04-1845 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHormone Therapy AFTER Age 60 with Dr. James Simon
While it has been established that the most optimal time to start hormone therapy is within ten years of the menopause transition or before age 60, one of the most common questions that pops up is, “Is it safe to start hormone therapy after age 60?” In this episode I have a conversation with Dr. James Simon to determine WHO is a candidate for a “late start” and HOW to evaluate if it is safe.
I also included (at the end!) breaking news on a new study that gives reassuring data about continuing hormone therapy well the age of 60.
How it was...2024-04-1128 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreNavigating Menopause: Celebrity Style- Here We Go Again!In 2009 I was invited to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show as a menopause expert to counter the other menopause “expert”, actress turned author Suzanne Somers.
“Dr” Somers is not the only celebrity to help women navigate menopause. Today, Gwyneth Paltrow, Selma Hayek, Naomi Watts, and others are also doling out advice, and in some cases selling products, to manage menopause symptoms. And now, Drew Barrymore has joined the ever-growing list of actresses who have jumped on the menopause money making bandwagon. But far more women are taking their advice than the advice of medical professionals.
In this episode, I’...2024-04-0427 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreDr. Streicher and Dr. Mary Claire Haver Respond to a “New” Model to Manage Menopause Don't Mess with These Menopause Experts!
When The Lancet, one of the oldest, most respected medical journals, published a series of articles saying that “menopause had been over-medicalized”, that many symptoms were “just in her head” and that overall, women should navigate menopause “without the need for medical treatments” a group of furious menopause experts went ballistic. In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver and I tell you why there was such a huge backlash from hundreds of menopause experts, and how we took action.
Dr. Haver and I address 4 specific statements from the Lancet article:
“Most women navigate menopause without...2024-03-2842 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWeighing in on Weight Loss DrugsDr. Kathleen Jordon and I sat down to discuss the two most commonly prescribed GLP- 1 Inhibitors: Semaglutide (Ozempic™) and Terzepatide (Mounjaro™)
What are GLP1 Inhibitors?
How GLP-1 Inhibitors
Who is a GOOD CANDIDATE to take a GLP-1 Inhibitor
Who is NOT a GOOD CANDIDATE based on medical conditions
Other HEALTH BENEFITS from taking a GLP1 Inhibitor besides weight loss
The COST of the drugs?
INSURANCE coverage?
When it is OK to get a GLP 1 inhibitor from a COMPOUNDING pharmacy
What are the problems with some compounding pharmacy
How well these drugs work
Potential side effects
What happens with the medi...2024-03-1446 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHow Hormones Impact the Gut and GERDIt was news to me that estrogen levels can impact on the likelihood of reflux, your gut microbiome, and even the frequency and consistency of your poop. It’s complicated, and I had a hard time interpreting the data, so I invited gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Ruchim to help me out.
In this episode:
How and why GERD is impacted by menopause
If Hormone Therapy Make GERD worse or better?
The impact of hormones on the gut microbiome
How frequency of bowel movements correlates with menopause symptoms
If an alteration in diet will change the microbiome and influence hot flash...2024-03-0726 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTop Tips for Terrific Skin & Hair with Dr. Ellen GendlerIn this episode I am talking to a dermatologist that has over 100 thousand followers on Instagram. And with good reason. She is funny, she tells it like it is, she is a rock star in the world of dermatology and is my go-to when it comes to mid-life skin care, fillers, Botox, not to mention how to have more hair on your head and less hair on your face.
Dr. Ellen Gendler is a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center, where she was a co-director of the Contact Dermatitis Division for many years. Dr...2024-02-2958 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreYour HEART on Hormones-Update!Estrogen is not only good for your brain, your bladder, and your bones, estrogen is also good for your blood vessels. And a lack of estrogen is one of the reasons, that heart disease spikes in women post menopause. Hormone therapy, if started within ten years of the menopause transition, appears to be heart protective. Today I am joined by Dr. Marla Mendelson, a cardiologist and associate professor of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. She is also the former co-director of the Women’s Health research Institute. Dr. Mendelsohn has devoted her career to the evaluation and...2024-02-2253 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Cosmo Report on Sex After 60 with Dr. Rachel ZarIn the 1960s, under the leadership of Helen Gurley Brown, Cosmo morphed from a “proper ladies' magazine” to a much racier version that was thought of as being a sex manual disguised as a woman’s magazine. The target audience was the young working woman. Women in their 60s were not reading it and were certainly not buying subscriptions for their daughters or granddaughters.
And here we are, Cosmo has just published a groundbreaking, article titled Sex after 60 based on research done in collaboration with the renowned Kinsey Institute of Sexual Research. The Kinsey research team, which I was part of...2024-01-2529 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreBONE UP with Hormone Therapy with Dr. Kristi DeSapriWhile many women are aware that hormone therapy is good for the bones, it is usually thought of as a side benefit. You know, women take hormone therapy because they are flashing or can’t sleep and then are told, are told, by the way ..estrogen will also help prevent bone loss.
In the United States, there are 10 million women with OSTEOPOROSIS and 43 million women with OSTEOPENIA. Most of these women have no idea that they are at risk for a potentially life-changing or even fatal fracture and also have no idea that hormone therapy is a proven str...2024-01-1853 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHome Menopause Tests YEA! or NAY?Pregnancy tests, ovulation tests…and now the latest in tests you can do in your bathroom laboratory- Menopause Tests! Clear Blue™, who sell ovulation predictor kits and home pregnancy tests, has come out with an over-the-counter kit to help women who are “confused and wondering if what you’re feeling is the start of the menopause journey, or perhaps something else.” All you need to do is pee on a stick, and you will know if you are pre-menopause, perimenopause or post-menopause.
So, what’s the deal with these kits?
How these tests work
Accuracy of home FSH tests
Why the...2024-01-1117 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHot Topics in Menopause with Dr. Terry Gibbs A recurrent theme in my podcasts is that most medical students and residents do not get training in sexual medicine and menopause, which is why most doctors are not experts. And why so many women get frustrated that finding solutions for their menopause symptoms is too often a do-it-yourself research project. But today, I am joined by someone who is passionate and dedicated to educating the doctors of tomorrow.
This episode was initially aired on Sex Med for Sex Ed, hosted by Dr. Terry Gibbs, an OB-GYN and the founder of The Ohio Sexual Health Collaborative, a multi-disciplinarian organization of...2023-12-2138 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreIt's Time To Redefine MenopauseIn a perfect world, an alert would pop up on your phone announcing, “You are now in perimenopause,” followed at the appropriate time by “You are now leaving perimenopause and entering post menopause.” But it’s not a perfect world, and unless you are thrust into menopause because of ovary removal or chemotherapy, in many, if not most cases, it’s hard to know what your ovaries are doing. Menopause is defined as starting when you haven't had a period in 12 months. And while that’s a very specific definition, that definition is only useful in retrospect. And the 12 months without a peri...2023-12-0729 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTop Things MEN Need to Know About MENOPAUSE If you think you’re having a hard time navigating vaginal dryness, painful sex, insomnia, and hot flashes, I can guarantee that if there is a man in your life, he is also having a hard time. More likely than not, he is completely in the dark about why you are having these symptoms and what he can do to help. In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Hughes, the host of Perimenopause WTF to discuss five things guys need to know about menopause. This segment was originally aired during a live webinar on The Perry Channel.
Rachel and...2023-11-3045 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Mouth and MenopauseI spend a lot of time talking about dry vaginas and the impact that genitourinary syndrome of menopause has on your sex life, your day-to-day comfort, and bladder function. But vaginas are not the only thing that gets dry during menopause. This episode is all about another area of the body that biologically has a lot in common with a dry vagina…and that’s your post-menopause mouth.
What mouths and vaginas have in common.
How common dry mouth is in post-menopause women
Other things that cause dry mouth
Why low estrogen causes dry mouth
Symptoms of dry mouth
...2023-11-2317 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreAn Insider Approach to Ovarian Cancer with Dr. Shieva GhofranyWhen someone is diagnosed with uterine cancer, in most cases, their uterus announces there is a problem by bleeding when it is not supposed to, or bleeding too heavily. Breast cancer, in most cases makes itself known by a lump, a nipple discharge or an abnormality on a mammogram. But ovarian cancer is not so accommodating and, in many cases, does not make its presence known until it has already moved well beyond the ovaries. My guest today is Dr. Shieva Ghofrany a practicing Ob-Gyn who was diagnosed with stage 2 ovarian cancer at age 46. She is going to share her...2023-11-0952 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More23 Tips to Drop Peri &Post-Menopause Pounds: UPDATE!You are never going to get your 20-year-old body back any more than you are going to return to a wrinkle-free face. In Episode 100, I went through all of the reasons why on average, women put on 5-7 pounds during perimenopause, and are twice as likely as mid-life men to have obesity. So now that you understand why you woke up one day and your scale registered your mother’s weight, there are strategies to prevent the weight gain in the first place, keep it from continuing to climb and take it off.
Medical reasons WHY it is imp...2023-11-0229 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhy Women Gain Weight in MenopauseOn average, women put on 5-7 pounds during perimenopause, and then 1 to 5 pounds every year after. While lifestyle and age are partially responsible, men have the same genetics, lifestyle changes and less than perfect diets as women do. But it is twice as likely- for a midlife woman to have obesity compared to men. So, what’s the difference? The difference is men don’t have hot flashes, insomnia, and a sudden drop in their hormones. And that’s where the menopause factor comes in.
This episode is in 2 parts.
Episode 100: WHY women Put on Weight in Menopause...2023-10-2622 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhen Perimenopausal BLEEDING is the ProblemYears before estrogen production completely shuts down, hormone levels start to fluctuate wildly during that special time of life known as perimenopause. Perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations result in the same symptoms that many women experience when they are in full menopause, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and insomnia. But there is a bonus symptom that post-menopausal women don’t experience - irregular and unpredictable bleeding.
In this episode, I discuss:
WHY perimenopause women have irregular bleeding
How your clinician should evaluate abnormal bleeding
Strategies to manage perimenopausal bleeding
Progestogen
Birth Control Pills
Progestogen IUD
Endometrial Ablation
Hysterectomy
Do nothing!
What to do...2023-10-1927 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreAre You Laughing at Me or Did You Have an Orgasm?If you laugh, weep, or have foot pain when have an orgasm, you are not the only one. But, since it’s not a topic that generally comes up in casual conversation, you may think you are the only one, and end up spending a lot of time explaining to your partner that you are not laughing at them, and if you burst into tears post orgasm, you are not necessarily unhappy. What you may be experiencing is peri-orgasmic phenomenon.
In this episode, I discuss:
The difference between a normal orgasmic response and peri orgasmic phenomenon
PHYSICAL manifestations of p...2023-10-0514 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHerbs, Spices, and Wishful ThinkingIt is estimated that between 50% and 75% of postmenopausal women use complementary and alternative therapies for management of menopausal symptoms. The options are as endless, as are the ads. In today’s episode I’m going to fill you in on which of the over-the-counter botanicals might fix your broken thermostat.
This episode is the last segment of a three-part series covering all of the NON-HORMONAL options currently available to help with hot flashes. Episode 85 was an update of non-hormonal MEDICATIONS THAT REQUIRE A PRESCRIPTION. Episode 87 covered LIFESTYLE; things like yoga, mind-body techniques; acupuncture and cooling devices.
This episode covers...2023-09-2135 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHORMONES and the VOICEHave you ever wondered why so many women professional singers retire in their prime, but the guys keep on going? I googled “musicians over the age of 70 who are still performing” and Paul McCartney, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Mick Jagger, and dozens of others popped up. The list was really long for guys, and really short for women.
One reason is that when estrogen levels take a plunge, the change in hormones has a significant impact on vocal frequency and range. In this episode, my guest is Dr. Cheryl Kinney, an expert on the impact of hormones on the voice...2023-09-1437 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Estrogen and Cancer Conundrum Uterine? Ovarian? Cervical? Lung? Breast? Colon?
Hormone therapy really needs a PR firm. Most people think it is right up there with cigarettes and asbestos as something that will more likely than not, give you not only breast cancer, but also other life-threatening cancers. In this episode, I am going to set the record straight and tell you the facts when it comes to using systemic estrogen (both birth control pills and menopause hormone therapy) and your risk of getting ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer and the three most common non-gynecologic cancers. If you already have one of those kinds o...2023-08-3126 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreFaking OrgasmWhile not every woman fakes orgasm, and most don’t do it routinely, it’s the rare woman who hasn’t done it at least once. Early research indicated that roughly 55% of women have faked orgasm at least once in their lifetime. This general pattern has since been confirmed in more recent studies, some reporting rates as high as 74%. In this episode I am joined by certified sex therapist Rachel Zar, LMFT.
We discuss:
WHY women fake orgasm
What factors predict the likelihood of faking orgasm
If it’s ever OK to fake orgasm
What a woman should say to her par...2023-08-1039 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreVAGINAL LASER -Hoax or Helpful?Not only can you laser your face smooth, laser your pubic hair away, and laser off regrettable tattoos—you can also laser your vagina. But should you? Vaginal laser is highly controversial in medical circles. Here’s why it gets mixed reviews, along with need-to-know info if you do choose to sign up.
This episode will include:
The science behind the CO2 laser and how it works
Why many doctors and medical organizations do not recommend laser
Why the term “vaginal rejuvenation” should never be used
Why it is critically important to only have a laser procedure from an expert
W...2023-08-0325 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWill THAT Really Help Your Hot Flashes? The TRUTH About The Impact of Lifestyle and Other InterventionsMany women are highly motivated to manage their hot flashes without hormones, drugs or sketchy herbs and spices. But before investing in a pricey cooling device or signing up for a year’s worth of unlimited yoga, it helps to know what works—and what doesn’t. This is part two of a three-parter on non-hormonal strategies to treat vasomotor symptoms. Part one, Episode 84, included non-hormonal prescription options. Part 3 will consist of herbal and botanical preparations.
This episode includes a discussion of the following interventions when it comes to helping hot flashes:
Cooling devices
Wardrobe adjustment
Cooling sprays
Avoidance...2023-07-2726 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhen Hot Flash Hell Meets Headache Hell: Migraines and MenopauseIt is beyond unfair that when someone with menstrual migraines is finally heading into menopause and no longer must worry about monthly migraines, those same women often experience an uptick in frequency of headaches due to the peri menopausal hormone roller coaster.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher discusses:
The relationship between hormones and migraine headaches
Why birth control pills are often not prescribed to women with migraines with aura
If it is safe for women with migraines to take hormone therapy
If hormone therapy will decrease the frequency of migraine headaches
What kind of hormone therapy is best for wo...2023-07-2013 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreNon-Hormonal Prescription Drugs to Treat Hot Flashes
The 2023 Menopause Society (NAMS) position statement regarding the non-hormonal treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms- hot flashes and night sweats- was just released. Position statements are expert analyses of current studies in order to determine recommendations based on science, as opposed to what the latest Tik Tok star or celebrity is promoting. Because new studies are constantly being published, there is always new information to inform those recommendations, which is why position statements need to periodically get updated.
Because the position statement is very extensive and long, I have divided it into 3 episodes.
Part 1- Non-hormonal prescription options...2023-07-1349 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreEstrogen and Alzheimer’s DiseaseAn estimated 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s dementia and woman are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease as men. So does hormone therapy increase the risk of Alzheimers, decrease the risk or have no effect? That question has been in the news this last week because of a new study that suggests that hormone therapy increases the risk..a finding that is exactly opposite to other studies. But is this new study valid?
In this episode, I break down:
The difference between perimenopause brain fog and dementia
What happens in the brain with Al...2023-07-0615 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreI’m Almost 81 and Couldn’t Be Happier with That Number and My Life: A conversation with Kathryn Leigh ScottIt is no longer unusual for a woman to live well into her 80s or 90s, allowing for multiple career chapters. Today, my guest is 80-year-old former Playboy Bunny, actor, and author Kathryn Leigh Scott.
Kathryn Leigh Scott is best known as the actor who was the leading lady of NBCs Dark Shadow, the gothic vampire drama that is now a cult classic.
In this episode, we discuss what keeps someone youthful and productive from decade to decade. :
Why being in her 80s is an exciting time of life
Kathryn Leigh Scott’s experience as a Playboy Bunny...2023-06-1545 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWHEN PROGESTERONE is a PROBLEMYour progesterone questions…Answered!
If estrogen is the good witch, for a lot of women, progesterone is the bad witch that causes bloating, weight gain, and moodiness. Some types of progestogens may also increase the risk of breast cancer. In this episode, I am going to go through the good, the bad, and all the options when it comes to protecting your uterus when using systemic estrogen therapy.
And since I get so many questions about progesterone, I included them all.
In this episode, I cover
o Why a progestogen is prescribed when a woman t...2023-06-0830 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreGender Magic with Rae McDanielAs a sexual medicine expert, I interact with people every day who are confused, mystified, and often put off by the very idea that someone does not define themselves by the sex they were assigned at birth. My guest is Rae McDaniel - a non-binary therapist, certified sex therapist, transgender diversity and inclusion educator, and the author of Gender Magic- Live Shamelessly, Reclaim Your Joy and step into Your Most Authentic Self.
Gender Magic is not only a road map for individuals that do not neatly fit into a binary world but also for those who want to support a...2023-06-0150 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhen Menopause Makes You Moody
This episode was prompted by the following question:
“Will hormone therapy help with emotional lability, dysthymia, and crying jags? “
In this episode, I discuss:
How common it is to have depressive symptoms during perimenopause
The difference between depressive symptoms and depression
The difference between cognitive symptoms and mood symptoms
The psychosocial impact of perimenopause on mood
The biologic reason that a lack of estrogen causes emotional lability, sadness and other mood symptoms
When hormone therapy helps..and when it doesn’t
Non-hormonal options to alleviate mood symptoms
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
Dial 988
If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed, and thinking a...2023-05-2512 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreFEZOLINETANT! The New Non-Hormonal Hot Flash DrugThis week the FDA approved FEZOLINETANT, a new NON-HORMONAL drug to get rid of HOT FLASHES. In this episode I am going to start by reviewing the science behind a hot flash, then move on to how this new drug works, how well it works and the side effects. And then, the big question:
“Is fezolinetant the way to go, or is hormone therapy the way to go?”
In this episode Dr. Streicher reviews:
The SCIENCE behind a hot flash
Why lack of estrogen causes hot flashes
HOW fezolinetant works
HOW EFFECTIVE fezolinetant works is
SIDE EFFECT...2023-05-1515 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Great Wall of VulvaImagine an art installation composed of 400 casts of vulvas -a sea of white plaster labia that stretches across an entire wall. An installation that is provocative, and beautiful, but also celebrates genital diversity and is a powerful antidote to genital anxiety. Meet Jamie McCartney, the artist behind The Great Wall of Vulva!
We discuss:
How Jaimie came to start casting vulvas
The insecurity both men and women have regarding the appearance of their genitals
How Jaimie recruited models for the project
What motivated most models to have their vulva casted
The casting process
The educational impact of the w...2023-05-1151 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHot and Bothered with Jancee DunnNew York Times health writer, Jancee Dunn, is a connoisseur when it comes to writing about cutting-edge research and scientific information. Her articles and books are based on exhaustive interviews with multiple experts, yet she manages to make them read like edgy sitcoms. Her new book, Hot and Bothered: What No One Tells You About Menopause and How to Feel Like Yourself Again is anything but dry. And as an investigative reporter and New York Times bestselling author of eight books, including How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids,- it’s no surprise that she has once again, go...2023-05-041h 01
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHormone Therapy to Help With Cognitive Function?
Today is day 5 of Question-and-Answer week. I am answering questions that have come in through my website, drstreicher.com, my newsletter, or social media.
Today’s question:
“I am 70 years old and would like to start hormone therapy since my understanding is that it will help with cognitive function. But I can’t get anyone to give me a prescription. What do you think? “
In this episode I discuss:
The impact of perimenopause on cognitive function
What the data shows regarding HT and cognitive function, including the WHIMS trial and the KEEPS trial
The concept of the critical...2023-03-3107 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreQ and A Week! The O-SHOT?
Q and A Week! Today is Day 4 of Question-and-Answer week. I am answering your questions that have come in through my website, drstreicher.com/podcast, and my newsletter.
Today’s Question
"What's the scoop on the O-Shot? Is it a viable option for women having a difficulty with orgasm?"
In this episode I discuss:
Why women have difficulty with orgasm post menopause
What the O-shot is
Claims made on the O-Shot Website
Articles cited regarding the O-shot and if they are valid
Why a placebo-controlled trial is important
To ask a question, go to DrStreicher.com/podcast, scroll down, and sta...2023-03-3010 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreQ and A Week! Fibroids and Hormone Therapy
Q and A Week! Today is Day 2 of Question-and-Answer week. I am answering your questions that have come in through my website, drstreicher.com/podcast, and my newsletter.
Today’s Question
“I have uterine fibroids. My periods finally stopped. But now I have terrible hot flashes. I am interested in hormone therapy, but I am worried. Will taking estrogen make my fibroids grow again? “ In this episode I discuss:
What fibroids are
What generally happens to fibroids during perimenopause and post menopause
What the studies show about the impact of hormone therapy and fibrodis
What to do if fibroids are growing post menopause
Why someon...2023-03-2812 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHow Long Can You Safely Take Hormone Therapy?
Q and A Week! Today is Day 1 of Question-and-Answer week. I am answering your questions that have come in through my website, drstreicher.com/podcast, and my newsletter.
Today’s Question
“I started taking estrogen when I was 48 after my hysterectomy. I love my estrogen gel and feel great. But I have been on it for 6 years and my gynecologist wants me to stop. I don’t know what to do. “ In this episode I discuss:
Why so many women are told they need to stop hormone therapy after 5 years or after age 65
What the data shows
The recommendation of the North American Menopause Society o...2023-03-2708 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Dilemma of Dealing with Menopause AND Breast Cancer with Dr. Corinne Menn
Essentially all women eventually enter menopause, and while most end up not taking hormones to treat their symptoms, they at least have the option to do so. Women with a breast cancer diagnosis, on the other hand, generally don’t have the same choices at their disposal and are told, or assume, they are not candidates for estrogen therapy. Millions of women are expected to just put up with hot flashes, brain fog, insomnia, and bone loss, not to mention all the changes below the belly button. In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Corinne Menn, a board-certified gy...2023-03-1642 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreBONING UP ON BONE HEALTH: PART 1In the United States, there are 10 million women with OSTEOPOROSIS and 43 million women with OSTEOPENIA. Most of these women have no idea that they are at risk for a potentially life-changing or even fatal fracture. One reason for this lack of concern and lack of awareness is that osteoporosis is usually a “silent disease”. Today, I am going to break that silence. My guest is Dr. Kristi Tough DeSapri, an internist with a specialty and expertise in women’s bone health.
This topic is in 2 parts. This episode will focus on WHY YOU SHOULD CARE about bone health, RISK FACTORS...2023-02-0240 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTwo Experts- Two Timely TopicsThis is a rare opportunity to be a fly on the wall of a medical conference and hear two lectures from nationally acclaimed experts!
Melissa A. Simon, MD MPH is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and is Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is the Founder and Director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation and the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative. Dr. Simon will be discussing women’s health care in view of the recent Dobb’s decision.
Twitte...2023-01-2650 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreUterine Cancer: Reducing Your RiskUterine cancer, also known as endometrial cancer, is the fourth most common cancer in women and the most common gynecologic cancer. 66,000 US women that are expected to be diagnosed in 2023. Over the last fifteen years, while rates for colon, lung and other cancers have decreased, rates for uterine cancer have increased.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher covers:
RISK FACTORS for uterine cancer
Why women who have obesity are at increased risk
Why young women with PCOS are at increased risk
Why perimenopausal women are at increased risk
Why compounded hormone therapy and pellets increase risk
Other risk factors that...2023-01-1926 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreBUSTING THE MYTHS BEHIND CONSENSUAL NON-MONOGAMYConsensual non-monogamy is not only more mainstream than you think but has scientifically proven relationship benefits. My guest today is Dr. Amy Moors, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Chapman University and a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. She is an internationally recognized expert on polyamory, swinging, and other forms of consensually non-monogamous relationships.
We discuss:
HOW COMMON consensual non-monogamy is in the general population
The definition of consensual NON-MONOGAMY, POLYAMORY AND SWINGING
The AGE RANGE of people that are openly non-monogamous
FIVE MISCONCEPTIONS regarding consensual non-monogamy
Typical MOTIVATIONS behind consensual non-monogamy
The difference bet...2023-01-0556 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHow to Reduce Your Cancer Risk By 33% with Selene Yeager
According to The American Institute for Cancer Research, 33% of breast cancer is preventable. I am joined by Selene Yaeger, a health and fitness journalist and major influencer in the menopause world to discuss TEN ACTION STEPS that women can take to significantly DECREASE their personal risk of risk getting not only breast CANCER, but other cancers as well.
We discuss our top 10 tips to reduce your risk:
How and why PHYSICAL ACTIVITY decreases cancer risk
The relationship between RED MEAT and cancer
New approaches to maintaining a HEALTHY WEIGHT and the impact it can have on cancer risk
How to...2022-12-1558 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTransdermal vs Oral Estrogens- What’s the Difference?Systemic estrogen, unlike local estrogen, affect every single cell in the body which means there is an impact on not only hot flashes but also your bones, your brain, your bladder, and your cardiovascular system along with your vulva and vagina. While there is a long list of benefits with both oral and transdermal systemic estrogen, the potential complications are where the differences come in. So, the decision to take an oral estrogen versus using a patch, spray, or skin gel is not just about personal preference, insurance coverage, and convenience, it’s also about safety. It’s about potential risk...2022-12-0835 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreFabulous AND Fashionable with Lauren Dimet WatersFor once I am not going to talk about vaginal dryness, leaky bladders, a dropping uterus, or brittle bones! I am chatting about fashion and style for the over-40 crowd with Lauren Dimet Waters, the Host of The Beauty is a Bitch Podcast, and founder of Fountain of 30.
We discuss:
If you need to dress differently when going through menopause
The difference between fashion and style
Best and worst trends in fashion right now
What colors are best
Why Zara is a great place to shop
Consignment shopping!
What Queen Elizabeth did right- and what she did wrong
Mi...2022-11-1749 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreReligion, Culture on Sexual Practices with Dr. Sameena Rahman
The impact of religion and culture on sexual function…and dysfunction is fascinating and complex. In this episode I am joined by Dr. Seemena Rahman, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ob-Gyn at Northwestern University and one of the few experts in the study of the impact of religion on sexual function. Dr. Rahman published a pivotal scientific paper in Sexual Medicine Reviews about female sexual dysfunction among Muslin women
Dr. Streicher and Dr. Rahman discuss:
The impact of colonialism on sexual expression in the Muslim world
In general, the impact of religion on sexuality
If religious women...2022-10-2741 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreTHE POWER of the PILLOW: The Ergonomics of Sex ... with Dr. Heather HowardFor people with a physical challenge, such as back pain, a hip replacement, arthritis, or generalized weakness, the mechanics of having sex make it seem out of the question. But no matter the physical challenge, both solo, and partnered sex can be not only possible but pleasurable. In this episode, Dr. Streicher chats with Dr. Heather Howard, a clinical sexologist, the founder of The Center for Sexual Health and Rehabilitation, and the developer of ERGOEROTICS, which facilitates sexual pleasure for people with those physical challenges that make sex...challenging.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher and Dr. Howard discuss:
T...2022-10-1326 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhy Men Go Missing in Bed with Dr. Steven SnyderDr. Steven Snyder, an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, and the author of Love Worth Making - How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship is “the expert” when it comes to sex and male-female relationship issues. Dr. Streicher spent two days with Dr. Snyder filming segments for the Today Show and particularly loved his explanation of “why men go missing in bed”
In this episode, Dr. Streicher and Dr. Snyder discuss:
How men are different from women
What we can learn from the sex lives of rats (as in rodents, not awful men)
If SEX DATES are a good...2022-09-2954 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreDon’t Go With This Flow: Post Menopause BleedingPost menopause bleeding. It’s not just about making the midnight run for tampons, it’s that stomach-dropping fear that “blood equals cancer” that causes women to spend hours consulting Dr. Google for some reassurance. Although most women imagine the worst, in the overwhelming majority of cases, postmenopausal spotting or bleeding is not, is not, an indication of anything serious.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher covers:
How to know WHERE the blood is coming from
The 3 causes of Post Menopause VAGINAL WALL BLEEDING
What causes Post Menopause CERVICAL BLEEDING
Causes of UTERINE BLEEDING Post Menopause
Uterine POLYPS
Uterine FIBROIDS...2022-09-2225 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MorePelvic Organs Dropping? How to STOP the POP!Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) isn’t a sexy topic, but it’s an important one. Dropped bladders, dropped rectums, and/or a dropped uterus are common occurrences that are uncommonly talked about
In this episode, Dr. Streicher covers:
The Definition of PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE
UTERINE Prolapse
Cystocele (BLADDER prolapse)
Rectocele (RECTAL Prolapse)
RISK factors for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
SYMPTOMS of Pelvic Organ Prolapse
SPLINTING- what it is and why women do it
HISTORICAL treatments for POP
The likelihood it will get WORSE
TREATMENTS
Pessaries
Estrogen therapy
SERM
Pelvic floor PT (Episode 39 -A Personal Trainer for Your Pelvic Floor)
Surgery
L...2022-09-0815 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreHow to Know You Are in Menopause If You Never Get PeriodsGoogle, “when does menopause start" and you will learn that you are post menopause when you haven't had a period in 12 months. But the 12 months without a period definition is totally MEANINGLESS for the millions of women who DON'T GET PERIODS.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher discusses:
Scenarios in which women don’t get periods
Hysterectomy
Progestin Intrauterine Device
Endometrial Ablation
Hormonal contraception such as birth control pills
How to know when to START TREATMENT for menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness
When to REMOVE an IUD
When to STOP birth control pills
For more information on this t...2022-08-2510 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreCompounding Hormones: The Good, the Bad, and the UglyIt used to be that the term “bioidentical hormone therapy” referred exclusively to compounded hormone products. But today, the term bioidentical includes FDA approved commercial products and compounded products. A legal loophole combined with aggressive marketing has resulted in women believing that compounded hormone creams and pellets not only work better but are safer than commercially produced products.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher discusses:
The following common MISCONCEPTIONS about compounded hormones:
Misconception #1 Compounded hormones are NATURAL but all commercial hormones are synthetic or made of horse urine
Misconception #2 The estrogen in compounded hormones is DIFFERENT from the estro...2022-08-1828 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreMaking the Most of Mid-Life and Beyond with Iris KrasnowHow is it that some women are sexier, more productive, more fulfilled, and even more relevant after the age of 50 than then when they were younger? In this episode, Dr. Streicher is joined by Iris Krasnow, a renowned journalist, a New York Times bestselling author of 7 books, and an expert when it comes to smashing stereotypes around aging.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher and Iris Krasnow discuss:
Why the first 5 decades are not necessarily your best when it comes to personal and professional fulfillment
How sex and intimacy change as life changes
Secrets to maintaining a long-term marriage or r...2022-08-1147 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreAre Your Hot Flashes Making You Foggy? Forgetful? with Dr. Pauline MakiIf you are peri or post-menopausal and can’t remember the name of your next-door neighbor or why you walked in a room, you are not crazy, you are not heading towards dementia, and you are not alone. In this episode, Dr. Streicher is joined by Dr. Pauline Maki, a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Obstetrics & Gynecology. For over 25 years, Dr. Maki has led a program of NIH-funded research on women and cognition, with a focus on cognitive change in menopause. She is THE expert when it comes to what happens to your brain on menopause.
*Due to a te...2022-07-2850 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Truth About Estrogen Therapy and Breast CancerThe number one reason women give for not taking estrogen is fear of breast cancer. This fear is based on the 2002 study which has been reevaluated and shown to be flawed in a number of ways. Despite solid proof that estrogen therapy does not cause breast cancer and other serious illness, most doctors continue to exaggerate the risks and undersell the benefits of hormone therapy. The goal of this episode is not to convince you to take estrogen. The goal is to present the data so that you can make an informed decision.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher discusses:
The or...2022-07-2121 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe BEST approach for BREAST Cancer Screening and Risk Reduction with Dr. Lisa LarkinIt used to be so simple. Women were just advised to get a mammogram every year. But now we have not just x-rays, but ultrasound, MRI, digital breast tomosynthesis, screening mammograms, and diagnostic mammograms. Women are confused, and frankly, a lot of doctors are also confused. I am joined by Dr. Lisa Larkin, a board-certified internist, a certified menopause practitioner of the North American Menopause Society, and a nationally recognized expert in breast cancer risk assessment and prevention.
In this episode, Dr. Streicher and Dr. Larkin discuss:
The LIKLIEHOOD of developing breast cancer in different populations
WHO is ge...2022-06-3048 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThe Impact of Systemic Racism in Mid-life Women's HealthRelatively minimal research is devoted to menopause even though menopause affects literally 100% of women that live past the age of 50. For women of color, the situation is far more dire.. Not only do we know less about the impact of medical conditions or therapies in mid-life black women but it is incredibly challenging for many black women to access appropriate care. My guest is Dr. Fenwa Milhouse, a urologist who is not only a talented surgeon, but uses social media to destigmatize pelvic floor & sexual conditions, as well as demonstrate the importance of representation in medicine.
Dr. Streicher and D...2022-06-1646 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWelcome to Peri-menopause!Years before estrogen production completely shuts down, HORMONE LEVELS start to FLUCTUATE wildly during that special time of life known as PERIMENOPAUSE. Waiting out bothersome hot flashes, mood swings, and insomnia is not generally the best strategy since perimenopause can last for years. In addition, it’s not as if those symptoms magically go away when you enter menopause!
In this episode Dr. Streicher discusses:
WHEN perimenopause typically starts
The difference between SYMPTOMS of perimenopause and menopause
SOLUTIONS to cope with perimenopausal hormonal fluctuations
If taking BIRTH CONTROL PILLS is a good idea or a bad idea
HOW LONG you can...2022-05-3013 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreDreaming of SLEEP with Dr Stephanie FaubionOverall, women are 40% more likely to experience insomnia than men and the numbers are even higher during perimenopause and menopause. There are many reasons for sleepless nights mid-life (beyond hot flashes!) that often go undiagnosed. In this segment, I am joined by Dr. Stephanie Faubion, the Director for Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health, and the medical director for The North American Menopause Society.
Dr. Streicher and Dr. Faubion cover:
If FRAGMENTED sleep is restorative sleep
MEDICAL CONDITIONS that can occur because of chronic insomnia
The impact of mid-life STRESS on sleep
The role of ALCOHOL and CANNABIS on the a...2022-05-2642 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreIs Non-monogamy Having a Moment? With Dr. Wednesday MartinPrepare to rethink everything you have been taught about female sexuality. One in five couples practice open non-monogamy, yet cultural and societal expectations are that a woman have only one partner for life. Dr. Martin’s book, UNTRUE: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Adultery is Wrong-and how the new science can set us free “cuts through the junk science and regressive cultural narratives that have shaped our beliefs about female infidelity for centuries revealing, a truth both liberating and disconcerting: women are no more “naturally monogamous” than men; nor are their libidos shrinking violets.”
In this episo...2022-05-191h 12
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreMenopause and WorkMore than 60% of women say that their menopause symptoms decreased their productivity and quality of work and even though millions of corporate dollars are lost due to absenteeism, reduced quality of work, and health care costs, the US government and corporate America refuse to recognize or mitigate the problem. The time is way overdue to acknowledge and fix it.
In this episode Dr. Streicher discusses:
The PERSONAL and ECONOMIC impact of menopause in the workplace
RESEARCH on how often specific symptoms impact specific aspects of work
WHY women do not talk to their bosses about menopause symptoms
How the UK ad...2022-05-0908 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreNeed to Know Info About the Penis in Your Bed with Dr. Rachel RubinUp to 70% of post menopause women have vaginal or vulvar changes which lead to difficulty with sexual function, but for many couples, that is far from the whole story. In this episode, Dr. Streicher has a frank conversation with Dr. Rachel Rubin, a board-certified urologist, and one of a handful of physicians with specific training in sexual medicine for both men and women.
This episode will include topics such as:
How common is ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION and what are the causes?
Which men are at increased RISK?
VIBRATORS for men?
Does Viagra/Cialis always work?
Strategies to maintain an erection wit...2022-04-2834 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreYour Muscles on Menopause with Amanda ThebeVaginas are not the only part of the body that change mid-life! With age, muscles start to naturally atrophy- a condition called sarcopenia. Women can lose up to 10% of their muscles mass every decade. Fitness expert Amanda Thebe’s best-selling book, Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! addresses the value and importance of exercise, diet, and lifestyle choices to thrive during menopause. Amanda Thebe, in her unique funny and engaging way, helps women achieve peak physical performance in mid-life and beyond.
In this episode, Amanda Thebe and Dr. Streicher discuss:
Amanda’s perso...2022-04-2144 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreCan Cannabis Help Your Sweats? Your Sleep? Sex?More than 1 in 4 menopausal women report that they use some form of cannabis to alleviate hot flashes, insomnia, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and brain fog.
In this segment Dr. Streicher takes you through:
The components of the human endocannabinoid system
The role of ESTROGEN in the endocannabinoid metabolism
PHYTOCANNABINOIDS
The different ways to CONSUME cannabis such as SMOKING, VAPING, EDIBLES, TINCTURES and TOPICALS
Why menopausal women metabolize cannabis differently than men and young women
Need to know info about SAFTEY and DOSAGE
Why cannabis may help with
Hot flashes
Sleep
Libido
Vaginal lubrication
If you use cannabis, Dr. St...2022-04-1123 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreWhen Painful Sex Leads to Problem Relationship s with Dr. Sheryl KingsbergWomen who are dealing with PAINFUL SEX not only need to medically eliminate the cause of the pain, but also need to repair the PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT of either avoiding or enduring agonizing sexual activity for months or years.
In this episode Dr. Streicher sits down with Sheryl Kingsberg PhD to discuss strategies for couples and individuals to navigate sex when there is pain. She also reveals exciting research in female sexuality.
Dr. Kingsberg is a clinical psychologist, a Professor of Reproductive Biology and Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University and one of the country’s foremost experts an...2022-04-0732 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreThink Your Hot Flashes Can't Kill You? Think Again!The impact of hot flashes goes far beyond being miserable. We now have a huge amount of scientific evidence that it’s not just menopause, but hot flashes specifically, that increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other serious medical conditions. This is Inside Information every woman needs to know!
In this episode Dr. Streicher covers:
HOW hot flashes can hurt your HEART
WHY it is a MYTH that hormone therapy is bad for your heart
The impact of hot flashes on BONE HEALTH, DIABETES, BREAST CANCER
Further Information on this topic can be found...2022-03-2911 min
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and MoreIs it Menopause? Or Some Other Pause?Unlike puberty, when your mother sat you down and explained what to expect with your first period, it is the rare mother who tells her daughter what to expect from her first hot flash, what to do about it, or even what menopause is. In fairness to moms everywhere, no one explained it to them.
In this first episode, Dr. Streicher covers:
The frustrating disparity between help for mid-life men versus mid-life women
WHAT menopause is
WHEN it typically happens
WHY women enter menopause at different times
HOW long menopause lasts
Other Pauses such as Perimenopause, EARLY menopause, Premature menopause, P...2022-03-2920 min