Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More

Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and sleep disturbance are the three most common symptoms of menopause. Currently, there are over 20 FDA-approved products to treat hot flashes. There are roughly 10 FDA-approved products to treat vaginal dryness. There are zero FDA-approved products to treat insomnia due to menopause. Zero.  My guest is Dr. James Simon, a clinical professor of Ob-Gyn at George Washington University and an expert on all things menopause.    In this episode: How common it is for women to have new-onset sleep disturbances due to hormonal changes? Are Insomnia and sleep disturbance the same thing What happens in the brain to induce sleep and maintain sleep How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works The relationship between hot flashes and insomnia The role of estrogen and sleep How FSH is useful to evaluate sleep issues The role of progesterone on sleep The role of melatonin Non-hormonal sleep disruptors The impact of chronic insomnia Treatments Estrogen Progesterone  Anti-depressants Sleeping pill Sex/Orgasm Advil PM  CBT Sleep hygiene Melatonin  Magnesium L-Threonate Vasopressin PDE-5 Inhibitors NK Inhibitors Dr. James Simon https://intimmedicine.com/ Other episodes with Dr. Simon ·      Ep 98 Live from the Menopause Society Meeting  ·      Episode 123 Hormone Therapy After Age 60 with Dr. James Simon ·      Episode 124 All Hormones Are Not Created Equal with Dr. James Simon Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society.    Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                        

 If you are a menopausal woman and spend any time on social media, you are familiar with Dr. Corinne Menn. She is a trustworthy voice of science and evidence-based medicine in a sea of influencers who don’t always stick to the data.   Dr. Menn is one of the authors of a recent study titled Women’s Insights on Sexual Health after a Breast Cancer Diagnosis. This study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, asked 1,463 women with a breast cancer diagnosis about their sexual experience, including how the health care system either helped or, in most cases, failed them by giving misinformation, conflicting information, or no information We discuss study results, including The impact of breast cancer treatment on sexual function in general The most common symptoms The effect of breast cancer on orgasm and pleasure The impact on partners Their interactions with the health care system, including misinformation, conflicting information, and no information Link to Study: (There is a paywall but you can access the abstract)  COME AGAIN, Episode 29 Cancer and Sex,  is all about sexuality, not just after breast cancer, but for women living with any cancer diagnosis. (Release Sept 8, 2025)                                                            Dr. Corinne Menn https://www.drmenn.com/ Insta: @DrMennOBGYN LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmenn/ Substack- https://drmennobgyn.substack.com/   Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy     Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                        

I have written many times about how in the 1800s, vibrators were not sexual items that women bought for themselves, but medical devices used by doctors to treat a medical condition then known as hysteria.  The problem is- that’s not true. And be sure to check out my photo gallery of devices discussed in this episode! The popularly accepted history of the vibrator Hysteria, and how it was treated in the early 1900s Dr. Lieberman’s research  What medical conditions electric vibrators were used for The story continues..the mid-1900s The re-launch of the vibrator Sneak preview of Dr. Lieberman's upcoming book on GIGOLOS! Link to my Substack article with pictures  of the devices  https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/good-vibrations Link to my Guide to Buying a Vibrator https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/toy-story Link to my podcast episode on the current medical use of vibrators and why they work when nothing else does https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/episode-23-why-vibration-works-so?r=740mq Hallie Lieberman https://www.hallielieberman.com/ BUZZ: The Stimulating History of the Sex Toy https://www.amazon.com/Buzz-Stimulating-History-Sex-Toy/dp/1681775433 Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD    Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy     Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                                     

I was invited to participate in the FDA roundtable on menopausal hormone therapy.  I declined.  In this episode, I’m going to tell you why.  A brief history of the FDA Why there is a black box warning on all estrogen products Why the black box warning should be removed from all local vaginal estrogen products Prior efforts to get the label removed How product labels and warnings  traditionally have been modified or removed at the FDA My concerns and why I did not participate in the roundtable My article on increased sepsis when local vaginal estrogen is not used. https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/can-genitourinary-syndrome-of-menopause My Substack article on the FDA https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/crises-at-the-food-and-drug-administration?r=740mq Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar    Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm     Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD    Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.  

   Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer at age 26, followed by a heart transplant.  She walks the walk when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices.  At the Mayo Clinic Breast Center, Dr. Mussallem is the go-to expert for how healthy choices not just prolong life, but also make life better.. not just for women living with a cancer diagnosis, but all women.   Dr. Mussalem’s personal story- and how lifestyle medicine saved her life What Lifestyle Medicine is The six pillars of lifestyle medicine that impact longevity and quality of life: Stress Management Physical Activity-and is there such a thing as overdoing it? Avoidance of Risky Substances Nutrition and the importance of maintaining a specific BMI vs body composition Restorative Sleep Positive Social Connections  American College of Lifestyle Medicine- https://lifestylemedicine.org/ The Ethel Circle Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/theethelcircle/ Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar    Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm     Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD    Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                                     

Any mid-life woman knows that once you hit your 40s, 50s, or 60s, things will not go well if you eat the same way you did when you were 20. But it’s confusing to know what to eat, and how much to eat, without downloading multiple APPs and carrying around a calculator  My guest, Alexandra Filingeri, holds a doctorate in Clinical Nutrition with a focus on evidence-based nutrition interventions, particularly in mid-life and menopause.  In this episode, we cover practical nutrition tips- what to eat and how much to eat to maximize health aging. Dr. Filingeri also answered questions that came in from my Substack readers.  By the way, my favorite frozen vegetables that I couldn’t remember the name of?  Puravida Fire Roasted Vegetable Melange What changes post menopause Obesity, hot flashes and weight loss The impact of insomnia on weight Individual energy requirements Macronutrients vs micronutrients Protein supplements- yay or nay Glycemic index Sugar and belly fat Grocery store strategies Dr. Alexandra Filingeri is a Registered Dietitian with a Doctorate degree in Clinical Nutrition. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Filingeri focused on metabolic disorders, nutritional biochemistry, and clinical research methodologies, equipping herself to deliver evidence-based nutrition interventions. Her clinical expertise focuses on midlife nutrition and hormone-related health.  Website: Nutrition by Dr. Alexandra – Beauty From The Inside Out Instagram: Dr. Alexandra Filingeri DCN RDN (@nutritionby_dralexandra) • Instagram photos and videos  Linkedln: Alexandra Filingeri, DCN RDN - Registered Dietitian in Private Practice - Nutrition By Dr Alexandra | LinkedIn Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar    Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm   Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.             

Women are generally told that if they have a breast cancer diagnosis, they should steer clear of estrogen. In this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Swati Kulkarni, the lead investigator of a new study in which women with a newly diagnosed breast ductal carcinoma in situ, DCIS, were given a month’s worth of hormone therapy before standard treatment to see the impact it would have on developing cancer cells.  What DCIS is and how it is typically diagnosed. If DCIS is considered to be a pre-cancer or a cancer If DCIS is untreated, how often it will progress to invasive cancer  If treated, how often women with DCIS go on to develop invasive cancer?  Why this particular form of hormone therapy, conjugated estrogens and bazodoxifene (Duovee™) was used in the study The details of the study The results of the study  The Promise Study: A presurgical randomized clinical trial of CE/BZA vs placebo in postmenopausal women with ductal carcinoma in situ. Link to Abstract My summary of the study on Substack https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/can-hormone-therapy-shrink-breast Link to Kagan episode on Duovee with Dr. Kagan Episode 124 All Hormones Are Not Created Equal with Dr. James Simon Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar  Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm https://drstreicher.substack.com/p/all-about-come-again Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology BOOKS by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                       Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                                     

Do cell phones cause brain cancer?  Does using an antiperspirant increase the risk of breast cancer? Does fluoride in the water increase the risk of bone cancer? Is the HPV vaccine lifesaving or dangerous?  In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Shikha Jain, an academic hematologist and oncologist. We start by busting cancer myths and then move on to discuss the impact of the “Make America Healthy Again Movement” (MAHA)on cancer care and cancer research, and why the rationale behind the MAHA movement is FLAWED and DANGEROUS.  Which of the following is associated with getting cancer or spreading cancer Biopsies Specific viruses Consuming sugar  Mammograms Living near a Power line Cell phones  Deodorant and antiperspirants  Microplastics  Microwaving  If surgery to remove a cancerous growth spreads the cancer? Estrogen- birth control pills, local estrogen, systemic estrogen The impact of current political policies on cancer treatment and research Obesity Processed food HPV vaccine Fluoride in the water The financial incentive behind the MAHA movement Why placebo-controlled trials are not always used in research, and would be dangerous Defunding of NIH Cancer Research, including labs and clinical trials The US Brain Drain  Over 9.5 billion dollars, representing over 2000 NIH grants, have been terminated.  In the links below, expand the abstract column to see the details of the research.      List of NIH grants that have been defunded      https://airtable.com/appjhyo9NTvJLocRy/shrNto1NNp9eJlgpA?        Ffj6Q%3Aview=plasNjSudszRmPvEo&Ffj6Q=allRecords      List of NIH Cancer Research that Has Been Defunded     https://airtable.com/appjhyo9NTvJLocRy/shrNto1NNp9eJlgpA?Ffj6Q=sfsqqf7AYxKbZi37s&Ffj6Q%3Aview=plasNjSudszRmPvEo Dr. Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, is a board-certified oncologist, national health media contributor, and founder of Women in Medicine®. She’s a tenured associate professor at the University of Illinois and was named Illinois Physician Leader of the Year, one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Emerging Leaders, and a Medscape Rising Star in Medicine. Through her clinical work, national advocacy, and powerful storytelling, Dr. Jain is transforming how we think about medicine, leadership, and the future of healthcare. https://www.wimedicine.org/ https://www.wimedicine.org/wim-summit https://shikhajainmd.com/                                How to Know an Expert is an Expert Episode 157: How to Find a Clinician that’s Not Clueless Substack Posts A Guide to Finding a Menopause Clinician That’s Not Clueless Let’s Play…Is Your Doctor Really a Menopause Expert? Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm   Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.               

When it comes to the risk of developing dementia, family history is a factor, but it is far from the only factor. It is well known that physical activity, social isolation, smoking, alcohol, medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or being hard of hearing, all impact the risk of developing dementia down the road. In this episode, I explore the relationship between what you eat and brain health with Dr. Annie Fenn, the author of The Brain Health KITCHEN, Preventing Alzheimer’s through Food.  WHY food impacts the brain  What foods should be avoided What foods are neuroprotective                                                        Annie Fenn, MD Dr. Fenn’s Substack: Brain Health Kitchen. Dr. Fenn is offering a 25% discount on annual subscriptions to her Substack until June 1  with this link-25% off BHK The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer's Through Food by Annie Fenn, MD @Artisan Books 2023.  Dr. Fenn’s Brain Health Retreats Brain Health Kitchen Retreats Link to the cookie recipe we discussed: Chunky Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookie. It can also be found in the Whole Grain chapter of the  Brain Health Kitchen Dr. Fenn’s information on supplements with discount codes (Dr. Fenn has no financial relationship with these companies.)  The BHK Guide To Brain Health Supplements Magnesium Supplements A To Z  Relevate, the brain health multi Dr. Fenn recommends-Use ANNIE25 for 25% off Dr. Streicher's retreat in Sardinia- Sept 7-14, 2025 https://www.hermedicine.org/her-travel-club-sardinia-invite (Very limited spots left) Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar  Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm   Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                                     

When women think about the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy, things like hot flashes, insomnia and vaginal dryness come to mind.  But for many women, bone health is, or should be, at the top of the list.   In this episode, I speak with Dr. Risa Kagan about the role of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in bone health. Definition of Low Bone Mass (Osteopenia) and Osteoporosis The Difference Between a T score and a Z score  FRAX- Fracture Risk Assessment Tool When Bone Mass Peaks How to Maximize Bone Health Before Menopause Hits Role of Estrogen in Young Women The Danger Zone- When Most Women Lose the Majority of Their Bone Mass The Role of Birth Control Pills and Prevention of Bone Loss If Exercise is Enough The Relationship Between Hot Flashes and Osteoporosis Bone Loss Post Menopause Impact of Menopausal Estrogen Therapy on Bones Taking Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) in the Absence of Hot Flashes to Protect Bones The Difference Between Bone Density and Bone Quality When it is Appropriate to Take an Anabolic Agent If the TYPE of Estrogen you take matters (Conjugated, Synthetic, Bioidentical) What DOSE of Estrogen is Needed to Prevent Fractures If it is Appropriate to Monitor Estradiol Blood Levels When Taking Transdermal MHT The Target Estradiol Level for Bone Health What Happens to Bone Density When MHT is Discontinued If MHT Should Be Taken Forever If Progestogens Plays a Role in Bone Health The Role of Bazodoxifene (Duovee™) in Bone Health The Role of TESTOSTERONE therapy in Bone Health Another Podcast with Dr. Kagan: When Progesterone is a Problem   Dr. Risa Kagan is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Francisco, and a consulting gynecologist with Sutter Health. Dr. Kagan has published over 100 scientific papers  on post menopause bone health and hormone therapy.  Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar   Information on Dr. Streicher's COME AGAIN Podcast- Sexuality and Orgasm Lauren Streicher MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.   Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    LINKS Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information To Find a Menopause Clinician and Other Resources  Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                       Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.              

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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39689249/ We discuss: The advantages of transdermal estrogen The realization that blood levels of transdermal estrogen may be below what is expected What the study looked at Results of the study What factors may cause decreased absorption of transdermal estrogen Why decreased levels of estrogen are problematic Ways to maximize absorption Options if serum estrogen levels are low on standard doses of transdermal estrogen Concerns of using a higher than standard dose The pushback in the UK regarding Dr. Newson’s work If it should be routine to measure blood levels of estrogen if using a transdermal product For more information on Dr. Newson, visit DrLouise Newson.com Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.     Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.       Links: Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About the COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information Glossary Of Medical Terminology Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain    Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent. Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.    

I get lots of questions on various platforms. But I never get to all of them. So, today is Q and A day.  I asked my friend and colleague, Dr. Heidi Flagg to join me because it’s always good to get another point of view. Dr. Flagg is, above all, a clinician. She is in her office in NY city, day in and day out, helping women navigate peri menopause and menopause. And unlike many people out there who are new to the scene, Dr. Flagg brings decades of real-world experience to the table.   QUESTIONS Do you need to be 12 months without a period to start hormone therapy? I am getting a period every 3-4 months, so I assume I am in perimenopause. I am having a lot of symptoms, so I went to my doctor, and she suggested I go on birth control pills. I’m not even having sex. I don’t need birth control.  I am 48 years old. I had a hysterectomy 5 years ago because of fibroids. I am now having hot flashes, brain fog, and mood swings. What hormone levels should I check to see if I am ready for hormone therapy?  I started using an estrogen patch around 3 months ago. I am still having hot flashes. Do I need to give it more time or do I need more estrogen?   Is it OK to substitute a brand name patch with a generic patch?  I am 62. My last period was 13 years ago. Is it too late for me to state hormone therapy? Since I started using local vaginal estrogen, I have an accumulation under my clitoral hood. How best to clean it? Is it OK to put vaginal lubricant inside the vagina?  Will hormone therapy trigger the recurrence of endometriosis?  I have high cholesterol and want to know if Duovee™ is a good product for someone with high cholesterol. Would it be better to use a transdermal estrogen? Is it safe to use systemic estrogen and local estrogen at the same time? I had a hysterectomy last year because of uterine cancer. Can I take estrogen? I am taking low doses of testosterone, and I am pretty sure my voice is getting lower.  My doctor said my levels are fine.  I thought that only happened with high doses. If I go off, will it go back to how it was? I am 45 years old and scheduled for a hysterectomy because of fibroids that bleed a lot. Is my sex life going to change?   A menopause coach who wants to know how to help women getting conflicting information on social media.                                           Heidi Flagg MD     IG @m_pause Dr. Heidi Snyder Flagg is a founder and managing partner of Spring ObGyn, a private practice in NYC. Since completing her ObGyn residency at Brown’s Woman & Infant’s Hospital Dr. Flagg’s clinical interests have spanned the woman’s reproductive cycle with a current focus on peri menopausal and menopause.Dr. Flagg is a medical advisor to Flow Health and Let’s Talk Menopause.  Information on COME AGAIN-Sexuality and Orgasm Ways to Ask a Question I am not able to answer individual questions directly, but if you submit a question, I will do my best to get it answered during a podcast episode, Ask Me Anything Webinar, or a future Substack Article. The least likely place for me to see a question is on social media. (Instagram/Facebook) I do not check regularly.  1. Record a Question-Use this link to record your question. 2. Ask Me Anything Webinars Paid Substack subscribers can attend or submit a question in advance. The replays are available on my Substack platform. For more information or to become a subscriber, DrStreicher.Substack.com/subscribe.  3. Substack Chat    Subscribers can submit a question on my Substack chat. Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK      DrStreicher.Substack.com Articles Monthly newsletter All COME AGAIN podcast episodes Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  Monthly Zoom Ask Me Anything Webinar Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health. Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.    Links: To receive Dr. Streicher’s FREE Insider Newsletter Glossary Of Medical Terminology Subscribe To Dr. Streicher’s Substack Information About COME AGAIN Podcast Dr. Streicher’s CV and additional bio information Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.  The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent. Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.     Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

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 your clitoral nerve endings to wake up while also being wildly entertaining                             For more INFORMATION and to SUBSCRIBE COME AGAIN:  Sexuality and Orgasm is a limited podcast series  Part One- Sexual Function and Obstacles to Orgasm §  An overview of female sexuality, arousal and obstacles to orgasm.  §  What it takes for an orgasm to occur §  What can happen as a consequence of menopause, aging, medications and  medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer  Part Two - Everyone Come! Part Two focuses on hormonal and non-hormonal solutions to   eliminate pain  boost arousal  wake up your clitoris  COME AGAIN is intended for both healthcare professionals and the general public.                               For more INFORMATION and to SUBSCRIBE Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health. Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER     Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat   Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever   The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                        To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.    If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

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 pursuing her doctorate in health science at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Whitening  Dentures Dry mouth Burning mouth Fluoride Flossing (and other uses for dental floss!)  Electric toothbrushes Losing teeth Website: teethtalkgirl.com YouTube: YouTube.com/TeethTalk Instagram: @teethtalkgirl TikTok: @teethtalkgirl Facebook: @teethtalkgirl Please take my survey about the relationship between vaginal dryness and dry mouth. It will take no more than 3 minutes to fill out. As a thank you, I am giving away 10 free subscriptions to my paid substack for the year! DrStreicher.Substack.com If you are willing to give me your e-mail at the end, I will enter you.  If you prefer to take it anonymously, known you are making a major contribution to menopause research! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HOWDRYIAM   Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health. Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.    If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

The 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 even in recent times there are those that have taken advantage of this very vulnerable moment to harm, not help women.   In this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Wendy Kline, a Professor at Perdue University who is internationally recognized for her scholarship in the history of medicine, the history of women’s health, and the history of childbirth.  She is the author of many books, including her most recent book: Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam.  19th century- The invention of the speculum and how it changed gynecology The 1960s- the age of medical paternalism  2010 when the American College of Physicians said pelvic exams were no longer necessary Today- how predators and abusers have taken advantage of women during gynecologic exams Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam  Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK DrStreicher.Substack.com Wendy Kline Ph.D., Dema G. Seelye Chair in the History of Medicine at Purdue University, is internationally recognized for her scholarship in the history of medicine, history of women's health and the history of childbirth. She is the author of four major books: Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam (Polity, June 2024); Coming Home: How Midwives Changed Birth (Oxford University Press, 2019);  Bodies of Knowledge: Sexuality, Reproduction, and Women’s Health in the Second Wave (U. of Chicago Press 2010); and Building a Better Race: Gender, Sexuality, and Eugenics from the Turn of the Century to the Baby Boom (U. of California Press, 2001). Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health. Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.  The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.    If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Menopause experts rarely see patients with no medical issues. We see the patient with multiple medical problems and concerns.  In this episode, I bring in menopause expert Dr. Risa Kagan to collaborate on options for the following complex patient. (Be sure and check out my Substack article that gets into the nuances of bazodoxifene) Beth is 51 years old.  I’ve been flashing for 2 years with no end in sight.  I really want to try estrogen not just to help my hot flashes, but also because my mom had osteoporosis. I don’t have osteoporosis yet, but I’m worried since I’ve been told I have low bone mass.  My doctor won’t give me estrogen because my grandmother died from breast cancer. She wants me to take raloxifene to protect my bones and my breast, but that won’t help my flashes. I also would rather not take anything with progesterone since when I took it years ago to help with irregular periods, I got moody and bloated. I need some help here. “ *Options discussed include: Raloxifene (Evista™) A Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) and estrogen together Paroxitene (Brisdelle™) Gabapentin Fezolinetant (Veozah™) Fezolinetant and raloxifene together Estrogen and vaginal progestogen gel (Crinone™) Estrogen and a Progestogen IUD Unopposed estrogen Conjugated equine estrogen (Premarin™) and bazodoxifene (Duavee™) *I have no financial relationship with any of the companies that sell these drugs For more information on this topic:  Episode 2:Think Your Hot Flashes Can't Kill You? Think Again! Episode 31 The TRUTH About Hormone Therapy: Does it CAUSE or PREVENT Breast Cancer? Episode 46 Finding a Menopause Clinician Who Will Listen  Episode 77 Fezolinetant! A New Non-Hormonal Hot Flash Drug  Episode 80 When Progesterone is a Problem  Episode 84 Non-Hormonal Prescription Drugs to Treat Hot Flashes Ep 111 Bone Up with Hormone Therapy with Dr. DeSapri Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. She is a certified menopause practitioner of the North American Menopause Society.  Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  Subscribe and Follow Dr. Streicher on  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Twitter @DrStreicher Facebook  @DrStreicher YouTube  DrStreicherTV Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy Put the O Back in Mojo: A Guide to Post Menopause Libido and Orgasm (available for pre-order) 

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.  How GLP-1s work New drugs on the horizon Benefits beyond weight loss Cardiovascular health Kidney health Brain health Sleep Apnea Liver health Addiction management Cancer Depression? Eye Health Thyroid problems Hair loss Muscle loss Maximizing success Maintenance Compounding pros and cons If any doctor can prescribe a GLP1  The advantage of seeing an obesity specialist Advocating for insurance coverage MidiHealth provides high-level menopause care and also offers a comprehensive weight management program including access to GLP-1 drugs. www.Joinmidi.com Dr. Alexandra Sowa Dr. Alexandra Sowa is a dual board-certified physician in internal and obesity medicine and author of the groundbreaking book The Ozempic Revolution. With over a decade of clinical experience, Dr. Sowa has become a leading voice in metabolic health, specializing in GLP-1 medications and their transformative role in tackling obesity and chronic illness.      Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine. Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK • Articles • Monthly newsletter • Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research • Monthly Zoom Q and A Webinar • To SUBSCRIBE to Dr. Streicher’s Substack DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                    Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER    Books by Lauren Streicher, MD    Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain    Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician   Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While everyone on this list has passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.    Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.     If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org    Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.                

Hot 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 • To SUBSCRIBE to Dr. Streicher’s Substack Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While everyone on this list has passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.    If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org      Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

The 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 gynecologic issues. This was a time when the likelihood of a hysterectomy was at its peak. Estimates suggest that the annual incidence of hysterectomy in 1935 was 2.4 per 1000 women. By the 1970s, it was 11 women per 1000 .  This episode is a historical perspective examining the rise..and fall of inappropriate hysterectomies that were driven by not just paternalism, but other factors as well.  And if you are looking for a little more history, head over to my substack for my article on Historic Approaches to dealing with uterine prolapse. Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK Substack.com/@DrStreicher ·  Articles ·  Monthly newsletter ·  All podcast episodes ·  Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  ·  Monthly Zoom Q and A Webinar ·  Ability to COMMENT on posts and podcasts ·  To SUBSCRIBE to Dr. Streicher’s Substack Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health. Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.    If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Sexual 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 their fantasies  How differences in fantasies are predicative based on Gender Sexual Preference Religion Political Party Age Length of relationship WHO people fantasize about WHICH celebrities and politicians appear most commonly in women’s fantasies  How fantasy helps relationships and sexual experience                                            Justin Lehmiller PhD Sex and Psychology Podcast: https://www.sexandpsychology.com/podcasts/ Tell Me What You Want book: https://amzn.to/40wGSzl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinjlehmiller/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/justinlehmiller.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psychologyofsex COME AGAIN- a new podcast from Dr. Streicher, is coming soon! Dr. Streicher is on SUBSTACK Substack.com/@DrStreicher ·  Articles ·  Monthly newsletter ·  All podcast episodes ·  Monthly News Flash Reports on recent research  ·  Monthly Zoom Q and A Webinar ·  Ability to COMMENT on posts and podcasts ·  To SUBSCRIBE to Dr. Streicher’s Substack Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.    The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.   Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors with an interest and expertise in menopause.  If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org    Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.