Must Read: The New York Times has Ignited the Most Important Conversation About Menopause Ever

Menopause, its symptoms, its safe & effective solution (MHT), and the accompanying benefits of taking MHT have long been ignored, misrepresented, or even demonized. And by now, it’s no secret to any of our Alloy members that menopause has never received the medical attention or the evidence-based studies it truly deserves. After all, 50% of the world’s population will experience menopause—but the most-effective, science-backed treatment was thwarted by a single, flawed-in-design study in 2002.

Fast forward to 2022. The menopause community was able to collectively celebrate the release of the updated Menopause Society guidelines including the resounding statement that a family history of breast cancer no longer rules you out for Menopausal Hormone Treatment (MHT). The momentum has been building even more ever since!

The conversation around menopause and its solutions reached new heights with a groundbreaking cover story in the New York Times Magazine! We love that Alloy was featured (grins from ear to ear!) but are MUCH more excited for the amplification and increased awareness about safe, science-backed menopause solutions that this article has spread. It’s helping a whole generation of women who have had less-than-positive experiences know they’re not alone, that they don't have to be ignored, and that there are safe solutions. 

“Menopause has the worst P.R. campaign in the history of the universe, because it’s not just hot flashes and night sweats,” says Dr. Rachel Rubin in the article.

The groundbreaking piece also amplifies a critical stance: that menopause should be the subject of studies, residents should receive menopause training, and that misinformation is crippling women’s ability to receive proper treatment, improved quality of life, and preventative protection against many of the plagues of old age. 

“We have yet to see an N.I.H. press conference convened to reassure women of the benefits of estrogen” Dr. Avrum Bluming and co-author Carol Tavris write in “Estrogen Matters”. Anything short of that, they argue, allows misrepresentations and fears to persist.

We really recommend you give the full article a read! Women Have Been Misled About Menopause. Hot flashes, sleeplessness, pain during sex: For some of menopause’s worst symptoms, there’s an established treatment. Why aren’t more women offered it?

Sources:

The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of the North American Menopause Society. Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society, https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf.

Depypere, Herman, et al. “Menopause Hormone Therapy Significantly Alters Pathophysiological Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease.” Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12759.