Menopause is having a moment — but with all the conversation comes a lot of confusion.
From hormone therapy fears to hot flash folklore, women have been told a lot of things about menopause… and not all of them are true.
In this fun game-style episode of The Iconic Midlife, we separate fact from fiction and put some of the most common menopause myths to the test.
Because midlife shouldn’t be navigated with outdated information.
Together, we tackle questions women hear all the time:
• Does hormone therapy cause cancer?
• Is weight gain during menopause inevitable?
• Are hot flashes the only symptom of menopause?
• Does menopause mean your sex life is over?
• Is brain fog “just part of aging”?
Some of these answers might surprise you.
Whether you’re in perimenopause, menopause, or simply curious about what’s ahead, this episode is designed to give you clear, honest insights about what’s really happening in midlife.
Because understanding your body shouldn’t feel like guesswork.
And when women have the right information, they’re empowered to make better decisions about their health.
In This Episode
• The biggest myths women hear about menopause
• What science actually says about hormone therapy
• Why menopause symptoms can look very different from woman to woman
• The surprising ways midlife health affects sleep, mood, and metabolism
• Why better conversations about menopause are finally happening
Listen if you want to learn
• What’s fact vs fiction when it comes to menopause
• How to better understand what your body is experiencing
• Why midlife health deserves more attention and better information
Bioidentical hormones are always natural and safe.
Speaker B:
The hormones bit's fine, but it's how they're made.
Speaker B:
And their formulation.
Speaker A:
Weight gain in midlife is all about eating more and exercising less.
Speaker B:
No.
Speaker B:
False.
Speaker A:
Menopause only lasts a few years.
Speaker B:
If you're going to die a few years after your menopause, yes.
Speaker B:
But otherwise, no.
Speaker A:
You can't get pregnant during perimenopause.
Speaker B:
False.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
So listen up, ladies.
Speaker A:
Be protected.
Speaker A:
If you have a moment, I would love to go through just a few myths.
Speaker A:
The first myth.
Speaker A:
Mythbuster.
Speaker A:
True or false.
Speaker A:
You can't be in perimenopause if you're on birth control.
Speaker B:
Both.
Speaker A:
Oh.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
You don't need to treat vaginal atrophy if you're not having sex.
Speaker B:
That is a big false.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
Progesterone is only needed if you have a uterus.
Speaker B:
That's just false.
Speaker A:
Non menopausal women in their 30s should get a basic hormone blood panel to get a baseline understanding of their hormone levels before perimenopause starts.
Speaker A:
Oh, is that right?
Speaker A:
You don't need the baseline.
Speaker B:
What is baseline?
Speaker B:
And it will change.
Speaker B:
If you have eight blood tests in a day, you'll get eight different results.
Speaker B:
So.
Speaker A:
Wow.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
That's how much our hormones fluctuate.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
Once you're in menopause, your hormones stay low and steady.
Speaker B:
They stay low, but not always steady because they can change, because our muscles will produce some hormones, Our heart produces hormones.
Speaker B:
So they will fluctuate, but they will generally be low.
Speaker A:
Oh, wow.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
Menopause does not affect your eyes.
Speaker B:
No, that's false.
Speaker B:
So it does.
Speaker A:
I knew it.
Speaker A:
I knew it.
Speaker A:
My vision is just going more and more each day.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
So that is a direct result.
Speaker A:
That's good to know.
Speaker A:
You can't take HRT if you've had a family member with breast cancer.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker B:
So you can take it.
Speaker A:
You can take it.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
You only lose bone density after menopause.
Speaker B:
You lose about 16 in perimenopause.
Speaker A:
Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:
Just.
Speaker A:
The good news keeps coming.
Speaker A:
Menopause makes your feet grow.
Speaker B:
Make sure.
Speaker B:
What?
Speaker B:
Feet grow?
Speaker A:
Feet grow.
Speaker B:
No.
Speaker B:
Probably shrink a bit, actually, with bone loss and cartilage loss.
Speaker A:
Ah, okay.
Speaker A:
Night sweats only happen at night.
Speaker B:
Well, if you call them night sweats, then they will.
Speaker B:
But sweats can happen any time of the day.
Speaker B:
Okay.
Speaker A:
Hormones don't affect your gums or teeth.
Speaker B:
No, they do.
Speaker A:
They do.
Speaker A:
So there is.
Speaker A:
There's gum loss.
Speaker B:
Yeah.
Speaker A:
The teeth become weaker.
Speaker A:
All the things.
Speaker A:
Great.
Speaker A:
You can't get pregnant during Perimenopause.
Speaker A:
Okay, so listen up, ladies.
Speaker A:
Be protected.
Speaker A:
Menopause starts at 50 for some women,
Speaker B:
but a lot of women know it can be other ages.
Speaker A:
Okay.
Speaker A:
If your periods are regular, you're not in perimenopause.
Speaker A:
Oh, okay.
Speaker A:
You only need estrogen for hot flashes.
Speaker A:
Both bioidentical hormones are always natural and safe.
Speaker B:
So they are natural.
Speaker B:
Usually.
Speaker B:
You just have to be careful who makes them.
Speaker B:
Really.
Speaker B:
It's like anything, the hormones bit's fine, but it's how they're made and their formulation.
Speaker A:
They're formulated.
Speaker A:
Weight gain in midlife is all about eating more and exercising less.
Speaker B:
N False.
Speaker A:
Menopause means your sex life is over.
Speaker B:
No, not at all.
Speaker A:
It can actually get better.
Speaker B:
Yeah, we should all be having if we want it.
Speaker B:
You know, sex isn't a bad thing.
Speaker B:
You know, look how easy it is to get Viagra.
Speaker B:
Like for men, it's very accepting.
Speaker B:
It's something that.
Speaker B:
Yeah, we feel embarrassed talking about sex and we shouldn't, we shouldn't.
Speaker A:
It's the age old double standard.
Speaker A:
Menopause only lasts a few years.
Speaker B:
If you're going to die a few years after your menopause, yes, but otherwise, no.
Speaker A:
And testosterone is a male hormone and
Speaker B:
a female hormone, so that's true, but it's not exclusively.
Speaker A:
And your body doesn't need hormones after menopause.
Speaker A:
It's natural to age.
Speaker B:
No, no.
Speaker B:
We have to remember about natural and aging.
Speaker B:
You know, there's lots of things that occur as we age, like raised blood pressure, but we don't watch someone's blood pressure get higher and higher.
Speaker A:
Oh my gosh.
Speaker A:
Well, Dr. Newson, this has been the most informative hour.
Speaker A:
Thrilled to have had you on the iconic midlife.
Speaker A:
No doubt our audience will just resonate so much with this episode.
Speaker A:
So I thank you so much for your knowledge.
Speaker B:
Well, thanks for inviting me.
Speaker B:
It's been a lot of fun than you.
Speaker A:
Absolutely.
Speaker A:
And can you tell the audience where they can find you?
Speaker B:
Yeah, the easiest thing is just go to my website.
Speaker B:
So it's Dr. Dr. Louisenewson.co.uk and then I've got all my resources and information there.
Speaker A:
Thank you, Dr. Newson, for sharing your wisdom, your knowledge and your amazing expertise with us today on the iconic Midlife.
Speaker A:
And thank you to the audience for listening to the iconic Midlife.
Speaker A:
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Speaker A:
Wink, wink.
Speaker A:
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Speaker A:
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