Suffering Is Optional: Women's Health, Perimenopause and Menopause Journey

This Is Perimenopause: Women's Health, Perimenopause and Menopause Journey

Each episode will share life stories and expert insight into women's health and your perimenopause and menopause journey.

**Correction** Dr. Jen mentions a breast cancer risk of 8/1,000 in this episode; she meant 8/10,000.

"Vaginal estrogen should just be over the counter at this point," says Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. This is just one of the many facts she shares that'll change how you think about menopause care. As the clinical director of women's health at MedCan Toronto, Dr. Jen isn't just pushing back against outdated medical beliefs—she's showing us how women are suffering needlessly because doctors are treating menopause based on fear instead of facts.

With incredible clarity and genuine compassion, Dr. Jen connects the dots between your hot flashes, middle-of-the-night wake-ups, and anxiety attacks, giving you the evidence-based insights to get better care from a medical system that has let women down. "Hormone therapy is held to a higher standard than literally any other treatment out there," she points out, and her breakdown of the double standards will leave you nodding along and ready to take action.

In This Episode

• Why most doctors miss perimenopause symptoms and how to get them to listen
• The truth about hormone therapy safety that wasn't covered in your doctor's half-day of menopause training
• How micronized progesterone is different from the progestins used in the WHI study
• Why guidelines are called "guidelines" not "rules," and why this matters for your care
• The truth about vaginal estrogen safety and why warning labels are misleading
• The connection between estrogen and serotonin that explains your shifting mental health
• How to stand your ground when your family doctor tries to take you off hormone therapy that's working
• What makes the MedCan six-month program different from standard menopause care
• A preview of Dr. Jen's new educational course that puts expert knowledge within everyone's reach

Whether you're just starting to notice changes or you've achieved menopause, Dr. Jen's holistic approach and straight-talk will help you advocate for the care you deserve. Because as she puts it, "Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is completely optional."

This podcast is brought to you by IRIS. Daily care products made with clean ingredients for hydrated vulva and vaginas. Use code TIP20 for 20% off at lovemyIRIS.com.

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Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky

Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky is a certified Menopause Specialist and the Clinical Director of Women’s Health at Medcan Toronto. She is the host and co-producer of Medsplaining, a podcast and social media platform designed to help women better understand their bodies and advocate for their needs in the Canadian Healthcare system. She is also the mom of 2 amazing daughters and 3 fur babies.

Links for this episode

• Medsplaining Instagram
• Medsplaining podcast
• Medcan Women’s Health
• Professor Susan Davis Instagram
• Sinai Health Menopause Clinic
• Better with Bria