Dr. B's Blog

While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is proven effective at treating menopause symptoms, many women remain hesitant about undergoing the treatment. This hesitancy is primarily due to 2002 findings that emerged from an ongoing National Institute of Health study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Those findings acknowledged HRT benefits but determined that the therapy significantly increased the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, and other health issues. HRT’s alleged breast cancer risk made the headlines, and the number of U.S. women undergoing the therapy plummeted by more than 80%.

To say that the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been historically controversial is an understatement. Ever since the FDA in 1942 approved the first HRT drug—Premarin—for the treatment of menopausal hot flashes, the popularity of HRT has gone up and down like a spasmodic yo-yo. While some studies, publications, and books touting HRT’s effectiveness made its popularity surge, others would backpedal the surge by warning of health risks. Among the former was the 1966 bestselling book Feminine Forever, which claimed that taking estrogen would allow a woman to remain just that despite menopause. An example of the latter was the 1977 bestselling book Women and the Crisis in Sex Hormones, which warned about studies linking HRT to breast cancer, strokes, and blood clots.

The proverb “clothes make the man” was believed to be coined by Dutch humorist and philosopher Desiderius Erasmus in the 15th Century. Erasmus undoubtedly suspected that other elements were responsible for making a man, but the primary maker of a man was not officially discovered until 1935. That year, several European scientists independently discovered and isolated testosterone, a hormone and anabolic steroid that genuinely “makes the man.”

As a long-time holistic medicine practitioner, Naples, Florida-based internal medicine specialist Dr. Diane Brzezinski, D.O., knows how our bodily systems are interconnected. The health of a distinct system, like the circulatory system, plays a role in the health of the other systems, and all combine to influence one’s overall well-being. As a female, Dr. B also understands that vaginal health plays a supporting role in maintaining a woman’s well-being. Along with causing localized pain and discomfort, vaginal issues can reduce libido, cause depression, lower self-esteem, and lead to relationship problems.