Latest news with #DeborahGomezKwolek
Axios
06-03-2025
- Health
- Axios
Why menopause care is still a challenge in California
Menopause is something every woman goes through, but doctors — even OB-GYNs — aren't required to learn much about it. Why it matters: Millions of women in California and around the world lack access to the care they need — and some are getting misinformation at the doctor's office. Catch up quick: In 2002, research from the Women's Health Initiative found that hormone therapy, which is used to alleviate menopause symptoms, increased a woman's risk of heart disease and breast cancer, upending conventional medical recommendations about the treatment. In recent years, the research was put into context: The risks weren't as great as originally thought, and the data was weighted toward women 60 and older. The average age of a menopausal woman is 51. Since then, researchers and health professionals have tried to correct the messaging, noting the benefits of hormone therapy for women younger than 60, including treating hot flashes and preventing bone loss. What they're saying: "It's such an uphill battle to not just teach people about it, but to undo all the damage of the last 20+ years," Deborah Gomez Kwolek of Mass General Women's Health and Sex and Gender Medicine Program tells Axios. Stunning stat: Only about 7% of OB-GYN residents reported feeling adequately prepared to manage menopause, according to a 2019 survey published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. More than 20% of OB-GYN residents reported receiving no menopause lectures during residency. How it works: Perimenopause, the phase leading up to menopause, can begin six to 10 years earlier and trigger all sorts of hormonal chaos. Menopause is officially marked after a woman has gone one year without a menstrual cycle. "There are so many different symptoms and they manifest in different ways and at different times of life," said Nora Lansen, primary care physician and Elektra's chief medical officer. "So it could be, 'I can't remember my kid's teacher's name,' this year but then, two years from now, it's, 'My libido's tanking.'" Zoom in: One way health professionals can signal they've undergone additional training is by obtaining a certified credential through Menopause Society training. In California, fewer than 340 people have this credential (about 20 in San Francisco and around 30 in San Diego County) even though the state is home to 5 million women ages 40-64. Hospitals in San Francisco and San Diego also offer specific menopause health programs with specialists, hormone therapies and a clinical trial. What to watch: Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-San Ramon) introduced legislation last month that would require physicians to complete menopause-specific training if women compose more than 25% of their patient population. The bill would also mandate comprehensive insurance coverage for menopause and perimenopause treatments. She authored a similar bill during the 2024 legislative session, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it in September, calling it "too far-reaching." Also moving through the Legislature is Assemblymember Diane Papan's (D-San Mateo) AB360, which would require state medical boards to develop and administer menopause training surveys as part of the license renewal process. The big picture: Businesses are stepping in where doctors aren't. Older millennials, the generation that currently includes the most women in America, are on the early cusp of menopause years. The Bay Area has seen a surge in femtech companies, which focus on technological products and services aimed at improving women's health. Many of these companies, from Midi Health to Evernow, have zeroed in on menopause care to meet increased need. But even that's not meeting demand. The bottom line: "Women don't have to suffer," Faubion said, but they have to find a physician who knows enough to help.
Axios
04-03-2025
- Health
- Axios
Why menopause care is still a challenge in Washington state
Menopause is something every woman goes through, but doctors — even OB-GYNs — aren't required to learn much about it. Why it matters: Millions of women don't get the care they need — and some are getting misinformation at the doctor's office. Catch up quick: In 2002, research from the Women's Health Initiative found hormone therapy increased a woman's risk of heart disease and breast cancer, upending conventional medical recommendations about the treatment. But in recent years, the research was put into context: The risks weren't as great as originally thought and the data was weighted toward women 60 and older. The average age of a menopausal woman is 51. Since then, researchers and health professionals have tried to correct the messaging, noting the benefits of hormone therapy for treating hot flashes and preventing bone loss. What they're saying: "It's such an uphill battle to not just teach people about it, but to undo all the damage of the last 20-plus years," Deborah Gomez Kwolek of the Mass General Women's Health and Sex and Gender Medicine Program tells Axios. Stunning stat: Only about 7% of OB-GYN residents reported feeling adequately prepared to manage menopause, according to a 2019 survey published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. More than one in five OB-GYN residents (about 20%) reported receiving no menopause lectures during residency. Symptoms vary widely. Perimenopause, the phase leading up to menopause, can begin six to 10 years earlier and trigger all sorts of hormonal chaos. Menopause is officially marked after a woman has gone one year without a period. Seattle-based physician Nora Lansen, the chief medical officer for Elektra Health, has a message for perimenopausal patients: "You're not crazy." "There are so many different symptoms and they manifest in different ways and at different times of life. So it could be: 'I can't remember my kid's teacher's name' this year but then, two years from now, it's, 'My libido's tanking.'" Zoom in: One way health professionals can signal they've undergone additional menopause training is by passing a certification exam offered by The Menopause Society. In Washington, about 100 have this credential. The bottom line: "Women don't have to suffer," says Stephanie Faubion, The Menopause Society's medical director — but they have to find a physician who knows enough to help.
Axios
03-03-2025
- Health
- Axios
Why women aren't getting menopause help they need
Menopause is something every woman goes through, but doctors — even OB-GYNs — aren't required to learn much about it. Why it matters: Millions of women don't get the care they need — and some are getting misinformation at the doctor's office. Catch up quick: In 2002, research from the Women's Health Initiative found hormone therapy increased a woman's risk of heart disease and breast cancer, upending conventional medical recommendations about the treatment. But in recent years, the research was put into context: the risks weren't as great as originally thought and the data was weighted toward women 60 and older. The average age of a menopausal woman is 51. Since then, researchers and health professionals have tried to correct the messaging, noting the benefits of hormone therapy for women younger than the age of 60, including treating hot flashes and preventing bone loss. Even some women over 65 can benefit from hormone therapy, new research suggests. "It's such an uphill battle to not just teach people about it, but to undo all the damage of the last 20+ years," Deborah Gomez Kwolek of Mass General Women's Health and Sex and Gender Medicine Program tells Axios. Stunning stat: Only about 7% of OB-GYN residents reported feeling adequately prepared to manage menopause, according to a 2019 survey published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. More than one in five OB-GYN residents (about 20%) reported receiving no menopause lectures during residency. About a third said they wouldn't offer hormone therapy to a symptomatic, newly menopausal woman without contraindications (or warnings). Symptoms vary widely. Perimenopause, the phase leading up to menopause, can begin 6-10 years earlier and trigger all sorts of hormonal chaos. Menopause is officially marked after a woman has gone one year without a period. Primary care physician and Elektra's chief medical officer, Nora Lansen, has a message for perimenopausal patients: "You're not crazy." "There are so many different symptoms and they manifest in different ways and at different times of life. So it could be: 'I can't remember my kid's teacher's name' this year but then, two years from now, it's, 'My libido's tanking.'" Recent research from UVA Health and the women's health app Flo suggests these symptoms could show up as early as age 30. Between the lines: Required medical school curriculum dedicated to menopause and hormone therapy is limited and, when it is offered, it is often folded into broader courses. "Most continuing education courses have an hour on menopause, like in a weeklong course, or even some of the OB-GYN and the women's health courses have one hour on menopause hormone therapy," Kwolek said. "That's really not enough." What they're saying: "There is no room in the medical school curriculum for menopause," says Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society and a longtime advocate for better education on the topic. Her daughter, a fourth-year medical student at Mayo, is seeing this gap firsthand. The Menopause Society has worked to fill this void, offering educational resources and establishing a competency exam in 2002 for health care professionals to earn a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner credential. What's next: Businesses are stepping in where doctors aren't. Millennials, the generation that currently includes the most women in America, are heading into the menopause years. Celebrities are launching telehealth companies and saying " women deserve better." Influencers are pushing products, which may or may not have scientific backing. And even that's not meeting demand. Case in point: Kwolek's menopause clinic has a yearlong waiting list. To meet demand, she's working to equip more physicians with necessary training. This month, Kwolek is directing a five-day menopausal treatment course organized by Mass General Brigham and designed by national and Harvard Medical School experts. The bottom line: "Women don't have to suffer," Faubion said, but they have to find a physician who knows enough to help.
