HRT: Addressing 12 Key Questions & Myths – The Happy Menopause Podcast World Menopause Day Special

Season 6 • Episode 5
Kathy Abernethy, BMS Menopause Specialist

HRT (or MHT) isn’t the natural territory for The Happy Menopause podcast, but as it’s the theme for this year’s World Menopause Day,  I thought it would be remiss of me not to cover it.

HRT has become a pretty contentious issue in recent years, with a lot of people being very entrenched in the strongly for or strongly against position. And amongst all that there are quite a lot of self-styled experts, who are anything but expert in the matter!

I’ve been concerned to see the impact this has had on women in midlife. Many women feel confused, fearful or distressed about the lack of clarity and some of the disturbing messages about the risks if you do take it, or the risks if you don’t take it.

As with all things, there is nuance here, so for this episode I’ve reached out to the excellent Kathy Abernethy. Her menopause credentials are beyond question. She’s a trained nurse and BMS menopause specialist who’s been working as a clinician in the menopause arena since the 90s.

Kathy is a hugely respected figure and has helped thousands of women over the years with her evidence-based advice and clinical support. She first came on the show in Season 2 to talk about solutions for vaginal dryness.  I was delighted to welcome her back to shine a light on HRT, provide clarity and bust some of the many myths that are out there.

We explore 12 key questions and myths about HRT. We look whether you can be too old or too young; how your medical history affects things; whether you’re just putting off the inevitable; what happens if you don’t take it; and more.

Tune in for the inside track and a balanced, evidence-based view of this complex subject from someone who’s a genuine expert.

If you’re interested in the diet and lifestyle side of menopause management, check out my other World Menopause Day special on 10 Foods to Focus on for the Menopause. And if you want ongoing support every month, you really should consider joining The Happy Menopause Club for bonus episodes, articles, Q&As and videos at thehappymenopause.com.

If you’ve enjoyed the podcast, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode and please give it a 5 star rating and a short review on Apple podcasts, or whichever platform you listen on, I’d be so grateful. And do tell your friends and family about it too. It really does make a huge difference to the visibility of the podcast, so that more women can find the show. After all, every woman deserves to have a happy menopause.

Show Notes

Find out more about Kathy and the work that she does in her Menopause Clinic.

Follow her on Twitter/X.

Check out Kathy’s book: Menopause – The One-Stop Guide.

Nurses can sign up for her specialist Menopause Training here.

Check out the British Menopause Society, the North American Menopause Society or the Australasian Menopause Society.

Visit these patient-focused menopause information sites: Women’s Health Concern, Menopause Matters, or Rock My Menopause.

Biography

Kathy Abernethy is Director of Coombe Menopause Clinic and ‘the menopause course’, an educational programme for nurses. She was Founding Clinician at Peppy Health, where she helped develop the world’s first ‘direct to clinician’ menopause App. As former Co-Lead of a long-established NHS Menopause service she has extensive clinical experience working with women at and after menopause. As Chairman of the Society until July 2019, she contributed to the British Menopause Society handbook on menopause management and is a registered BMS Specialist, current Trustee and Medical Advisory Council Member.  Her book for women is “Menopause: The One Stop Guide”