HRT (or MHT) isn’t 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, who’ve often become 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 whose 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 came on the show in Season 2 to talk about solutions for vaginal dryness, and 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.

Check out the full Show Notes for this episode on my website www.well-well-well.co.uk/podcast, where you'll find all the relevant links and references for each guest.

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Learn how to build your own menopause diet to manage your symptoms with my latest book The Happy Menopause: Smart Nutrition to Help You Flourish.