On this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon sits down with Dr. Corinne Menn, an OB-GYN, menopause specialist, and breast cancer survivor, to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s health: the relationship between breast cancer risk and hormone therapy. Recorded eight days after the FDA announced it will remove the long-standing black box language on hormone therapy, this conversation traces the legacy of the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative press conference, what the data actually showed, and how modern evidence can better guide women and their clinicians today.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• What really happened in July 2002, and why the WHI press conference (held eight days before doctors saw the full study) reshaped hormone therapy for a generation.
• The difference between estrogen alone and combined estrogen–progestin therapy, and why age, timing, and formulation matter.
• Why every major professional society (ASCO, ACOG, American Urological Association, The Menopause Society) agrees that local, low-dose vaginal hormones do not increase breast cancer risk, recurrence, or mortality.
• The role of tools like the Tyrer–Cuzick breast cancer risk model in understanding your baseline risk - and how Dr. Menn interprets those results in the context of HRT.
• Dr. Menn’s own story: being diagnosed with ER/PR-positive breast cancer at 28 during OB-GYN residency, going through abrupt menopause, and later discovering a BRCA2 mutation after updated genetic testing
• How she now counsels breast cancer survivors about menopause, quality of life, and when hormone therapy may or may not be appropriate
• Practical ways women can prepare for a time-limited doctor’s visit to have more informed, individualized conversations about breast cancer risk and hormone therapy

As always, nothing in this episode is personal medical advice. Please talk with your own clinician about your individual history, risks, and options.

Connect with Sharon:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• Learn more about the Innovate and Elevate podcast
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox

Connect with Dr. Corinne Menn:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• Learn more on her website

Breast Cancer Risk Models & Screening Tools:

Tyrer–Cuzick (IBIS) Breast Cancer Risk Model - https://ems-trials.org/riskevaluator/

Gail Model (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool) - https://bcrisktool.cancer.gov

POSITIVE Trial – New England Journal of Medicine - https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2215851

Hormone Therapy, Menopause Guidelines & Professional...

Why do only 5% of women in America use hormone therapy today, when so many did just two decades ago? In this special live episode, host Sharon Kedar sits down with Dr. Kelly Casperson, urologist, author, and leading voice in women’s health, to unpack the truth about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) — and how one misleading press release in 2002 changed everything.

Dr. Casperson explains what really happened with the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study, how the fear around hormones took root, and why it’s time to write the new narrative. Together, Sharon and Kelly discuss estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone — what they do, who they help, and how new FDA attention may finally mark a turning point.

From brain fog to bone density, motivation to longevity, this conversation breaks down myths and builds hope for the next generation of women — and the doctors who care for them.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• The 2002 Study That Changed Everything: How the Women’s Health Initiative was misinterpreted — and why a misleading press release reshaped women’s health for decades.
• The Truth About Hormones: Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are made naturally by the body — and modern therapies are safer, smarter, and more personalized than ever before.
• Longevity and Prevention: Hormones don’t just treat symptoms — they can protect your bones, brain, and heart, helping women live longer, healthier lives.
• The Next Generation of Change: From Gen X to Millennials, women are demanding better care, better education, and better science.

Connect with Sharon:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• Learn more about the Innovate and Elevate podcast
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox

Connect with Dr. Kelly Casperson:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• Learn more on her website
• Buy The Menopause Moment now

Additional Resources:

• The 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (JAMA)
• FDA Menopause Panel Discussion (YouTube)
• Dr. Casperson’s book: You Are Not Broken
• Dr. Kelly Casperson Speaking at the FDA’s Announcement for Removing “Black Box” Warnings

Skip to the Good Part:

(0:00) Introduction: Sharon welcomes Dr. Kelly Casperson — live from the FDA Menopause Panel

(3:00) The emotional power of restoring hormones — “I’m not angry...

What happens when a successful professional is dismissed by her doctor, given sleeping pills for severe perimenopause symptoms, and instead decides to launch a company to help change women's healthcare forever? In this conversation, host Sharon Kedar welcomes Midi Health’s CEO Joanna Strober, who shares her personal story of being dismissed by her doctor and her mission to fix the women's health crisis. Joanna and Sharon tackle the pervasive fear and misinformation about HRT and breast cancer. They reveal the truth and misinformation about the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study. Joanna details how Midi provides expert, insurance-covered care and is shifting the paradigm so women can proactively protect their bones, brain, and heart. This is an essential listen for any woman ready to age with power.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• The Care Crisis and Midi’s Solution: How Joanna's personal experience of being dismissed by doctors for symptoms like brain fog and anxiety led her to create Midi Health, a successful, insurance-covered virtual platform scaling expert care for midlife women.
• Dismantling HRT Fear: The truth about the 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, revealing that there is zero correlation between taking estrogen and getting breast cancer (unless you have estrogen-positive breast cancer) and that women on the estrogen-only arm had a 30% less likelihood of breast cancer.
• Longevity and HRT: Why the golden time to start estrogen is during perimenopause or within 10 years of menopause, and how staying on it may be essential for long-term protection of your bones, brain, and heart.

Connect with Sharon:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• Learn more about the Innovate and Elevate podcast
• Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube
• Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox

Connect with Joanna Strober:

• On LinkedIn
• Learn more about Midi Health

Additional Resources:

• The 2002 Women's Health Initiative

Skip to the Good Part:

(0:00) Introduction: Sharon's Advocacy and Welcome Joanna Strober, CEO of Midi Health

(2:00) Joanna’s Personal Story: From Brain Fog, Anxiety, and Marriage Problems to Finding a Specialist

(9:00) Finding the Right Care: HRT, Transformed Life, and the Bone Protection Dose

(18:45) Solving the Care Crisis: Founding Midi Health and Scaling Expertise with Insurance Coverage

(25:00) Midi's Word-of-Mouth Success and Dispelling the Breast Cancer Myth

(33:00) Longevity and HRT: The Golden Window for Bones, Brain, and Heart Protection

(36:30) HRT and Stigma: Why We Need to Talk About Hormones and Staying on the Patch Forever

(39:00) The Financial and Family Case: Midi Patients Cost Less for Insurers

(41:30) Midi's Mission, Funding, and the Future of Virtual Care

(45:00) Conclusion and Thank You

Please note: The information on...