If menopause treatment is about replacing missing hormones, why are progesterone and testosterone still so often overlooked?

For many women, HRT can be life changing.

For others, it never seems to make enough difference.

So what if the conversation is more complex than we've been led to believe?

In this episode, I explore one of the biggest debates in menopause care today. As research continues to evolve, more questions are being asked about the wider roles of progesterone and testosterone, how current prescribing guidance reflects the evidence, and whether some women are still missing out on treatment approaches that could make a real difference.

Whether you're trying to understand your own treatment options or you're a healthcare professional wanting to better understand the evidence, this episode will challenge the way you think about hormone replacement therapy.

• Why menopause treatment remains so heavily centred around oestrogen

• The ongoing debate around progesterone and testosterone

• What current prescribing guidance says

• The wider roles of progesterone throughout the body

• Why progesterone after hysterectomy remains such a debated topic

• Why testosterone is still so difficult for women to access in the UK

• Why some women are left believing HRT simply didn't work for them

• Where the evidence is beginning to take us

"Hormones don't work in isolation. They're an orchestra, not a solo performance."

"Medicine evolves. Research evolves. Our understanding of women's hormones should evolve alongside it."

"Sometimes the question isn't whether HRT didn't work. It's whether the right hormone was ever being replaced."

"Better questions lead to better research. Better research leads to better guidelines. Better guidelines lead to better outcomes for women."

Know someone who's still searching for answers? Share this episode with them.

Michelle Rowlinson is the founder of Panacea Pause, a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Menopause and Wellbeing Practitioner, best-selling author, and host of the Menopause - The Real Deal podcast.

After spending seven years searching for answers to debilitating symptoms that were eventually recognised as perimenopause, Michelle made it her mission to help other women understand what is happening to their bodies and navigate menopause with confidence.

Today, she delivers evidence-based education for women, workplaces and healthcare professionals through her CPD-accredited training, workshops and public speaking. Combining over two decades of clinical experience with her own lived experience, Michelle is passionate about translating complex science into practical, honest conversations that help women make informed decisions about their health.

Through her podcast, Michelle explores the latest evidence, challenges outdated misconceptions, and asks the questions that many women, and increasingly healthcare professionals, are asking about menopause today.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal

My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag

Website: www.panaceapause.co.uk