Today on the show Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Sharon dish on all the things they want us to know about menopause. The two colleagues share their unique perspectives on how they menopause and perimenopause. The two share important information on HRT, like did you know know that your brain (not your ovaries) is responsible for ovulation? Plus, learn how to avoid falling into the online trap of supplements, and what you should really be looking for in terms of their quality.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, MSCP, is a board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause, a book written to empower women with evidence-based menopause care. She earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), where she is now an Adjunct Associate Professor. In 2021, she founded Mary Claire Wellness, a clinic committed to providing comprehensive menopause care. In 2023, she launched ThePauseLife.com, a trusted resource for women navigating menopause. She is also the host of the podcast unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, where she continues the conversation on women’s health, empowerment, and evidence-based care.

Her new book, The New Perimenopause, is currently available for pre-order and will be released on April 7, 2026. Through her writing, clinical practice, podcast, and digital presence, Dr. Mary Claire Haver has become the trusted voice in menopause care, empowering women worldwide to embrace this life stage with confidence and vitality.

Resources:

https://thepausewellness.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/

https://thepauselife.com/

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz and CJ Archerd.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Dr. Sharon is joined by Dr. Corrine Menn, an OBGYN and menopause specialist, to talk about genes. Is it worth getting genetic testing? And how much of your breast cancer risk really comes down to family history? Plus, Dr. Menn gives us an inside look at her own breast cancer survival story, and how it changed her outlook on standard of care. Have questions? Submit them here.

Dr. Corinne Menn is a board-certified OB/GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. A 24-year breast cancer survivor, premature menopause and a BRCA carrier, she brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her work helping women navigate complex health challenges. In addition to her private practice, Dr. Menn serves as an advisor at Alloy Women’s Health, a leading digital platform for menopause care. She is also a sought-after educator and speaker, teaching CME courses and presenting at national medical conferences on topics such as Managing Menopause After Breast Cancer. Dr. Menn is a dedicated advocate for young women affected by breast cancer, serving on the Council of Advisors for the Young Survival Coalition and leading their Provider–Survivor support group.

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, Dr. Sharon discusses “Balance: A Perimenopause Journey,” a docuseries directed by Dallas-based Jain monk-filmmakers Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti. As Jain monks, they live by the principle of non-violence (ahimsa) — to cause no harm and to help reduce suffering wherever they can. So what happens when they unexpectedly start suffering in their bodies?? This episode explores the challenges women face when going through perimenopause, or the transition to menopause. Plus the guests talk to Dr. Sharon about how knowledge is also a form of compassion and how that can lead to making informed choices, taking mindful action, and suffering less. Have questions? Submit them here.

Resources:

Watch the docuseries on Apple or Prime

https://balancedocuseries.com/resources/

https://balancedocuseries.com/cast/

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gayle King comes on the show to discuss the one universal female experience: Menopause. Gayle and Dr. Sharon talk about their shared histories of having conversations around menopause with Oprah and Michelle Obama. Gayle also shares what her experiences were like and why she regrets not doing Hormone Replacement Therapy. Plus, Gayle talks about being vibrant and alive past your 60's and why she wants to have the conversation about menopause on the show, since she knows many women who have suffered, felt ashamed, or have had their doctor's ignore their symptoms. Have questions? Submit them here.

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Medical oncologist and author Dr. Elizabeth Comen joins to unpack the long history of how women’s bodies have been misunderstood and minimized in medicine. From the early days of male doctors who believed women were "small men" to the racial bias that shapes how Black women’s pain is treated. Dr. Sharon and Dr. Comen explore how these ideas still influence care today. Plus, both Dr. Sharon and Dr. Comen discuss the dynamics between oncologiists and their relationship to Hormone Replacement Therapy. Have questions? Submit them here.

Dr. Elizabeth Comen, M.D., has dedicated her medical career to saving the lives of women. An award-winning, internationally sought-after clinician and physician-scientist, Dr. Comen is a Medical Oncologist specializing in breast cancer and an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Co-Director of the Mignone Women’s Health Collaborative at NYU Langone Health. She earned her BA in the History of Science from Harvard College and her MD from Harvard Medical School, then completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and her fellowship in oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her research has been published in prestigious scientific journals, including Nature, Cancer Cell, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and The Journal of National Cancer Institute. A tireless advocate for women’s healthcare, she is the author of the national best seller: All In Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today.

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You probably have some idea of how medical cannabis affects your brain. But do you know the impacts of cannabis on women's health? Dr. Staci Gruber comes on the show to discuss the ins and outs of cannabinoids and its studied benefits! Learn how research on cannabis shows that it might help with endometriosis and menopause. Plus, Dr. Sharon shares her take on cannabis and asks all the questions you want answered.

Dr. Staci Gruber is the Director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core at McLean Hospital’s Brain Imaging Center and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the application of neurocognitive models and brain imaging to characterize risk factors for substance abuse and psychiatric conditions. She has studied the impact of recreational cannabis use on the brain for over three decades using neurocognitive/clinical assessments, and multimodal brain imaging techniques. Her work has been the basis for national and international symposia, documentaries, and news stories, which ultimately helped inform public policy. Given the many inherent differences between recreational and medical cannabis users, Dr. Gruber launched Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) in 2014, the first program designed to clarify the long-term impact of medical cannabis use. MIND supports projects that aim to address the impact of medical cannabis on important variables including cognition, brain structure/function, clinical state, quality of life, pain, sleep, and other health-related measures. As director of MIND, Dr. Gruber has generated major contributions to the field as the first to assess medical cannabis patients longitudinally, first to acquire neuroimaging data in medical cannabis patients, and as PI of the first clinical trial of a full-spectrum, high-cannabidiol (CBD) product, which she formulated to treat anxiety. Additional, novel clinical trials have been approved and are currently underway. Dr. Gruber also launched the Women’s Health Initiative at MIND (WHIM), the first cannabis-focused research program designed to address women’s health and disorders that disproportionately affect women.

Resources:

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profile/staci-gruber

https://www.drstacigruber.com/whim

https://www.drstacigruber.com/post/npr-marijuana-rescheduling

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Franchesca Diaz and CJ Archerd.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cardiologist Dr. Jayne Morgan joins to chat about all about the #1 cause of death for women: heart disease. She shares some of the causes (hint: it's mostly under our control) plus the ways menopause impacts heart health for women. Plus the two doctors discuss how artificial intelligence could change the heart health game by letting people monitor their blood pressure beyond the doctor's office.

Resources:

https://www.instagram.com/drjaynemorgan

Mayo Clinic - Strategies to Prevent Heart Disease

American Heart Association - Understanding Blood Pressure Readings

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by Camila Thur de Koos and CJ Archerd.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Founder of the Kindred Space Birthing Center in Los Angeles, Kimberly Durdin joins Dr. Sharon to talk about midwifery care for expecting mothers and how birthing centers handle delivery differently than hospitals. Kimberly and Dr. Sharon also discuss the pros and cons of hospital births and get into why not every pregnant woman is a good candidate for delivering outside of a hospital.

Resources:

Kindred Space LA

Black Maternal Mortality

Historical Significance of Doulas and Midwives

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon is a production of Higher Ground.

Hosted by Dr. Sharon Malone.

Produced by Stella Hartmann.

Production Assistance by CJ Archerd.

Sound Design and Engineering by Ryan Kozlowski and Andrew Eapen.

Head over to Alloy Health, where Dr. Sharon Malone serves as Chief Medical Advisor, and discover why 95% of women who tried Alloy experienced menopause relief within just two weeks. Plus, as a special offer, use code TSO25 at checkout to receive $25 off your first order today.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.