Ep 77 | FDA Removes Black Box Warning From Hormone Therapy: What Women Need To Know In 2025

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Have you been living with debilitating hot flashes, sleepless nights, or painful intercourse because you're terrified hormone therapy will give you cancer? What if everything you've been told about menopause treatment has been wrong?

In this urgent episode of Pleasure In the Pause, host Gabriela Espinosa reveals a seismic shift in women's healthcare: the FDA has just eliminated the fear-based black box warnings that have kept millions of women from accessing hormone therapy for over two decades. This isn't just a policy change, it's a complete vindication of the science that's been buried under misinformation since 2002.

Discover why vaginal estrogen was never dangerous, how hormone therapy can add up to a decade of healthy years to your life, and what the research actually shows about breast cancer risk (spoiler: it's not what you think). If you've been suffering in silence or second-guessing treatment options, this episode will arm you with the facts you need to take control of your menopause journey.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• A Misinterpreted Study Created Two Decades of Unnecessary Suffering: The 2002 Women's Health Initiative findings were released to media before scientists could properly analyze them, creating widespread panic that wasn't supported by the actual data. An estimated 50 million women avoided or were denied treatment as a result.

• The Real Breast Cancer Numbers Tell a Different Story: Women taking estrogen alone saw their breast cancer risk drop by 24%. Meanwhile, no study has ever demonstrated that hormone replacement therapy increases breast cancer death rates, but this nuance was lost in the fearmongering.

• Hormone Therapy Rivals Statins for Heart Protection (But Nobody Talks About It): While statins show up to 35% reduction in heart disease risk, HRT demonstrates up to 50% reduction - yet heart disease remains the number one killer of women. The research also shows dramatic reductions in bone fractures and overall mortality when treatment begins at the right time.

• Your Symptoms Aren't "Just Part of Aging" and They're Not Trivial: Over 80% of women experience menopausal symptoms that last an average of eight years, with many finding them severe enough to impact work, relationships, and quality of life. Only 5% currently receive treatment, and nearly one in three women who get prescriptions never use them because of fear created by warning labels.

• Timing Is Everything for Maximum Benefit: Starting hormone therapy during perimenopause or within a decade of menopause onset unlocks protective effects for your brain, heart, bones, and metabolic health. This treatment window is when estrogen functions as a longevity intervention, not just symptom relief.

The era of dismissing, minimizing, and scaring women away from effective treatment is over.

This FDA decision represents more than regulatory housekeeping - it's a fundamental shift in how women's health is valued and treated. But knowing your options exist is only the first step. Now it's time to advocate for yourself.

Start tracking your symptoms today. Research menopause-certified practitioners in your area. Explore resources from the North American Menopause Society or listen to Pleasure In the Pause Episode 34 for a deep dive on hormone therapy benefits and lifestyle factors. Whether you ultimately choose hormone therapy or not, you deserve to make that decision based on accurate science, not decades-old fear tactics.

And here's how you can be part of the solution: Share this episode. Every woman who hears this information is one step closer to reclaiming her health, her comfort, and her power. The grassroots advocacy that made this FDA decision possible, including the 26,000+ signatures collected by Let's Talk Menopause, proves that our voices matter.

If you're seeking to reclaim your pleasure and vitality, join Gabriella at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pleasureinthepause.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for this enlightening journey into the heart of female pleasure and empowerment.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Ep 34 with Jill Chmielewski

FDA Press Conference

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The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.