Menopause and You: A Women’s Health Conversation with Dr. Sharon Malone Holder

 

Are Women experiencing Menopause receiving the attention and treatment they need?

 

Once women reach perimenopause or menopause – do they really know what they should do?  Are they suffering? Or having their concerns answered clearly and quickly.

 

Some women say NO – and are in need of information and options to make informed decisions to address their individual concerns about menopause and take back control of their health.

 

It’s shocking to realize that three quarters of menopausal women are failing to receive the treatment they need from their doctors. That’s according to a report by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

 

 

This problem is widespread due to a lack of medical education on the matter: A survey of U.S. obstetrics and gynecology residents found that fewer than one in five of these residents receive formal training in menopause medicine, although seven in 10 would like to receive it.¹

 

Meanwhile, it’s estimated that every day, about 6,000 women in the U.S. will reach menopause and begin to experience symptoms – a true disconnect between doctors and women over 40 years of age. For many women, this disconnect leads to a futile search for answers punctuated by hot flashes, sleeplessness, weight gain, anxiety, depression and more. But it can also mean a marked increase in certain health risks.

 

 

The North American Menopause Society recommends Hormone therapy (HT) as an FDA-approved treatment to address menopausal symptoms.² These symptoms, caused by lower levels of estrogen at menopause, include hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and other symptoms.³

 

Although hormone therapy has proven safe and effective for the vast majority of healthy women, some women’s health experts say information provided decades ago to women about this treatment was not explained with the proper context, and therefore confusing to understand.

 

I am joined by Dr. Sharon Malone Holder, wife of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Jr. to talk about the health issues surrounding menopausal and post-menopausal women. Crowned “The First Lady of Justice,” Dr. Sharon Malone Holder is the nation’s leading Obstetrician / Gynecologist with a focus on the specific health challenges associated with menopause.

 

Together along with Monica Molenaar, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alloy Women’s Health – the new telehealth platform for women focused on perimenopause and menopause – we candidly discuss the ups and downs of entering menopause, why its symptoms have been a taboo subject, and trusted solutions and resources for women to navigate their journey into their next phase of womanhood.

 

Monica had her ovaries removed and went into menopause literally overnight at age 40 and began looking for solutions – six years and six doctors later, she finally found the relief she was looking for.

 

She and a friend Anne Fulenwider, the former Editor in Chief at Marie Claire magazine, realized that women aren’t getting effective solutions or answers to the many symptoms they are beginning to face—and need help from the inside, out. The two friends knew there must be a better way.

 

They set out to solve the symptoms menopause and perimenopause for themselves and everyone they knew. After months of research, they founded a company designed for women by women to find a better way forward to help the community of women with their experiencing menopause and its symptoms. Visit: MyAlloy.com to learn see everything they have to offer.

 

Take a listen above. You can also listen to the Faith Health and Home Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Spreaker, Stitcher, and Amazon Podcasts.

 

 

About Our Guests

 

 

Dr. Sharon Malone is among the nation’s leading obstetrician / gynecologists with a focus on the specific health challenges associated with menopause. Born in Mobile, Alabama, Dr Malone was raised primarily by her siblings following the death of her mother, and changed schools four times in four years, in three different states. Dr. Malone found strength and resilience in community, in her own work ethic and in her strong belief that there are no accidents.

 

She went on to graduate cum laude from Harvard with a degree in Psychology and Social Relations and later graduated with honors from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Upon completing her residency at The George Washington University, Dr. Malone served women across Washington DC in her almost 30 years as a practicing Ob/Gyn. The COVID-19 pandemic set Dr. Malone on a new path – serving as Medical Director of Alloy, the new telehealth platform for women focused on perimenopause and menopause.

 

 

 

 

 

Monica Molenaar is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Alloy. Previously, Molenaar founded the cult specialty foods brand Seed + Mill, introducing gourmet halva and tahini to the United States and tapping into the viral trend toward plant-based and gluten-free eating.  Prior to graduating from Stanford Business School, Molenaar worked in management consulting and commercial real estate. After receiving her MBA, she became a Director of Marketing at Knoll Furniture. 

 

At the age of 40, Monica tested positive for the BRCA gene and elected to remove her ovaries prophylactically, which sent her into surgical menopause overnight. She quickly realized there was a need for simple, trusted solutions to this largely ignored phase of a woman’s life, and the idea Alloy was born.

 

She graduated from Brown in 1996 and currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband and two sons.

 

 

 

1 https://hub.jhu.edu/gazette/2013/june/news-menopause-medicine-training-needed/

2,3,4 https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/hormone-therapy-benefits-risks