

Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More
Lauren Streicher, MD
Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, leaky bladders, weight gain, hair loss, inability to orgasm? Nothing is off limits in these fact filled, solution-driven and often surprisingly funny podcasts that address the specific symptoms women face as they navigate perimenopause and post-menopause. Each segment is like having an in-depth consultation with Dr. Lauren Streicher, a nationally recognized menopause expert and the founding Medical Director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. Guests will include other experts on all things menopause. So strap in- it’s going to be quite the ride! This is THE podcast for accurate information about menopause but is not meant to be personal medical advice.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 2, 2025 • 39min
S3 Ep161: Dating After 50 Doesn't Need to Be Daunting
30% of women over the age of 50 are single. 50% of women over age 65 are single. Too often the whole dating process is overwhelming, frustrating, and unsuccessful. Enter Bela Gandhi- the nationally known dating coach who regularly appears on Good Morning America and hosts a hit podcast, “The Smart Dating Academy.” So whether you need to fix your picker, find the whole idea of dating daunting or are not finding success when it comes to companionship and love, Bela’s got your back. And if you are not on the hunt, you know someone who is!
After you listen to this episode, head on over to Substack.com/@DrStreicher for my post on avoiding a sexually transmitted infection!
On this episode:
· Is it ever too late to find love?
· What’s BETTER about dating over 50?
· WHAT is the biggest MISTAKE midlife women make when it comes to dating?
· If women need to resign themselves to dating OLDER men
· TIPS for ON-LINE dating
· What if someone doesn't want to go online?
· RED-FLAGS you need to know
· What about women seeking women? Do you advise the same things?
· When it comes to dating WIDOWERS, what's your advice?
· How about the DIVORCED guys?
· How long someone should wait before GETTING NAKED?
· How much PAST HISTORY should be shared?
Bela Gandhi
Website: www.smartdatingacademy.com
Podcast: Podcast - Smart Dating Academy
Instagram: Instagram
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartdatingacademy
Watch: TED Talk - The Secret to Lasting Love!
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
Substack/cm/@DrStreicher
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Dec 26, 2024 • 55min
S3 Ep160: The Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause with Dr. Vonda Wright- UPDATE
As 2024 ends, I decided to revisit the top episodes from last year. If I were to go by my favorites, choosing would be impossible. According to the number of downloads, the two top contenders are Top Tips for Skin and Hair with Dr. Ellen Gendler and Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause with Dr. Vonda Wright. I am going to update Dr. Gendler's episode in a few weeks.
In this episode I am going to revisit Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause with Dr. Vonda Wright. Dr. Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon has made it her mission to raise awareness about the musculoskeletal changes that occur because of menopause, and how a lack of estrogen sabotages the ability to be active. And that lack of activity not only impacts bone health and cardiovascular health but also cognitive function.
At the end, is an update on what has happened since I recorded that episode.
In this episode:
· The six symptoms of musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause
· The relationship between GSM and dementia
· Why frozen shoulder is the number one complaint
· The relationship of menopause to osteoarthritis
· The impact of mobility on cognitive function
· The impact of menopause on frailty
· The impact of testosterone on musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause
· Exercise and cancer risk reduction
· How heavy your weights should be to increase muscle power
Dr. Wright’s publication
Wright VJ, et al. The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause. Climacteric. 2024 Oct;27(5):466-472.
Dr. Vonda Wright
Podcast: Hot for Your Health
Instagram: @DrVondaWright
For more information on this topic:
Substack.com/@DrStreicher
Episode 59 - Boning Up on Bones: Part 1 with Dr. Kristi Tough DeSapri (Risk Factors for Osteoporosis, and Screening)
Episode 61 Boning Up on Bones: Part 2 with Dr. Kristi Tough DeSapri (Prevention and Treatment)
Episode 67- How Long Can you Safely Take Hormone Therapy?
Episode 85 Estrogen and Alzheimer’s Disease
Episode 111 Bone Up with Hormone Therapy with Dr. DeSapri
Episode 123 Hormone Therapy After Age 60 with Dr. James Simon
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. She is a certified menopause practitioner of the North American Menopause Society.
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
Subscribe and Follow Dr. Streicher on
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube DrStreicherTV
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy

Dec 19, 2024 • 19min
S3 Ep159: Holiday Gifts That Happen to be Healthy
If you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, I've got you covered. In this episode, I have great gift ideas that also happen to be healthy.
There were two criteria to make it to this list. One, it had to be something I already own or would like to own. Second, there had to be a scientifically proven health benefit to using these items.
And if you have already finished your shopping, these are great gifts to buy for yourself.
For a transcript of this episode, including video demonstrations, go to Substack.com/@DrStreicher
· Mocktail Book
· Silk Sleep Mask
· Resistance Bands
· Foldable Bike Helmut
· Walking Pad
· Elixer Play Amathyst Vibrator
· Crave
· Lube Warmer
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is for education and information and is not intended to replace medical advice from your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Dec 12, 2024 • 31min
S3 Ep158: How to Find a Clinician Who is Not Clueless
An “MD” after the name is no assurance that the person to whom you are about to bare your soul—and your vagina—is an expert when it comes to menopause.
In this episode, I am going to walk you through the steps to find someone you can trust to fix your flashes, foggy brain, and failing sex life.
Head over to Substack.com/@DrStreicher for a transcript of the episode, and bonus! I posted an article with specific questions to ask during a menopause consultation (and answers you might get) that will let you know if you can trust this person to help you manage your menopause.
If Your Doctor Doesn’t Have a Vagina
Specialists that may be menopause expertise
Advanced practice nurses and physician assistants
Why most doctors know very little about menopause
What letters mean after a doctor’s name
The difference between a license and board certification
What it takes to maintain board certification
What it means to be “double boarded”
Why Anti-Aging is not a recognized board certification
What academic titles such as “Professor” indicate
How I became a menopause expert
What it means to be a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner
Checking out publications
Physician Referral services
The problem with consumer referral sites
Red flags to look for on doctor websites
If you should educate your own doctor
If concierge doctors are worth it
Telehealth- and what to look for
Go to substack.com/@drstreicher for my list of specific questions to ask (and potential answers you might get ) that are pretty good indications that the person you are seeing is an actual expert.
Links
To verify that a physician is licensed
Federation of State Medical Boards website
fsmb.org
To verify that a physician is board certified
ABMS.org is the site where you can check out whether a physician is board-certified and find out what he or she is certified in.
To find a certified menopause practitioner
www.menopause.org.
To see if your physician has published any scientific articles
NIH National Library of Science- Pubmed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
Substack/cm/@DrStreicher
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Dec 5, 2024 • 23min
S3 Ep157: Hormone Therapy to Help the Heart?
If you would like to read a transcript of this episode along with some additional information, head on over to my substack- substack.com/@DrStreicher
Chances are you have heard at least one expert say that systemic hormone therapy will prevent heart disease. But you also may have heard other experts say, No- if you don’t have hot flashes or low bone mass, it is not recommended to take hormone therapy to prevent heart disease down the road. So, who is right? Why is this controversial? Isn’t the data, the data? In this episode, I explain why experts are not all on the same page when it comes to the long-term cardiovascular benefits of hormone therapy.
· The Difference between a Randomized Controlled Trial and an Observational Trial
· Why the WHI was an excellent study- and why it was problematic
· What we learned From the WHI about Hormones and Cardiovascular Health
· The Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN)
· What we learned From the SWAN about Hormones and Cardiovascular Health
· What we learned From the SWAN about Hormone therapy and Cardiovascular Risk
· What we learned From the SWAN about Hormone therapy and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
· If hormone therapy should be prescribed for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease- the view of the two opposing sides
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
Substack/cm/@DrStreicher
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Nov 28, 2024 • 51min
S3 Ep156: Perimenopause Problems : An Expert’s Approach with Steven Goldstein MD
The only thing predictable about perimenopause is that it is …unpredictable. My guest today is Dr. Steven Goldstein, a tenured professor at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine, the past President of the International Menopause Society, Past President of The Menopause Society, and one of the WORLD’S top experts on the science of perimenopause.
The problem with the standard definition of menopause.
Why bleeding and having a period is not the same thing
Why perimenopausal women bleed erratically
Why anxiety and other symptoms occur during
How to interrupt FSH and estradiol blood levels
The best treatment for perimenopause
Why birth control pills work so well during perimenopause
Myths about birth control pills
The concept of “suppression and substitution”
How long perimenopause lasts
What triggers perimenopause
Why fibroids often grow during perimenopause
How to know if symptoms are perimenopause hormonal fluctuations or something else
How long someone can stay on a birth control pill
When the 12-month rule doesn’t hold
When perimenopause and menopause hit before the age of 40.
When perimenopause hits before 40 why it needs to be treated
Options if someone can’t take birth control pills
When you can ignore irregular bleeding and when it needs to be evaluated
What Black women need to know about perimenopause bleeding
The likelihood of cancer if there is a uterine polyp and you are not bleeding
Link to Steven Goldstein MD
https://www.goldsteinmd.com/services/gynecologist-perimenopause-specialist/
Link to John Rock’s Error Article
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
Substack.com/@DrStreicherDrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Nov 21, 2024 • 22min
S3 Ep155: Genital Dryness and Misbehaving Bladders
Men have always had the clear advantage of being able to inspect their genitals with very little effort on their part. Women’s genitals are not quite as accessible, resulting in a lot more uncertainty about what’s normal and what’s not. No wonder women are frequently blindsided by not only the physical changes that occur with the onset of menopause but also symptoms like dryness, painful sex, itching, recurrent urinary tract infections, and that constant “gotta go” feeling!
Why the term VAGINAL ATROPHY is problematic
GENITOURINARY SYNDROME OF MENOPAUSE- What it is and what it means
The PHYSICAL CHANGES that result from a lack of estrogen
The genital and urinary SYMPTOMS that women experience because of LACK of ESTROGEN
Options to Treat GSM
Lubricants
Long-Lasting Moisturizers
Local Vaginal Estrogen
DHEA
Ospemifen
Dr. Streicher is now on Substack!
A transcript of this episode with related videos, podcasts, and graphics can be found on Dr. Streicher’s FREE Substack
https://substack.com/@DrStreicher
Replens™ Brand
Thank you to Replens™ Brand for Sponsoring This Episode
Follow Replens on Instagram
For more information on Replens Products
Related Episodes:
Episode 4: Is Your Lubricant Helping or Hurting Your Vagina?
Episode 5: Vaginal Estrogen- Rings, Creams, and Other Things
Episode 27: Using Vaginal Estrogen but Sex Still Hurts Like Hell
Episode 44 A Deep Dive into RECURRENT UTI
Episode 63 DHEA-An Estrogen Alternative for Vaginal Dryness
Episode 74 Ospemifene- A Pill a Day to Keep Dryness Away
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner.
While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Nov 14, 2024 • 44min
S3 Ep154: Invisible Woman Syndrome
Studies reveal that 70% of women experience a sense of being overlooked socially and professionally once they hit 50. The term for this phenomenon is Invisible Woman Syndrome. In this episode, I am joined by Christine Morrison, who writes about the social constructs in the fashion, beauty and wellness industry that inform the way society views women, and the way women often feel about themselves as they get older. Christine Morrison’s writing has appeared in print and online vehicles such as The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Quality Edit and Margot Magazine, among others, and in advertising campaigns for Alastin Skincare, French Connection, Juicy Couture and more. Prior to focusing on writing full-time, Morrison held leadership positions in the fashion and beauty industries, including serving as Global Vice President of Beauty and Apparel Marketing for Calvin Klein.
Her forthcoming book, “Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself,” – in which she reflects on the meaning behind, and the humor in, the relationship between her sartorial self and formation of identity – is slated to publish Spring, 2026.
This episode will change the way you think about aging
For information about my upcoming retreat with Dr. Ellen Gendler:
Information About the Mastering Menopause Retreat
Christine Morrison
Writing In Black and White
https://www.writinginblackandwhite.com/
https://writinginblackandwhite.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writinginblackandwhite/
SUBSTACK
Lauren Streicher MD: Inside Information
https://substack.com/@DrStreicher
Christine Morrison -Writing in Black and White
https://writinginblackandwhite.substack.com/
Lorraine Devon Wilk: Musings of a Creative Loudmouth
https://substack.com/@lorrainedevonwilke
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Nov 7, 2024 • 47min
S3 Ep153: Q And A Marathon
I give two to three lectures a week. No matter who I am talking to or what the topic is, the part I like the best is the Q and A. It’s always different and I never know what I am going to get. In this episode I answer 37 questions in a 45 minute webinar I did on behalf of Midi Health where I am the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach. If you are looking for in-depth explanations like I often give, you won’t get that in this episode. But, if you would like more detailed information I have listed some of the questions below along with past episodes that covered the topic in more depth.
Some sample questions that were covered...
· Can a woman over age 60 take HT? Episode 123 Hormone Therapy After Age 60 with Dr. James Simon
· I went to see my doctor and she only prescribes Prempro- is it OK to take Prempro ? Episode 124 All Hormones Are Not Created Equal with Dr. James Simon
· Is it OK to take a break in HT?
· What is the typical cost of HT?- How many types? Is it covered by most insurance?
· Is it appropriate to order blood testing to optimize treatment?
· Is it best to wait a full 12 months without a period to start HT?
· Will hormone therapy help my uterine prolapse get better? Episode 38 Pelvic Organs Dropping? How to STOP the POP!
· What are the chances that Testosterone will help my libido and what are possible side effects? Episode 21: Say Yes! to Testosterone for Women
· Why would a Dr. Prescribe Veozah instead of Estrogen? Episode 77 Fezolinetant! A New Non-Hormonal Hot Flash Drug
· What causes periods to be irregular in perimenopause? Episode 23: Welcome to Peri-menopause
· My hot flashes came back after a long hiatus. Should I start estrogen? Episode 53 Not All Hot Flashes Mean Menopause
· My Calcium score is Zero- can I take HT ? Episode 123 Hormone Therapy After Age 60 with Dr. James Simon
· I am still using Nuva Ring for Birth control- when should I transition to HT? Episode 23: Welcome to Peri-menopause
· Does Estroven work? Episode 95 Non-hormonal options to treat VMS- Herbs Spices &Wishful Thinking
· Is it normal for orgasms to get weaker and what can be done to make it stronger? Episode 15: Post Menopause Orgasm- Everybody Come!
About Midi Health
JoinMidi.com
Midi is a virtual clinic specializing in perimenopause and menopause.
Midi offers both hormonal and non-hormonal evidence-based care from experts.
The Next Midi Ask Me Anything Webinar
https://www.instagram.com/midihealth/p/DBwlpqkRYTv/
November 20, 2024 2:00 PM/3:00 PM ET
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube @DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Midi Health www.Joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It may also be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who are interested in and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.

Oct 24, 2024 • 27min
S3 Ep151: Don't Be Duped: Misleading Marketing and the FDA
You grab a product off the shelf—maybe it promises to help with bladder control, take off ten pounds, erase wrinkles, or boost orgasms. You assume it will do what it claims to do because it has the FDA seal on the package. Most consumers have no idea that most over-the-counter products have not been tested to ensure product claims are legitimate.
The history of the FDA
Why estrogen disappeared from face cream in 1962
The different FDA categories and what they mean
FDA Approved
FDA Cleared
FDA Listed
FDA Registered
What it takes to be FDA-approved
Why testosterone was never FDA-approved for women
Loopholes that allow products to get an FDA label
Other misleading labeling that is often used:
Doctor recommended
Doctor tested
Clinically proven
The difference between a marketing study and a scientific study
The problem with class labeling
Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER
Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.
Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society.
Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.
DrStreicher.com
Instagram @DrStreich
Facebook @DrStreicher
YouTube DrStreicherTV
LinkedIn @DrStreicher
Books by Lauren Streicher, MD
Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain
Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat
Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever
The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy
To Find a Menopause Clinician
Episode 46 Finding a Menopause Clinician Who Will Listen
Midi Health joinmidi.com
Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.
The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org
To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx
Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.
Major Medical Centers
It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.
If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:
The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org


