HRT replaces hormones that are at a lower level as women approach the menopause. The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most of the menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings vaginal dryness and reduced sex drive. Now experts at Yale University in the US have revealed hormone replacement pills could boost sex drive through the menopause. Scientists said they are more effective than pills. Dr Chris Steele joined hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on This Morning to talk about the new research. This is research done on HRT patches rather than a pill, he said. They said it can improve sex life after the menopause. He said some women can find their sex lives are affected after the menopause. The patch was deemed better than the tablets, Dr Chris added. The GP said a patch could be more effective because hormones are released directly into the blood stream and a tablet has to be broken down by the liver before it is effective. Dr Chris added: There was an improvement in vaginal soreness and dryness which is extremely common in the menopause. Overall quality of life improved. Ruth questioned if women … Continue reading →

As the White House continues to push its ban on transgender military members, we must take a stand to support and celebrate our trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) communities. Its not just about being united to fight the bad and exclusive policies, but also every movement including the movement for paid leave should take steps to center TGNC experiences and ensure that laws and policies are inclusive of the needs of TGNC individuals and their loved ones. Two years ago this month, the National Center for Transgender Equality launched the most ambitious survey to date to capture the experiences of TGNC individuals in the United States. Released in December 2016, the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS) contains the largest amount of data that currently exists about TGNC Americans. Among dozens of findings related to housing, employment, military service, and more, the USTS found several health-related disparities that TGNC Americans experience, with particular impacts on TGNC individuals of color. As leaders in the paid sick and safe time and paid family and medical leave movements, we are fighting for inclusive workplace leave policies that will support TGNC individuals who continue to experience health disparities due to systemic discrimination. For TGNC individuals … Continue reading →

Beauty Beyond Binaries is a biweekly column about the intersection of beauty and identity on allure.com by writer, TV host, and activist Janet Mock. Since I began Beauty Beyond Binaries in May, Ive written essays that explore many aspects of beauty, from the concepts of pretty privilege and using self-preservation as a form of protest to my personal triggers around haircuts. Though I love being able to express myself and share my experiences, Ive also been eager to bring voices beyond my own into this space. It is part of the reason I made RuPauls Drag Race finalist Peppermint our first BBB profile subject (I have more to come!), and why Ive requested your voices. In an effort to include even more perspectives, my editors and I asked readers on Allures Instagram account and my Facebook page for their most pressing questions, spanning hair care to self-care. While I am not a beauty or health care professional, I have navigated my way through pervasive beauty standards and personal style, as well as the tangles and dryness of my curly fro. I hope that sharing how I got through or am continuing to get through will be helpful to you. Below … Continue reading →

Share Share Share Email A Korean-American trans swimmer has been inspiring people with his story of change a journey that does not happen overnight but takes takes time, effort, perseverance, and, most importantly, self-love. Schuyler Bailar, a decorated swimmer, first made headlines when he earned a spot on the mens team at Harvard University. Bailar, a Psychology major, was originally recruited to swim for the universitys womens team in 2013. After graduating from D.C.s Georgetown Day School, he was set to start as a freshman at Harvard in fall 2014, but took a year off to receive treatment for serious eating disorders which his mother Terry revealed as anorexia and bulimia in an interview with CBS News. Bailar eventually recognized that his eating disorders were triggered by being uncomfortable in a womans body. It was during his period of recovery that he identified as a man. He soon came out, and things turned for the better. With complete support from his parents, he underwent breast removal surgery in March 2015 and started hormone replacement therapy in June of the same year. Bailars transition made history, as he became the first openly transgender swimmer in the history of the NCAA. In … Continue reading →

A harrowing patient experience inspired this woman to launch two startups, Fertile Matters and Intelligent Hormones, in a bid to help other women navigate two key stages of life with improved hormone monitoring. By Candice Helfand-Rogers Marje Isabelle of Fertile Matters and Intelligent Hormones. (Credit: Marje Isabelle) Editors note: This article is part of a series spotlighting female medical entrepreneurs who serve other women. Marje Isabelles entrepreneurial journey began with a cancer diagnosis. She was 35, in the midst of a thriving career in London and trying to conceive a child with her husband when she learned she had uterine and ovarian cancer. That was the start of a lengthy, painful and formative ordeal. Over the course of the next 2 years, Isabelles battle with cancer took her through a partial hysterectomy, in vitro fertilization, a preventative surgery to remove her remaining ovary, surrogate pregnancy and early menopause. That harrowing, roller-coaster experience showed Isabelle firsthand the dearth of effective treatment options for women struggling with both fertility complications and menopause symptoms. And it exposed her to the blatant insensitivity some women face while seeking treatment. At one point, a male gynecologist who was treating her told her that if a … Continue reading →