Women’s Health Headlines in 2025 - Interview with CNN Pamela Brown and Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Dr. Haver notes that many perimenopausal women are misdiagnosed with primary psychological conditions and placed on antidepressants, when in fact hormonal fluctuation is the root cause. She cites emerging research showing that hormone stabilization can improve outcomes more effectively than starting with psych meds. This approach challenges standard practice but is gaining traction as the neuroprotective role of estrogen becomes clearer.

Dr. Haver emphasizes that the black box warning was particularly unjustified for local estrogen because it does not enter the bloodstream in meaningful amounts. The removal of the warning should reassure women and clinicians about the safety of these products.

Dr. Haver points out that even in major cities it's hard to find an educated provider, and in rural areas it's next to impossible. She sees telemedicine companies focused on menopause as a promising solution to expand access.

Dr. Haver explains that the black box warning was an overcall, particularly for vaginal estrogen, which is not systemically absorbed and should have had no warnings. For systemic HRT, the labeling still includes risks and benefits, but the dramatic black box has been removed. She notes that advocates had been asking the FDA through multiple administrations to remove it, and the change finally happened this year. The removal is significant because it reduces fear-based avoidance of a therapy that can greatly improve quality of life for menopausal women.

Dr. Haver contrasts the 1.2 million articles on pregnancy with only 7,000 on perimenopause, underscoring the research gap. She notes that she checks new publications daily and sees a surge, estimating the field is about three years behind the menopause conversation. A key finding is a doubling of depression and anxiety rates across perimenopause, and many women find that stabilizing hormones improves mental health outcomes more than starting psychotropic medications. This is driving a re-evaluation of standard care for midlife women.

Dr. Haver explains that estrogen receptors exist in all organ systems, so the loss of estrogen at menopause affects the heart, brain, metabolism, and more. Social media has amplified patient-reported symptoms like frozen shoulder, palpitations, and tinnitus, which researchers are now investigating. This patient-driven data is helping to identify under-recognized manifestations of menopause and is spurring new studies.