All About You With Dr Shauna Watts

Think you’ve missed your chance for HRT because you’re over 60 or more than 10 years past menopause? Dr. Shauna Watts and Dr. Sandra Rahme unpack what the “10-year window” actually means, and why there is no automatic age or five-year cut-off.

In this episode of All About You, Dr Shauna sits down with GP and women’s health clinician Dr. Sandra Rahme to challenge some of the most persistent misconceptions around menopause and hormone replacement therapy.

In this episode, we cover:
➡️ What the 10-year window for HRT actually means
➡️ Whether it is really too late to consider HRT after 60
➡️ Why there is no fixed five-year rule for stopping HRT
➡️ The difference between systemic HRT and vaginal hormones
➡️ Why urinary symptoms, recurrent UTIs, vaginal dryness and painful sex can worsen after menopause
➡️ How doctors assess individual risks before considering HRT
➡️ What options are available for women who cannot or do not want to take hormones
➡️ Why menopause symptoms should not simply be dismissed as “just ageing”

Most importantly, the conversation looks at why the decision around HRT should be individualised, reviewed over time, and based on a woman’s symptoms and changing health risks rather than an arbitrary age or deadline.

If you’ve ever been told you’re “too old” for HRT, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Follow Dr. Sandra Rahme
https://completehealthatcrossways.com.au/our-team

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Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:
Podcast Website: ⁠www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠.
Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshaunawattsgp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

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Chapters
00:00 - The HRT 10-Year Window Explained
02:09 - Why Menopause Care Matters
03:16 - How Long Can Menopause Symptoms Last?
05:54 - Menopause Symptoms That Get Worse With Age
09:30 - Is It Too Late for HRT After 60?
11:47 - The HRT Window of Opportunity
14:25 - Can You Start HRT After 60?
16:12 - HRT Risks and Health Factors
20:10 - Vaginal Estrogen vs Systemic HRT
27:17 - HRT Delivery Methods and Blood Clot Risk
29:21 - Is There a Time Limit for HRT?
32:02 - HRT After 60: Myths vs Facts
33:18 - Key Takeaways on HRT and Menopause

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Keywords
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Get the guide to your doctors appointment:
http://menopause.allaboutyoupod.com/appointment-prep/

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Join Dr Shauna Watts’ "Now What?" List - https://shauna-watts-263a.mykajabi.com/what-next

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Most women get fifteen minutes for a conversation that spans years of their life, every system in their body, and a treatment decision that shapes the next twenty. It was never going to be enough.

In this solo episode, GP and women's health advocate Dr Shauna Watts walks you through exactly how to prepare for a perimenopause or menopause appointment so you leave with a plan instead of "let's see how you go."

She covers the one sentence to use when you book, how to work out where you sit on the menopause map, the four things to carry through the door, and which tests are genuinely high yield versus which ones are circulating online and will cost you money without changing your care.

Plus: what to say if you get dismissed, and why "we don't need to check your hormones" is often good medicine.

In this episode Shauna mentions that most countries have a menopause society keeping a directory of doctors with a special interest in this area. Here they are.

Start here, wherever you live
International Menopause Society, Council of Affiliated Menopause Societies
https://www.imsociety.org/membership/cams/cams-steering-committee-and-cams-members/
National menopause societies across Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. Find your country, follow the link, then look for their find-a-doctor page.

Australia and New Zealand
Australasian Menopause Society, Find a Member
https://www.menopause.org.au/find-a-member/

United Kingdom
British Menopause Society, Find a Menopause Specialist
https://thebms.org.uk/find-a-menopause-specialist/

United States and Canada
The Menopause Society, Find a Menopause Practitioner
https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx

A listing in a directory is not a recommendation from us and it is not a guarantee of a good fit. It is a starting point for finding someone who has chosen to work in this area.

00:00 – Intro
02:21 – The phone call that buys you time
04:14 – Where are you on the menopause map
05:21 – When your bleeding pattern lies to you
06:04 – Contraception: do you still need it?
07:27 – What to bring to your appointment
14:32 – The tests worth asking for
16:07 – Why your hormones may not need testing
17:55 – If you get dismissed, say this
19:17 – Summary

Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:
Podcast Website: ⁠www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts 
https://www.instagram.com/dr.shaunawatts
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Join Dr Shauna Watts’ "Now What?" List - https://shauna-watts-263a.mykajabi.com/what-next
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Menopause doesn't come with an instruction manual, but it should.

After a year of conversations with some of the world's leading menopause experts, Dr. Shauna Watts has brought together the questions women keep asking and the practical advice that can actually help.

How much protein do you really need in midlife? Why does muscle become so important? What role does testosterone play in women's health? Does vaginal estrogen really matter? And why can sleep suddenly become so difficult during perimenopause and menopause?

In this special All About You menopause mashup, Dr. Shauna Watts brings together insights from Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Rachel Rubin and Dr. Kelly Casperson, alongside her own clinical experience, to create a practical menopause cheat sheet you can come back to again and again.

In this episode, we cover:
➡️ Why protein and resistance training become increasingly important during midlife
➡️ What happens to muscle mass, visceral fat and bone health during the menopause transition
➡️ How much protein women may need to support muscle and reduce frailty
➡️ Why creatine is becoming an important conversation in women's health
➡️ Why vaginal symptoms can involve much more than dryness, including urinary symptoms and painful sex
➡️ What genital urinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) actually means
➡️ Why testosterone may take longer to have an effect than estrogen
➡️ Practical strategies for improving sleep during perimenopause and menopause
➡️ How nutrition, movement, sleep and hormones can work together
➡️ Why women should approach menopause proactively rather than simply waiting for symptoms to appear.

This episode encourages women to go into midlife informed, build muscle, support their nutrition and health, understand their treatment options and surround themselves with the right professional and personal support.F

ollow the doctors in this episode:
Dr. Mary Claire Haver - https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/
Dr. Rachel Rubin - https://www.instagram.com/drrachelrubin/
Dr. Kelly Casperson - https://www.instagram.com/kellycaspersonmd/

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Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:
Podcast Website: ⁠www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts
https://www.instagram.com/drshaunawattsgp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

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Chapters
00:00 - Menopause Cheat Sheet: What Every Woman Needs to Know
00:34 - Menopause, Muscle Loss & Strength Training
01:09 - Menopause Weight Gain & Visceral Fat
03:09 - Does HRT Help With Weight Loss?04:11 - Why Protein Matters During Menopause
05:13 - How Much Protein Do Women Need?
07:47 - Menopause Supplements: What Actually Matters?
09:58 - Creatine for Women & Menopause
11:28 - Menopause, Osteoporosis & Strong Bones
12:40 - Vaginal Hormones: Estrogen vs DHEA
20:51 - Testosterone for Women: Why It Matters
28:41 - Vaginal Dryness & Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
34:13 - Menopause, Sex, Pain & Low Libido
48:06 - How to Sleep Better During Menopause

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Keywords
menopause
menopause symptoms
menopause treatment
menopause 2026
menopause guide
menopause advice
perimenopause
perimenopause symptoms
HRT
hormone replacement therapy
menopause weight gain
menopause protein
protein for women over 40
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testosterone for women
vaginal estrogen
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menopause sleep
menopause brain fog
menopause libido
menopause sex
menopause osteoporosis
menopause bone health
menopause nutrition
menopause exercise
resistance training menopause

Join Dr Shauna Watts’ "Now What?" List - https://shauna-watts-263a.mykajabi.com/what-next

For more than two decades, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has been surrounded by confusion, conflicting advice and misinformation. Many women assume it's too risky, believe they've left it too late, or think they simply aren't eligible.

In this episode of All About You, Dr Shauna Watts shares the seven conversations she has with patients almost every week in her consulting room. Drawing on more than 20 years of clinical experience, she explains what HRT actually is, how different types of hormone therapy work, why delivery methods matter, and the myths that continue to stop women from getting the support they need.

This isn't about convincing anyone to take HRT. It's about helping women understand their options so they can have better conversations with their healthcare providers and make decisions based on current evidence.

Whether you're in perimenopause, menopause or supporting someone who is, this episode offers practical, balanced information to help cut through the noise.

In this episode you'll learn:
🟢 Why HRT isn't a single treatment and why every prescription should be individualised
🟢 The difference between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone
🟢 Why patches and gels may have different risk profiles than tablets
🟢 Whether you've really "missed the window" to start HRT
🟢 Why there is no fixed age to stop hormone therapy
🟢 The truth about compounded or "natural" hormones
🟢 What testosterone can and can't help with during menopause
🟢 Why many women incorrectly assume they aren't candidates for HRT
🟢 How to prepare for a productive conversation with your doctor

If this episode helped you better understand Hormone Replacement Therapy, consider sharing it with someone who may have ruled themselves out years ago. It could be the conversation that changes everything.

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Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:
Podcast Website: ⁠
www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts
https://www.instagram.com/drshaunawattsgp
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

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Chapters
00:18 HRT Isn't One Treatment
01:28 Why Estrogen and Progesterone Matter
02:34 Tablets vs Patches: Does It Change the Risk?
03:38 Is It Too Late to Start HRT?
05:02 Do You Have to Stop HRT After a Few Years?
05:54 The Truth About Compounded Hormones
06:49 Should Women Take Testosterone?
07:45 Stop Ruling Yourself Out of HRT
08:42 Three Questions to Ask Your Doctor About HRT

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Keywords
hormone replacement therapy
HRT
menopause
perimenopause
HRT risks
HRT benefits
menopause symptoms
women's health
estrogen therapy
progesterone
menopause treatment
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bioidentical hormones
testosterone for women
transdermal estrogen
menopause myths
menopause education
hormone therapy explained
women's hormones
midlife health
menopause support
Dr Shauna Watts

Join Dr Shauna Watts’ "Now What?" List - https://shauna-watts-263a.mykajabi.com/what-next

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Fear sells, especially when it comes to women's health.

One of the biggest claims circulating online is that without Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), your brain will rapidly decline during menopause. But what does the evidence actually say?

In this episode of All About You, Dr Sarah McKay, neuroscientist, author of The Women's Brain Book, and Director of the Neuroscience Academy, joins us to separate scientific evidence from social media hype.

Together, we unpack the latest research on menopause, dementia risk, HRT, sleep, alcohol, and women's brain health. Sarah explains why current evidence does not support using HRT to prevent dementia, why women appear to have higher dementia rates, and why factors like hearing loss, cardiovascular health, sleep regularity, education, and social connection deserve far more attention.

If you're navigating perimenopause or menopause and feeling overwhelmed by conflicting health advice, this conversation offers a balanced, evidence-based perspective to help you make informed decisions without fear.

In this episode you'll learn:
➡️ What the latest research actually says about HRT and dementia
➡️ Why HRT is recommended for symptom relief, not dementia prevention
➡️ Why women are diagnosed with dementia more often than men
➡️ The difference between dementia prevalence and incidence
➡️ What the Women's Health Initiative really found
➡️ Why sleep regularity matters more than total hours slept
➡️ The surprising dementia risk factors most people ignore
➡️ How alcohol affects your brain during midlife
➡️ Why social media often exaggerates women's brain health risks
➡️ What new neuroscience research is revealing about women's brains
➡️ The latest findings on the contraceptive pill and brain health

Whether you're considering HRT, looking to protect your brain as you age, or simply want trustworthy information grounded in science, this episode is packed with practical insights and reassuring evidence.

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Follow Dr. Sarah McKay
https://drsarahmckay.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmmckay/
https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay/?hl=en

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Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:
Podcast Website: ⁠www.allaboutyoupod.com⁠.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts
https://www.instagram.com/drshaunawattsgpLinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247

Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

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Chapters
00:00 The Biggest HRT Myth
01:00 Does HRT Prevent Dementia?
03:20 What Current Research Really Shows
07:45 Why Scientists Disagree
11:30 Why More Women Have Dementia
16:25 The Lifestyle Risks That Matter Most
20:05 Why Sleep Protects Your Brain
25:20 Alcohol and Brain Health Explained
30:40 New Research on Women's Brains
35:05 The Contraceptive Pill and Brain Health
40:40 Social Media vs Real Science
43:00 Do Babies Leave Cells in Your Brain?
48:05 The Biggest Women's Brain Health Myth
50:20 What Actually Protects Your Brain

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Keywords
Hormone Replacement Therapy
HRT
Menopause Brain Health
Dementia Prevention
Alzheimer's Prevention
Menopause Symptoms
Brain Fog
Women's Brain Health
Dr Sarah McKay
Menopause Expert
HRT Benefits
HRT Risks
Menopause Research
Women's Health Podcast
Dementia Risk
Estrogen and Brain Health
Perimenopause
Sleep and Brain Health
Healthy Aging
Evidence Based Medicine
Women's Health
Neuroscience
Menopause Education
Brain Health Tips
Alzheimer's Risk Factors