Dr. Louise Newson Reflects on 2025: Progress and Pushback in Women's Health

Year-End Reflection on Women's Health Progress

• 💡 Dr. Louise Newson reflects on 2025, noting both significant progress and persistent frustrations in how women's health issues, particularly hormonal changes, are addressed.
• 🎯 While some women are being listened to, believed, and appropriately treated with hormones, many others still face dismissal and lack access to necessary care.

Initiatives to Empower and Educate

• 🚀 The podcast has been rebranded and moved to new studios, creating a more comfortable atmosphere for guests and enhancing content production.
• 📚 A new website serves as a hub for information, including the "Hormones Unlocked" course for individuals and corporate education, and resources for healthcare professionals.
• 🎓 The "Confidence in Menopause" course is being relaunched as "Confidence in Hormones" to cover a broader range of women's hormonal health issues beyond menopause, aiming to educate more healthcare professionals on causes, symptoms, risks, and safe, individualized hormone prescribing.

Advancing Healthcare Professional Education

• 🗓️ A successful international conference was held at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, bringing together doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to discuss hormones, lifestyle, longevity, cardiovascular health, and mental health.
• 🤝 The conference highlighted a global community of healthcare professionals dedicated to patient education and care, fostering confidence through shared clinical experiences and knowledge.
• 🇦🇺 Plans are underway for a follow-up conference in March 2026, with international attendees already registering.

Research and Publications

• 🔬 Dr. Newson's research team has published prolifically, focusing on key areas like hormone dosing, particularly for estradiol, confirming that higher doses are sometimes necessary for symptom relief and achieving optimal levels.
• ⚠️ Research also addressed concerns about bleeding and endometrial thickness, showing no correlation with hormone doses, and challenging guidelines that suggest automatically increasing progesterone with higher estradiol doses.
• 🎗️ Publications on women with a history of breast cancer revealed significant gaps in care, with many not being listened to, informed about symptoms, or advised on health risks associated with low hormones post-treatment.
• 🧠 Further research explores the critical link between mental health and hormones, including studies on suicidal thoughts and the positive impact of hormone therapy, as well as deprescribing data showing reduced reliance on antidepressants and other psychotropic medications when hormone balance is achieved.

Global Reach and Future Outlook

• 🎤 Dr. Newson shared her experiences speaking at the Sydney Opera House to a large audience, emphasizing the widespread inadequacy of menopause care globally.
• 🗣️ Increased media presence, podcast growth, and public lectures aim to disseminate knowledge and empower more women and healthcare professionals.
• 🌍 The "Balance" app continues to provide information, symptom monitoring, and educational content, with ongoing collaborative efforts.
• 🚀 Looking ahead, Dr. Newson is planning a UK theatre tour and further research initiatives, stressing the importance of community input to shape future content and impact.