![Let's talk about [safe] sex.](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,quality=80,format=auto,width=720,onerror=redirect/uploads/asset/file/dd3ae208-ca5f-4eb0-a77d-d9f88235be16/NJO_Banner_1.png?t=1785368488)
Safer sex after menopause, lower threshold for migraine prevention, what the algorithm is selling you, and what those HRT blood clot headlines leave out.
Your sex life doesn’t end after menopause. Neither does safe sex.
You may not have to worry about getting knocked up after menopause. But STIs are still a thing.
(Sidebar: If you aren’t postmenopausal yet, you can still get pregnant. Don’t end up with a surprise baby just because you think you’re too old.)
STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have been rising among adults 55+.
Most older adults aren’t talking about sex with their providers, though.
If you’re having sex outside a mutually monogamous relationship, get tested. And use a condom or other barrier method.
What to ask: What STI testing do I need based on my sex life?
Four migraine days a month? You may need more than Excedrin.
New guidelines say doctors should offer preventive treatment if you’re having four or more migraine days a month.
Gone are the days of white-knuckling through the pain only to be told it hasn’t been bad long enough.
The guidelines also put migraine-specific drugs like CGRPs — along with options like Botox — on the table.
So if you’re spending several days every month recovering in a dark room, it may be time to talk prevention instead of just treating the next attack.
What to ask: I’m having four or more migraine days a month. What prevention options can I try? And if you get migraine symptoms without the headache, ask whether those count too.
Instagram would like to talk to you about your hormones. It would also like your credit card.
Women have filled a lot of health information gaps for each other online.
Some of them are also selling things.
In a recent look at Instagram posts tagged #womenshealth, about 4 in 10 were selling a product or service.
Only 7% referenced scientific evidence.
That doesn’t automatically mean the information is wrong.
It does mean useful health information and a sales pitch can come from the same account.
So before clicking Buy Now because someone you trust told you your hormones are broken, check the evidence.
What to ask: The next time the algorithm serves up a supplement, powder, hormone test or coaching program, ask: what’s the evidence?
HRT blood clot headlines are everywhere. They’re leaving out the patch.
You may have seen headline after headline saying HRT raises the risk of blood clots.
The truth is more nuanced. Shocking, I know.
The study linked oral menopausal hormone therapy with small increases in blood clots, stroke and heart attack.
Transdermal estrogen — like patches — did not show a significant increase in blood clots or ischemic stroke.
HRT isn’t one medication with one risk.
How you take estrogen matters. So do your age, health history, and individual risk factors.
What to ask: If I take oral estrogen, would a transdermal option make more sense based on my health history? And don’t stop taking something because of a scary headline. Talk to the person who prescribed it first.
Know someone in the “wait, what the hell is happening” years? Forward this to her.
See you next Friday. — Trista