Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Patricia Bencivenga and Adriane Fugh-Berman. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get alerts about each new episode by signing up for the “First Opinion Podcast” newsletter. And don’t forget to sign up for the First Opinion newsletter, delivered every Sunday.
Torie Bosch: Brain fog and weight gain and hair loss and insomnia — those are the calling cards of perimenopause. At least that’s what the new perimenopause awareness movement claims. But what’s real and what’s just social media misinformation?
Welcome to the “First Opinion Podcast.” I’m Torie Bosch, editor of First Opinion. First Opinion is STAT’s home for big, bold ideas from health care providers, researchers, patients, and others who have something to say about medicine’s most interesting and important topics. This season, we’re focused on the intersection of medicine and culture.
Today, I’m speaking with Patricia Bencivenga and Adriane Fugh-Berman. Patricia is the special projects manager at Pharmed Out, a rational prescribing project at Georgetown University Medical Center. Adrienne is a professor at GMUC and director of Pharmed Out. After a quick break, I’ll bring you our conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and what happens when women are seen as victims of their hormones.
