Menopause and estrogen patches dominated DC conversations. Now what? - USA Today

Dr. Rachel Rubin, a urologist, applied a smidge of testosterone cream to her left wrist as she stood at a lectern, testifying to the Food and Drug Administration that they need to approve the medication for women.

It was one moment in a week of many when menopause took center stage across the federal government with three big meetings in Washington, D.C.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with physicians and manufacturers to increase access to estrogen patches and teach physicians other options on Sept. 15.

The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hosted the first congressional hearing on menopause that same day, focusing on the lack of research on treatment and the need to train physicians beyond gynecologists.

The Food and Drug Administration met with physicians and experts about the benefits of testosterone for women, including increased libido, on Sept. 17. Researchers are studying its connection to bone density, muscle mass, cognitive function and mood.

“Many people say menopause is having its moment. It most definitely is. But it’s not a moment, it’s here to stay,” Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, executive director of New York University School of Law’s Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, said at the Senate hearing.

More research and training – both for physicians and women – seemed to be the consensus.

“It very much affirmed for me that menopause is one of the most under-researched, under-treated and under-diagnosed conditions in medicine,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, told USA TODAY after she led the Senate hearing. “Our goal is to begin to fix the problems directly, raise awareness, introduce legislation to get more OB/GYNS prepared to talk about menopause.”

The meetings come at a time when women say they feel gaslit, ignored and dismissed by their own doctors. When they say they feel anxious, they are prescribed an antidepressant. When they complain of achy joints, they are told to stretch more. When they say that sex is painful, they are told to drink a glass of wine.

One in 5 women go a year before a doctor diagnoses her menopause, according to one survey. Another showed that 5% of women seeking help for perimenopause or menopause saw 11 doctors before receiving help.

“Access to appropriate menopause care can help women regain themselves,” says Suzanne Silverman Fenske, a gynecologist and women’s health ambassador for the HHS. “Menopause care isn’t just about managing symptoms; this phase shapes the rest of her life – from heart disease to osteoporosis.”

Susan Lake works in construction and design and told the FDA that her symptoms, including hot flashes, insomnia and depression, were affecting her work.

She saw a general practitioner, a gynecologist, an arthritis specialist and neurologist before finding a urologist who listened. Lake, 61, was prescribed hormone therapy, including testosterone.

She shared her story to help other women.

“I don’t want any woman to feel horrible, for women to lose their libidos, for women to feel like they have to leave the workforce,” she said. “We are half the population and why don’t we have half the population’s importance?”

Rubin called for the FDA to make reviewing testosterone for women a priority. It is not FDA approved for women and is prescribed off label, meaning many insurance companies deny coverage, and some pharmacies won’t dispense it.

This meeting took place because women themselves advocated for it.

When the FDA held a meeting in 2025 on testosterone for men, 82% of the public comments were from women about using testosterone.

“It’s not just about sex or sexual medicine. It’s about the dignity of realizing that your quality of life matters,” Rubin testified.

Testosterone is found in everyone. Rubin said it’s “time for regulations to catch up to the science.”

Laura Trujillo is a national columnist focusing on health and wellness. She is the author of "Stepping Back From the Ledge: A Daughter's Search for Truth and Renewal" and can be reached at ltrujillo@usatoday.com.