On the show this week, we’re talking bout something near and dear to my heart: menopause. Sexy, I know!O.K. maybe it's not exactly sexy, but I'm trying. Historically, the topics of perimenopause and menopause make everyone squirm with discomfort and are basically taboo, which has led to much unnecessary confusion and shame when it comes to what it all means and what treatments are available and safe to relieve hot flashes, insomnia and other symptoms.So I'm very excited for this interview with Dr. Leslie Meserve, founder of CurieMD, which offers digital medicine for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Meserve is a certified specialist through the North American Menopause Society, and has 20 years experience as a primary care physician focused on wellness and prevention.That NAMS certification is less widespread than it should be. Among other disturbing statistics, Dr. Meserve let's us know that while there are 36 million women experiencing perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms right now, there are only about 3,000 certified menopause practitioners in the U.S. Another study found that three-quarters of OB-GYN residents had limited to no knowledge of menopause. I mean, WTF. So thank heavens for Curie MD and Dr. Meserve, who is working hard to get the truth out there about the treatments available for menopausal women, including hormone replacement therapy which has been much vilified over the past 20 years. But Dr. Meserve shares that besides helping with hot flashes and sleep, HRT actually has shown in studies to have many long term benefits including lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and osteoporosis, just to name a few. I hope you'll have a listen, and if you enjoy it, please review The Mean Show on Apple Podcasts (scroll down under "Ratings and Reviews" to find "write a review."Relevant Links:Dr. Leslie MeserveCurieMDCurieMD on InstagramNorth American Menopause Society"Free Period" was actually coined by Christine Marie Mason, who will  the subject of an upcoming podcast! Stay tuned!