Summary
Menopause care is evolving—and women deserve better. Dr. Michele Couri shares the latest science on hormone therapy, symptom management, and why personalized care matters now more than ever.
I recently attended the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology World Congress in Rome, Italy. Nearly 3,000 attendees from around the world came together to explore the latest advancements in women’s health. While a wide range of topics were discussed, one central theme became unmistakably clear: menopause is not a brief transition. It is a significant life stage that impacts millions of women for decades.
Each year, more than 1.3 million women in the United States enter menopause, and over 55 million are currently living in this phase of life. The average age is 51, yet many women will spend nearly 40 percent of their lives navigating the hormonal changes that follow. For far too many, this time is marked by symptoms that impact sleep, mood, relationships, and overall health.
Hot flashes and night sweats affect up to 80 percent of women. 50% of women have severe hot flashes up to 10 years after the final menstrual period, whereas 25% of women have severe hot flashes forever. Nearly half to three quarters experience vaginal dryness, painful intimacy, or recurrent urinary tract infections. In addition, brain fog affects 47.5% of perimenopausal and menopausal women. These are not minor inconveniences. These are real, life altering symptoms.
And yet, for decades, menopause has been underrecognized, understudied, and often dismissed. Much of this stems from the fallout of the Women’s Health Initiative study in the early 2000s, which led to widespread fear and a dramatic decline in hormone therapy use. That fear left a generation of women without appropriate treatment options.
But science has evolved.
Over the past 20 years, extensive research has clarified what we now understand clearly: for many women, especially those within 10 years of menopause or under age 60, hormone therapy is not only safe but highly effective for symptom relief, bone protection, and overall quality of life. I have known and believed this throughout my entire career, yet for the past two decades I, along with physicians around the world, have had to defend it relentlessly. At times, it has felt like playing constant defense in a game where logic was often absent. Being able to finally shift to offense has been both refreshing and long overdue.
In fact, Dr. Tommaso Simoncini, the President of ISGE, gave many outstanding lectures at the conference in Rome, and he summarized one of his talks by saying that “menopause is the paramount example of bad communication in modern medicine”. He recently authored a paper that I highly recommend that you read. Simoncini, T. (2025). Twenty years to see the obvious…. Gynecological Endocrinology, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2025.2598907. I could not agree more with Dr. Simoncini – it has taken 20 years to see the obvious, and too many women have needlessly suffered as a result.
I could not be happier that in 2025, the FDA removed several of the long standing black box warnings on hormone therapy. This is a significant shift and reflects what science has been telling us for years.
We are now in a new era of menopause care.
An era where we recognize symptoms earlier
An era where treatment is individualized
An era where we have more options than ever before including transdermal hormones, vaginal therapies, and nonhormonal alternatives
An era where shared decision making between patient and provider is essential
At the Couri Center, this is not new to us. This has been our philosophy all along.
We listen.
We validate.
We educate.
And we create personalized treatment plans that consider the whole woman including lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, stress, and medical therapy when appropriate.
Menopause is having a moment. But for us, it has always mattered.
Women deserve accurate information. They deserve thoughtful care. And most importantly, they deserve to feel well in this stage of life.
We are here to help guide that journey every step of the way.
To Your Health,
Dr. Couri
About Dr. Michele Couri
About Dr. Michele Couri is a board-certified OB/GYN and Medical Director of the Couri Center for Gynecology and Integrative Women’s Health in Peoria, Illinois. She specializes in integrative women’s health, menopause and perimenopause care, and hormone therapy, combining evidence-based medicine with personalized, patient-centered care.
To schedule an appointment, complete the online appointment request form below or call 309-692-6838.
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Disclaimer:
This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized recommendations.
Sources Used:
Bartz D, Tadikonda A, Manson JE. Opportunity for Improved Menopausal Hormone Therapy Prescribing. JAMA. Published online March 23, 2026. doi:10.1001/jama.2026.1891
Simoncini, T. (2025). Twenty years to see the obvious…. Gynecological Endocrinology, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2025.2598907
Monterrosa-Blanco, A. “Menopause Brain Fog” Presented at: ISGE World Congress; March, 2026. Rome, Italy.