![The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause](https://image.pbs.org/contentchannels/duKlRUM-white-logo-41-1541Xqe.png?format=webp&resize=200x)
Dr. Sharon Malone and other experts define menopause and its symptoms
Clip: 10/17/2024 | 2m 10sVideo has Closed Captions
Experts Sharon Malone, Stephanie Faubion, Somi Javaid, Kelly Casperson explain what menopause is.
Experts Shanon Malone, Stephanie Faubion, Somi Javaid, Kelly Casperson, Mary Clare Haver and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Moscon explain what menopause is and what symptoms might be experienced beyond hot flashes, and point to possible solutions, including Hormone Replacement Therapy.
![The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause](https://image.pbs.org/contentchannels/duKlRUM-white-logo-41-1541Xqe.png?format=webp&resize=200x)
Dr. Sharon Malone and other experts define menopause and its symptoms
Clip: 10/17/2024 | 2m 10sVideo has Closed Captions
Experts Shanon Malone, Stephanie Faubion, Somi Javaid, Kelly Casperson, Mary Clare Haver and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Moscon explain what menopause is and what symptoms might be experienced beyond hot flashes, and point to possible solutions, including Hormone Replacement Therapy.
How to Watch The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause
The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
![Discussion Guide](https://image.pbs.org/curate-console/a8a2dfc3-4be7-4c47-8345-7b21a9386448.jpg?format=webp&resize=860x)
Discussion Guide
For resources, discussion questions, and more, explore the M Factor Discussion Guide.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Menopause is the one universal female experience.
If you are born with ovaries, you will be menopausal.
You may or may not be pregnant.
You may or may not have fibroids.
You may or may not have a lot of things that primarily affect women.
Menopausal, I guarantee you, you will be.
- We go through puberty and everybody's happy and excited.
And then you go through pregnancy and it's parties and you get celebrated and you get gifts and there's balloons and there's gender reveal parties.
You go through menopause and nobody wants to hear about it.
There's stereotypes, there's stigma, there's ageism, there's sexism.
It undermines your own confidence.
- Menopause is defined by the last menstrual period, no menstrual cycles for one year.
Then a woman knows she's in menopause.
The average age of menopause in the United States is about 52 years.
Anything after the age of 45 is considered normal.
- The most common complaints that I get about menopause are forgetfulness, anxiety, depression.
- You know, hot flashes are the tip of the iceberg.
- Vaginal dryness, bladder dryness, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence.
- Weight gain, joint pain, dry skin.
- Night sweats, insomnia.
- Depression, anxiety, brain fog.
- Our skin, our blood vessels, dental and gum health.
- Nearly 30% of women in menopause will lose a tooth within the first five years of menopause.
You can't separate the mouth from the rest of the body.
- Women say, I just don't feel like myself anymore.
I'm just a different person, like who is this person?
I've lost myself.
- So every woman has a line drawn at a different place.
This is tolerable.
And now we've crossed over into the intolerable phase.
The option should be, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna get this addressed.
Not I'll just suffer through and it'll be over in a decade.
You know, you are doing far more harm than good by just not addressing what the issues are.
Dr. Kelly Casperson explains how testosterone is useful for menopauseal women
Video has Closed Captions
Dr. Kelly Casperson explains how testosteroe is necessary for menopausal women. (2m 30s)
Neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi explains the connection between the brain and estrogen
Video has Closed Captions
Dr. Lisa Mosconi explains the effects of loss of estrogen on the brain. (2m 7s)
Video has Closed Captions
The first documentary film on the health crisis faced by millions of women going through menopause. (30s)
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