unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Latest Episodes:

Orgasm After Menopause: Vibrators, Testosterone & Solutions with Dr. Lauren Streicher (Pt. 2) Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Where Did My Orgasm Go? Menopause, SSRIs, and the Science of Pleasure with Dr. Lauren Streicher Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

What happens to your orgasm after menopause? It's something nearly half of women experience changes with in midlife, but so few are talking about it. In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Lauren Streicher to discuss exactly what changes to orgasm, libido, and sex, why it happens, and what you need to know if you're struggling.

Dr. Streicher is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the host of Dr. Streicher's Inside Information Podcast, and the creator of Come Again, a 30 episode audio series on sexuality and sexual function. She's a senior researcher at the Kinsey Institute and one of the true pioneers of sexual medicine, helping to define and legitimize a specialty that for decades simply didn't exist.

Dr. Haver and Dr. Streicher start with the basics: what an orgasm actually is, the anatomy of the clitoris, and why most women cannot have an orgasm from penetrative sex alone. Dr. Streicher explains vaginal orgasms, cervical orgasms, the G spot, and the historical research of Princess Marie Bonaparte, who measured the distance between the clitoris and vaginal opening in 240 women in an effort to understand why she couldn't orgasm during intercourse. They discuss what happens to orgasm and sex post menopause, including the role of blood flow, nerve health, clitoral atrophy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and medications, especially SSRIs that can affect both libido and orgasm. Dr. Streicher walks through how genitourinary syndrome of menopause affects the clitoris, why the pelvic floor matters for orgasm, and why so many women have never even seen their own anatomy. They also talk about anorgasmia, the inability to have an orgasm, both primary and acquired, and why this is almost never discussed in medical training.

Guest links:

Dr. Streicher

Dr. Streicher (Instagram)

Dr. Streicher: Menopause: The Inside Info (Substack)

Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More (Apple Podcasts)

COME AGAIN

Lauren Streicher - Faculty Profile (Northwestern Medicine)

Dr. Streicher (YouTube)

Subscribe to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm

DrStreicher.com/comeagain

Use code UNPAUSED20 for 20% off (This code expires Dec 23)

Dr. Streicher's Podcast

Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More

DrStreicher’s Substack

https://drstreicher.substack.com/

Gyne Hacks! (Including how to How to Get a Hands-free Free Vulvar View)

Books:

“Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher

Menopause, Misogyny and the Medical System: Dr Sharon Malone Sets the Record Straight Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Sharon Malone has spent decades fighting for women to get the healthcare they deserve, and she's not slowing down. As Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Women's Health, host of "The Second Opinion" podcast, and author of the New York Times bestseller "Grown Woman Talk," Dr. Malone joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver in this episode to talk about reshaping how we think about menopause, aging, and women's health advocacy.

For too long, women have been told to accept suffering as normal. Hot flashes, brain fog, joint pain, sleep problems, the complete unraveling of quality of life during perimenopause and menopause? Dr. Malone talks about being done with that narrative. In this conversation, she explains how the medical system has systematically failed women, from keeping them out of research studies to applying male-centric data to female bodies, from dismissing their menopause symptoms to perpetuating dangerous myths about estrogen and hormone therapy that have left an entire generation undertreated.

She breaks down the Women's Health Initiative, the deeply flawed study that scared women away from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). She explains exactly what went wrong, why the study enrolled women who were too old to answer the questions it claimed to address, and why doctors are still getting it wrong today, decades after the original findings were walked back. The cost? A generation of women suffering unnecessarily while billions in research dollars went elsewhere.

Dr. Malone also tackles the intersection of gender and racial bias in medicine, explaining why your zip code matters more than your genetic code when it comes to health outcomes. From her own journey navigating medical school as a Black woman in the 1980s to losing her mother to cancer at just 12, she points out the healthcare disparities from both sides of the exam table.

At 66, Dr. Malone is proof that midlife isn't about decline. It's about stepping into your power. And she shares a clear message, that women have accepted suffering for far too long, and it's time to demand better.

Guest links:

Dr. Sharon Malone

Dr. Sharon Malone (Alloy)

Dr. Sharon Malone (Instagram)

Dr. Sharon Malone (X/Twitter)

Dr. Sharon Malone (Threads)

Dr. Sharon Malone (Facebook)

Dr. Sharon Malone (Alloy/YouTube)

Dr. Sharon Malone (LinkedIn)

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon

Books

“Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy,” by Dr. Sharon Malone
“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“The New Perimenopause,”⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Can't Take Estrogen? Dr. Corinne Menn on Who Can, Who Can't & What's Changed Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Corinne Menn to tackle one of the most common questions in women's health: "Can I take estrogen?" As a board-certified OB-GYN, certified menopause practitioner, and 24-year breast cancer survivor, Dr. Menn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation about who can take hormone therapy, who can't, and what's changed in recent years.

Dr. Menn's own story provides powerful context for this discussion. At just 28 years old, during her second year of medical residency, she discovered a lump in her breast just one week before learning her mother had recurrent ovarian cancer. Within days of her mother's sudden death, Dr. Menn received her own devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. What followed was a grueling journey through mastectomy, chemotherapy, and induced menopause while simultaneously completing one of medicine's most demanding training programs.

Throughout this conversation, Dr. Menn shares the profound gaps in survivorship care that she experienced firsthand and continues to witness in her patients today. The medical system, she explains, is focused on treating cancer but often fails to prepare women for the marathon of side effects that follow, particularly the devastating impact of estrogen deprivation on sexual health, mental health, bone density, and cardiovascular risk.

Guest links:

Dr. Corinne Menn

Dr. Corinne Menn (Instagram)

Dr. Corinne Menn (Facebook)

Dr. Corinne Menn (Alloy Health)

Dr. Corinne Menn (LinkedIn)

Dr. Corinne Menn (TikTok)

Dr. Corinne Menn (YouTube)

Dr. Corinne Menn (Substack)

Dr. Corinne Menn (Young Survival Coalition)

Books

“The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“You Are Not Broken: Stop ‘Should-ing’ All Over Your Sex Life,” by Dr. Kelly Casperson

⁠"The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

This episode explores:

-Why family history of breast cancer is NOT a contraindication to HRT

-The truth about Factor V Leiden, fibroids, endometriosis, and migraines: what really excludes you from hormone therapy

-The concept ...

Still Bobbi: Bobbi Brown on Reinvention, Midlife Entrepreneurship & Finding Purpose After 60 Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

What does it look like to begin again at 62 and thrive? Beauty industry pioneer Bobbi Brown joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver for an intimate conversation about her new memoir Still Bobbi, building Jones Road Beauty in her sixties, leaving behind the company that bore her name for 25 years, and redefining what success, purpose, and aging mean in the second half of life.

Bobbi Brown revolutionized the beauty industry with her "no makeup makeup" philosophy in the 1990s, sold her company to Estée Lauder, and spent decades as creative director before exiting in her late fifties. But instead of retiring, she launched Jones Road Beauty at 62 during a pandemic, proving that passion and entrepreneurship don't disappear with age, they evolve.

In this personal conversation, Bobbi shares her journey from Chicago to building a global beauty empire, the emotional reality of leaving the company with her name on it, and why she refuses to use the term "anti-aging." She opens up about growing up with a mother who struggled with mental illness, losing her brother to HIV, and how weighted vest training and strength over skinny became her midlife mantras.

Dr. Haver and Bobbi connect over shared experiences of menopause, hormone therapy, and the relentless pressure of being a founder. They discuss what it means to perform when exhausted, learning to say no, and why the maintenance phase of any transformation whether weight loss or career pivot is often the hardest part.

Bobbi's memoir Still Bobbi is a story of resilience, grit, and determination for anyone who thought their best work was behind them.

Guest links:

Jones Road Beauty

Bobbi Brown (Instagram)

Bobbi Brown (Threads)

Bobbi Brown (TikTok)

Bobbi Brown (LinkedIn)

Bobbi Brown (Facebook)

Bobbi Brown (Website)

Jones Road Beauty (Instagram)
Jones Road Beauty (Facebook)

Articles

High-Impact Mechanical Loading Increases Bone Material Strength in Postmenopausal Women-A 3-Month Intervention Study (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research)

Other Resources

Institute for Integrative Nutrition

Miracle Balm (Jones Road Beauty)

Bobbi Brown Teaches Makeup and Beauty (Masterclass)

Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (Hulu)

American College of Culinary Medicine

GLP-1s and Midlife Metabolism Part 2: Dr. Rocio Salas Whalen Breaks Down the Science of Weight Loss and Menopause Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

What happens after you lose the weight? Few are focused on this important question about GLP-1 medications. In Part 2 of this conversation on GLP-1s and Midlife Metabolism, triple Board-certified in Obesity Medicine; fellowship-trained in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen continues her discussion with Dr. Mary Claire Haver, going deeper into what happens after weight loss including the physical and emotional changes no one prepares you for, and what the future of these medications looks like.

Dr. Salas-Whalen, founder of New York Endocrinology and author of the upcoming book Weightless, tackles the questions women are actually asking: How do I know if I'm getting good care? What about compounding pharmacies? Will I need therapy? And what comes next in obesity medication?

The conversation addresses the psychological shifts that happen when you reach your goal weight for the first time in your life. Dr. Salas-Whalen shares what she's learned from following patients long-term and why the maintenance phase is actually the most important part of treatment.

Dr. Salas-Whalen also addresses the cost and accessibility crisis around Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, the environmental impact of single-use injection pens, and why direct-from-manufacturer vials (like Eli Lilly's Zepbound vials) are making treatment more affordable. She shares her standard of care for obesity treatment and explains exactly what questions to ask before starting GLP-1 therapy.

For women experiencing perimenopause and menopause weight gain, this episode provides useful information about what to expect beyond initial weight loss, how to maintain results long-term, and why proper medical supervision with body composition monitoring is essential for protecting muscle mass and metabolic health.

Guest links:

Meet Your Endocrinologist - Dr. Salas-Whalen (NY Endocrinology)Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen (Instagram)

Books:

“Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications, Sustainable Weight Loss, and the Health You Deserve” by Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen

“The New Perimenopause,”⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

⁠"The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

For full show notes, please click here.

GLP-1s and Midlife Metabolism: Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen Breaks Down the Science of Weight Loss and Menopause: Part 1 Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Are GLP-1 medications a game-changer for women in midlife—or just another quick fix? In this conversation, triple Board-certified in Obesity Medicine; fellowship-trained in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver to cut through the hype and share what women really need to know about Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and the science behind sustainable weight loss.

Dr. Salas-Whalen, founder of New York Endocrinology and author of the upcoming book Weightless, explains why GLP-1 receptor agonists represent a fundamental shift in how we understand and treat obesity—not as a willpower problem, but as a chronic medical condition with biological drivers including hormones, genetics, and metabolism.

For women navigating perimenopause and menopause, the conversation gets even more specific. Dr. Salas-Whalen breaks down why estrogen decline drives fat redistribution to the abdomen, increases visceral fat, and makes it nearly impossible to lose weight using the same strategies that worked before. She reveals how GLP-1 medications can address the metabolic changes of midlife while protecting what matters most: muscle mass.

Dr. Salas-Whalen shares her clinical experience treating thousands of patients and addresses the viral misinformation circulating online. She explains why obesity is a transgenerational disease influenced by genetics, environment, food accessibility, and even childhood trauma—not personal failure.

Guest links:

Meet Your Endocrinologist - Dr. Salas-Whalen (NY Endocrinology)

Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen (Instagram)

Books

“Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications, Sustainable Weight Loss, and the Health You Deserve” by Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen

“The New Perimenopause,”⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

⁠"The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Articles

Loss of Visceral Fat is Associated with a Reduction in Inflammatory Status in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome (Molecular Nutrition and Food Research)

Increased visceral fat and decreased energy expenditure during the menopausal transition (International Journal of Obesity)

Sex-specific body fat distribution predicts cardiovascular ageing (European Heart Journal)

Association between metabolic healthy obe ...

Build Strength, Live Longer: The Menopause Longevity Blueprint with Dr. Vonda Wright Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

What if weak bones and muscle loss aren't just "normal aging" but the result of decades of misinformation? In this episode double board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver to shatter the myth that frailty, fractures, and decline are inevitable for women in midlife.

Dr. Wright explains why women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass in just five years after menopause—and more importantly, what we can do to prevent it. She reveals how stress, inadequate nutrition, and neglecting strength training and hormonal health create the very outcomes we've been taught to accept as unavoidable.

From the "musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause" that affects 70-80% of women (yet most doctors never discuss) to the science of building bones through strategic lifting, Dr. Wright provides the blueprint for aging with power instead of resignation.

This episode also covers:

-Why your bones are master communicators affecting your brain, metabolism, and more

-The real story behind frozen shoulder and why it happens to women in perimenopause

-How to lift weights for longevity

-Why many women are diagnosed with osteoporosis only after they break something, when it's already too late

-How estrogen loss drives chronic inflammation

-Why nutrition, specifically foods that are rich in calcium, are better than calcium supplements to help strengthen bones

Dr. Wright also shares her personal journey through perimenopause as an athlete and surgeon, and why she wrote her latest New York Times bestselling book Unbreakable.

Guest links:

Dr. Vonda Wright

Dr. Vonda Wright (Instagram)

Articles

Longitudinal changes in bone mineral density during perimenopausal transition: the Vietnam Osteoporosis Study (Osteoporosis International)

Osteoporosis Due to Hormone Imbalance: An Overview of the Effects of Estrogen Deficiency and Glucocorticoid Overuse on Bone Turnover (International Journal of Molecular Sciences)

The musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause (Climacteric)

Bone remodeling: an operational process ensuring survival and bone mechanical competence (Bone Research)

Biological basis of bone strength: anatomy, physiology and measurement (J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact)

Stem Cells for the Regeneration of Tendon and Ligament: A Perspective (International Journal of Stem Cells)

Peak bone mineral density in Vietnamese women (Archives of Osteoporosis)

Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis (Age and Ageing)

Sarcopenia (The Lancet)

The Conceptual Definition of Sarcopenia: Delphi Consensus from the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS) (Age and Ageing)

Sarcopenia definition, diagnosis and treatmen ...

Menopause and Heart Disease: What Every Woman Needs to Know with Dr. Jayne Morgan Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

What if your hot flashes are actually warning signs about your cardiovascular health? Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with research cardiologist Dr. Jayne Morgan to talk about the intersection of menopause and heart disease. Dr. Morgan explains why women present with different heart attack symptoms than men, how menopause accelerates cardiovascular risk, and why the medical system still isn't recognizing the connection. You'll learn what hot flashes reveal about stroke and heart disease risk, how arterial stiffening and blood pressure changes happen during the menopause transition, and why hormone therapy started early may be protective for your heart. Dr. Morgan shares which lab tests women should be getting, when to start screening for cardiovascular disease, and what lifestyle changes actually make a difference. She also discusses the role of statins, GLP-1s, and why research done primarily on men has led to treatments that may harm women. This conversation covers what every woman needs to know about protecting her heart through midlife and beyond.

Guest links:

Dr. Jayne Morgan (Instagram)

Dr. Jayne Morgan (YouTube)

Dr. Jayne Morgan (TikTok)

Healthy Her Series (AIB Network)

Jayne Morgan, MD (LinkedIn)

Articles

Improving Cardiovascular Clinical Competencies for the Menopausal Transition: A Focus on Cardiometabolic Health in Midlife (JACC Advances)

Beta-blockers did not reduce cardiovascular events in selected heart attack patients in the REBOOT trial (European Society of Cardiology)

Guidelines in Action: New Considerations for Primary Prevention of Stroke Related to Premature and Early Menopause (Stroke/American Heart Association)

Risk of Cardiovascular Disease by Hysterectomy Status, With and Without Oophorectomy: The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (Circulation/American Heart Association)

Menopause Transition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Implications for Timing of Early Prevention: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (Circulation/American Heart Association)

Emerging role of GLP-1 agonists in cardio-metabolic therapy - Focus on Semaglutide (American Heart Journal Plus: Cardiology Research and Practice)

Other Resources

Breast Cancer Foundation (Susan G. Komen)

Dr. Stacy Sims (Dr. Stacy Sims - About)

Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease (NIH)

Cardiac Biomarkers (NIH)

Leanne Morgan on Menopause, Success at 60, and Why She's Just Getting Started Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

From selling jewelry in Tennessee living rooms to headlining arenas across America, Leanne Morgan's path to success took 25 years, and it's a story every woman in midlife needs to hear. The comedian and actress sits down with Dr. Mary Claire Haver for a funny and deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to thrive after 50. Leanne shares how severe perimenopause symptoms nearly derailed everything, why one nurse practitioner became her lifesaver, and how going viral in her fifties changed the trajectory of her entire career. She also shares her sleep hacks for touring, why she refuses to stop talking about menopause and testosterone on stage, what she tells her daughters about taking care of their bodies, and why relationships, not retirement, are the secret to a vibrant, joyful healthspan. From her Netflix sitcom to her sold-out tours to presenting at the Emmys, Leanne's journey is proof that your best work, your biggest breakthroughs, and your most joyful years can happen in your fifties and beyond. If you've ever felt invisible, exhausted, or like you've missed your window, this conversation will remind you it's never too late.

Guest links:

Leanne Morgan

Leanne Morgan (Facebook)

Leanne Morgan (Twitter/X)

Leanne Morgan (Instagram)

Leanne Morgan (YouTube)

Leanne Morgan (TikTok)

Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman (Netflix)

Leanne (Netflix)

Books
“What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings,” By Leanne Morgan

“The New Perimenopause,”⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

⁠"The New Menopause"⁠ by Dr. Mary Claire Haver