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You have to surrender to it, British comedian Dawn French proclaimed last year of menopause. "I promise that, afterwards, theres life."

Disturbed sleep. Thinning hair. Anxiety. Mood swings. Memory loss. Weight gain. Or, for some women, nothing much at all.

Despite being a fundamental biological transition affecting half the world's population, the symptoms of menopause have been deemed, traditionally, "secret" women's business. Now it's starting to become more a part of the conversation.

In Britain, women are gathering at pop-up "menopause cafes" to swap notes on their experiences. Workplace policies to cater for menopausal employees are up for discussion too: Britain's Labour Party wants to mandate them for large organisations, and a major media company introduced one in October.

What is menopause and what is it with a "peri" in front? What happens to women experiencing it? What happens afterwards? And is there a male equivalent?

On average, a woman in Australia will have 400 to 500 periods in her lifetime. Menopause is when the periods stop. The word itself stems from the Greek pausis ("pause") and men ("month"), meaning the "end of monthly cycles".

Women are on a path to menopause from birth. A baby girl has more than a million eggs in her ovaries. Steadily, as she ages, they deplete. By the time puberty hits, only about 300,000 remain, and so it goes, through her adult life.

[Menopause] represents the end of a womans reproductive life, says Martha Hickey, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Melbourne. Specifically, menopause is the final menstrual period a woman experiences it is a one-off event. All women will go through menopause. It is inevitable."

(In a reproductive life spanning decades, the average Australian woman will have two or fewer babies.)

Menopause is considered a normal part of ageing when it happens after the age of 40. But some women can go through menopause early, either as a result of surgery such as hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries such as from chemotherapy. When menopause happens before 40, regardless of the cause, it is called premature menopause.

The average age of menopause is about 51 but it can happen sooner, with most women experiencing symptoms in the lead-up which brings us to perimenopause.

Comparing notes on perimenopause: there's a lot to talk about. Credit:Illustration: Dionne Gain

Technically speaking, the symptoms women experience in the lead-up to menopause are actually perimenopausal. Peri, a Greek word for "around" or "near" menopause refers to this transitional state.

Perimenopause is when a woman's ovaries begin to make less oestrogen and the body responds. It's a phase that lasts until menopause and, on average, begins when a woman is 47, although it can last from a year to a decade.

As the body makes less oestrogen, the pituitary gland produces higher levels of signalling hormones follicle-stimulating and luteinising hormones in an effort to keep the ovaries producing eggs and to make oestrogen and progesterone levels "normal".

This can lead to ovulation occurring twice in a cycle, the second time during a period, which can lead to high hormone levels. In other cycles, ovulation might not occur at all.

Some women describe perimenopause as a time of hormonal chaos akin to a second-wave puberty. Symptoms also include hot flushes, changes in libido, mood swings, memory problems, vaginal dryness and a higher risk of osteoporosis. Periods can be less regular, lighter or heavier, last longer or be briefer.Womens' experiences vary greatly some barely register anything.

"It's what's called the menopause transition when those symptoms start," Professor Hickey says. "That can go on for a number of years and the end of that transitional period is a year after the final menstrual period."

Genetic factors play some role in timing. If your mother and other close female relatives had an early or late perimenopause, it's likely you will too. But various studies also point to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, being linked to early onset while other studies have pointed to alcohol consumption delaying perimenopause.

Credit:IStock

After a woman has had 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) she is said to be postmenopausal.

Perimenopausal symptoms ease but health risks related to the loss of oestrogen rise. This includes a decrease in bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis, where bones become thin and fragile. It also includes weight gain, which can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Women are advised to keep active, which also releases endorphins that improve mood, and to do strength training to increase blood flow and strengthen the heart.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) as it's now known, is currently the most effective type of treatment available for perimenopause symptoms; more than 300,000 Australian women and about 12 million women in Western countries are using it. But it has been linked with breast and ovarian cancers.

"All medications carry risk and benefits," Professor Hickey says. "A benefit of HRT is that it's really good for symptoms. A risk is that it does increase the risk of cancer. I don't think we should beat around the bush about that. But it varies by the type of hormone therapy you take and it might vary depending on how long you take it for."

The risks are greater, for example, for users of oestrogen-progestagen hormone therapy than for oestrogen-only therapy. A large study by the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that women who took hormone therapy for five years were 2.7 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who did not. Recent research also suggests that, in some cases, the danger can persist for more than a decade after treatment stops.

Another study found that women using hormone therapy for between one and four years have a 60 per cent higher chance of developing breast cancer compared with those who have never used it.

The report's authors, who examined 58 studies across the world, found that of 108,647 women who developed breast cancer at an average age of 65, almost half had used hormone therapy.

When asked if women should avoid hormone therapy due to the increased risk of cancer, Professor Kelly-Anne Phillips, the founder of the Peter MacCallum Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Management Clinic, has said the decision should be made on a case-by-case basis.

"Some women will find, short-term, it can help relieve their symptoms," she saidearlier this year.

Professor Phillips warned, however, that women who had been on hormone therapy for a year should have their treatment reviewed, adding there were alternatives for treating symptoms including weight loss, moisturisers for vaginal dryness and avoiding caffeine or alcohol.

The 'grandmother theory" is one explanation for menopause in humans.

Apart from humans, most mammals stay fertile until the ends of their lives. There are a few exceptions: killer whales, short-finned pilot whales, belugas and narwhals can live for decades beyond their reproductive years. Guppies also appear to go through a fish version of menopause.

But long postmenopausal lifespans are an aspect of biology that appears to be at odds with natural selection. Why do women suddenly stop having periods when they still have at least a third of their lives to live, during which they could be producing offspring?

Some experts, including Professor Hickey, believe high death rates of mothers during childbirth throughout history emphasised the importance of grandmothers in rearing future generations, unhindered by more children of their own. This is known as the grandmother theory.

Not really but andropause can affect men older than 40. Andropause is the gradual reduction of the male sex hormone (testosterone) with increasing age. Its symptoms include sexual dysfunction, weakness, fatigue, insomnia, loss of motivation, mood disorders and reduction of bone density. Though the symptoms aren't as severe as those of menopause, they can last for as long as 15 to 20 years.

An egg surrounded by sperm.Credit:Alamy

Although eggs succumb to menopause, pregnancy is still possible using a donor egg. During perimenopause, ovulation can occur, meaning a woman can conceive naturally, even if she is using hormone therapy.

When UK based former magazine editor Lynnette Peck and her friend Paula Fry first began to experience symptoms of perimenopause they found they had no safe space to share their feelings on the matter. In a bid to open up dialogue, they started a secret Facebook page in 2017.

Word got around quickly. Soon they had more than 700 members and then Feeling Flush was born; a public online community for women across the world to connect.

"We wanted women, including ourselves, to have places to share information and educate each other and have a moan," Ms Peck says.

"Women mostly ask us about hormone replacement therapy and the pros and cons. We are not medical experts so we point them to people who are. There is now a conversation. It was hidden before. Here in the UK, even political parties and huge brands are getting involved."

Professor Hickey notes that women make up almost half of the workforce in Australia and two-thirds of the voluntary sector. They continue to look after children across generations and are often the primary carer for parents.

Our society has a big a focus on youth and the preservation of youth and menopause is a maker of age in women and ageing in women is not a topic we still have very much discussion about," Professor Hickey says.

"It's quite likely that women who experience menopause may not have been informed fully about what to expect. It's quite possible a lot of men don't know very much about menopause at all."

Last week, British free-to-air television Channel 4 launched a menopause policy to support women experiencing perimenopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, anxiety and fatigue by giving them access to flexible working arrangements and paid leave if they feel unwell.

It's a shift Professor Hickey wants in Australia. She would like to see menopause treated as a "diversity issue" with workplaces actively supporting women experiencing it.

"Pregnancy would be a similar example: only women get pregnant, and we've learnt to adapt, and I think we need to take a similar perspective to menopause."

Melissa Cunningham is The Age's health reporter.

Read more:
What is menopause and perimenopause? - Sydney Morning Herald

We have to be able to have more nuanced and frank discussions about health care for transgender people (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

I was 18 years old when I first came out as transgender.

Id been harbouring it for as long as I can remember, but wasnt properly able to articulate it until then. I simply didnt know that it was a thing, or that there were other people like me.

Even when I did tell everyone and started living as myself, there was still a lot of shame, secrecy and fear about being transgender. One of the biggest fears surrounding it was the possibility of regret, or regretting undergoing hormone therapy and genital surgery.

Some people thought that I was simply a gay man who was a bit confused, and that Id end up regretting this all later on if I went through with it. I knew I wasnt a gay man, and I was fortunate enough to be raised in an environment where I could have easily come out as one. That just wasnt me. For me (and for transgender people in general) it was never about who I was attracted to, or my sexual orientation.

It was about who I was and who I knew myself to be. Being able to medically transition was life-saving for me.

The discussion around regretting transitioning has been rearing its head recently. Various stories about individual cases have been used as an example, casting doubt on healthcare for transgender people.

A recent story hit the headlines where a person claimed there are hundreds of people wanting to detransition but there are no numbers that indicate this.

The use of increase in referrals to medical transitioning is often used with statistics that sound quite high, but they are never put into context of the general population.Even with increased numbers of referrals, the number of trans people are still just around one percent of the population in the UK. More referrals simply means there are more people seeking this type of health care. It doesnt mean that everyone who is referred undergoes a medical transition.

Getting access to these types of services is actually really difficult, and people have to wait several years for a single appointment at a gender identity clinic. So claims that someone can just enter a clinic and get hormones and surgery quite easily simply arent true.

I would never diminish or question someones experience who says they regretted their medical transition. There are those who do, and they deserve to be believed. But their stories and experiences should never be used to advocate against health care that has benefitted the lives of thousands of people across the UK and beyond. It should never be used as a reason not to allow people to transition.

One of the comparisons I have to this is when women who have regretted having an abortion are used to advocate against them. Its an illogical argument, as the benefits of safe abortions outweigh the possibility of regret, much like with transgender health care.

Medically transitioning is life-saving for some transgender people. The number of people who experience regret with transgender related surgery is actually really low according to recent research in the Netherlands (between 0.3 and 0.6 percent) and much lower than regret rates for various surgeries such as knee arthroplasty or cosmetic procedures.

When it comes to any surgery, there is always the risk of regret and there will always be people who regret surgeries for a multitude of reasons.

A large portion of people who experience regret about medically transitioning do so because of the social rejection they face when they come out as transgender.

Research done at the gender clinic in the Netherlands showed that between 1972-2015, a total of 14 people experienced regret. Half of them said it was because of social rejection or the fact they identify as non-binary and not as a trans woman or a trans man.

Trans people face stigma and discrimination in their day to day lives and are often rejected from their families, lose their jobs or experience bullying and violence for simply being trans. For some this is simply too much, and they feel they have no choice but to retreat and conform to societys expectations of them.

Another reason people might regret genital surgery is because they simply arent satisfied with the results. Like with any surgery, there are things that can go wrong. Genital surgery is far from perfect, especially surgery for transgender men and trans masculine people.

For some it was a journey they had to take that ultimately wasnt the right one for them. People can only make choices based on the knowledge they have at any given time, so of course there will be people who had to go on a journey to discover who they are. It doesnt always necessarily mean they arent trans or that the journey they went on was wrong, but something they felt they needed to do.

Such binary terms as in, blanket regret versus no regret, do the whole topic a disservice, ignoring the nuances of our gendered experience.

By allocating more resources into transgender health care, whether that be with increasing the quality of psychological care and hormone treatments or making advancements in genital surgery, regret rates will inevitably decrease. By fighting against stigma and prejudice that keeps trans people from living their lives in peace as who they know themselves to be, regret rates will also decrease.

The vast majority of people reap the rewards of medically transitioning. I went from being seen as a depressed, shy and reserved teenager to being an active, social and outgoing person. I started participating in life with enthusiasm, I started to tend to my hobbies, I did better at school. I became someone who was finally excited for life.

The change was so apparent to those around me. My family were finally able to get to know me properly, and even family members that had been quite prejudiced towards transgender people had a real change of heart. They saw that I was finally happy, so how could that be a bad thing?

I now have a partner whom I love very much, we live in a nice little house together, and we talk about having kids and getting a cat or another dog. We have hopes, fears, and aspirations about the future but the difference is that now I dont have to worry about not being myself.

So lets not forget the bigger picture here, and the thousands of people that benefit from being able to medically transition and undergoing genital surgery. This doesnt mean were not going to talk about those that experience regret.

We have to be able to have more nuanced and frank discussions about health care for transgender people, without regret being used to jeopardise the well-being of people who need transgender related health care.

Only that way can we truly create well-rounded solutions and health care that minimises the chance of regret, and allows everyone the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

As themselves.

MORE: Sades son praises her support as he completes transition from woman to man in emotional message

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Don't believe what you read about transition regret - Metro.co.uk

Exercise is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy, functional body, but there is also a time and place for letting ourselves rest.

I'm a personal trainer and many people are shocked to find out that I dont exercise every single day. Ive found that my workouts are much more enjoyable and effective when I can look forward to a relaxing day off. It can help boost your mental morale, kind of like what a Friday does at work. Its also important physically: Allowing your body time to rest is a necessary part of an effective training routine. These days give you time to heal from the stress youve placed on your joints and muscles, prevent fatigue and burnout, and can even help you break through the difficult plateaus you may be facing.

Just how many rest days we need each week is not a one-size-fits-all model. One study found that it took 72 hours of rest or 3 days between strength training sessions for full muscle recovery, while research from the ACE Scientific Advisory Panel says that a recovery period could be anywhere from two days up to a week depending on the type of exercise. This number will vary based on certain factors like your fitness level, age and type of exercise and intensity of your workouts. So knowing your own body and its limits is essential to determining the amount of work and rest days you need each week.

In addition to scheduled rest days, there are other times when it may be best to sit it out. Here are some scenarios when you should consider hanging up your sneakers and giving your body a little R & R.

When your workload feels like its never ending and your schedule is overloaded with juggling work and family commitments, the stress starts to take a toll mentally and physically. While exercise can be a stress-reliever it isnt always. This is an important time to really listen to your body. When you exercise, youre working hard to raise your heart rate. This puts added stress on the body and leads to your overall stress-load increasing. For some people, this can actually exacerbate symptoms. Especially if making it to the gym is another thing youre trying to squeeze into an already jam-packed day.

On the other hand, exercise is one of the most common recommendations for stress reduction, as it stimulates the production of endorphins which make you feel good after a workout. And, it does work for many people. So if you do find that exercising works for you as a stress release and you feel better afterwards, then go for it. On particularly stressful days, you may want to consider swapping intense workouts for those that help your body wind down and relax like yoga or walking or jogging outside.

Its common knowledge that sleep is essential, but yet, many people still don't prioritize it. If you arent getting enough sleep, hitting the hay (instead of hitting the gym) may be the best way to prioritize your health. Look at it this way: If youre sleep deprived your body isnt performing as highly as it could be. Exercising when you're running on empty also increases your risk of injury. So if youre exhausted, the best thing you can do for your body is to get a good night of rest and get back in the gym the next day.

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Insufficient sleep is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity, reduced levels of a hormone associated with appetite suppression (leptin) and increased levels of a hormone associated with hunger (ghrelin)," says Lisa Cottrell, a licensed psychologist board certified in behavioral sleep medicine at Aurora Health Care. "Insufficient sleep and chronic sleep deprivation can increase activation of the sympathetic nervous system (activating the 'fight or flight' response) and affect cardiovascular systems, inflammation, immune responses and metabolism.

In this way, getting to bed an hour or two earlier can be just as beneficial (if not more so) for not only your overall health, but your waistline, as hitting the gym. If youre exhausted and burnt out, take it as a sign that your body needs some TLC and let yourself rest.

If you arent feeling your best, the gym might not be the best place for you. But how sick is too sick to workout? One general rule I always share with my private clients is that if the pain is coming from above the neck, its okay to workout. If the pain is below the neck, skipping the gym is a good idea. The exception to this rule is if youre running a fever. If you have a fever, exercise should be off the table. The work youll be putting in wont be as beneficial because of the increased dehydration youll be facing.

Dr. Gustavo Ferrer, MD, founder of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Cough Clinic, advises that if you have a runny nose, nasal congestion, and/or a sore throat, exercising is OK. You may consider reducing the intensity of the exercise. If you exercise for one hour, cut to 1/2 hour during those days, he says. He does recommend avoiding the gym and exercise for the first few days of a viral infection like the flu and the common cold not only for your own health, but also because this is the period when you are contagious to others. Also avoid the gym if you have shortness of breath, severe cough, fever or wheezing, says Dr. Ferrer.

You may need to take some time off after a really intense workout, especially if you wake up the next day feeling extreme soreness or muscle fatigue.

Gregory Marcolin, PT, director of Physical Therapy at OceanView Rehabilitation, explains that the dull ache, soreness, and/or sickly sensation that you feel in your muscles following the performance of a new or restart of an exercise routine (specifically strength training) is referred to as Delay Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS. This is typically experienced within the first or second day following the workout session, he says. Although the exact cause for this sensation at a physiologic level is not fully understood, it is believed that a type of strengthening for the musculature known as eccentric or lengthening of a muscle while under stress may cause micro-trauma to the muscle fibers. The soreness that is experienced is the body repairing the muscular fibers in order for growth to occur for the future. Rest is needed in order for the body to repair the damage (however small) that has occurred.

Pushing through soreness and exercising, instead of giving your body adequate rest, can be detrimental in a few ways. First, your body may take longer rest periods in order to heal, says Marcolin. There may be an inhibition of essential nature hormone production that is required to heal and improve muscular strength/function such as Human Growth Hormone (HGH), he explains. You also may increase your risk of injury: Musculature is simply soft tissue that has the ability to perform amazing things throughout the body. However, with continued breakdown of these fibers due to excessive and prolonged DOMS, further injury such as tearing can occur, Marcolin explains.

If youve just completed a race or another strenuous athletic feat youve been training for, its time to take some time off and celebrate. Its always a great idea to factor in how much youve pushed your body when youre calculating your recovery time. You can think of it as: The more stress youve put on your body during the workout, the longer you should give yourself to recover.

But just how much time should you give yourself? Marcolin says that theres not a clear-cut period of rest thats recommended, and that a recovery period varies from person to person. However, following long periods of extensive exercise, the body's metabolic system may be stressed to its limit, therefore it is advised for anywhere from a minimum of 3-7 days of complete rest, hydration and sleep. Active recovery is also recommended as it helps increase blood circulation needed for recovery." Walking, swimming, and light jogging are all activities that will get your blood pumping and help your muscles heal, without putting additional stress on the body.

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5 times when you should skip your workout and take a rest day - NBC News

Is it the food that makes people fat or the hormonal drives that make food nearly impossible to resist.

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) October 26, 2019

An October 13 article on Yahoo News reports on the increasingly alarming rate of obesity in the United States. According to the article, while no U.S. state had an obesity rate above 15 percent in 1985, all 50 states now have a population that is over 20 percent obese. The article cites quite a few reasons for this rise, including eating out more often (restaurant food tends to be significantly higher in calories), poor diets lacking in nutritious foods, and a lack of exercise caused by lifestyles that have become increasingly sedentary. Los Angeles-based weight loss center Dr. Feiz and Associates says that, while obese individuals should naturally be making a concerted effort to eat better and exercise, failing to lose enough weight to defeat obesity is not a sign of poor willpower and its definitely not a character flaw. Instead, the clinic holds the bodys own mechanisms as a primary offender in preventing people from achieving sustained weight loss. So far, the clinic notes, certain weight loss procedures have proven to be highly effective in circumventing hormonal efforts to keep obese people forever obese.

The primary chemical enemy of dieters, the medical group explains, is a hormone known as ghrelin that is believed to be responsible for creating sensations of hunger in the body. When an individual loses a large amount of weight, particularly if this loss occurs at a rapid pace, the body sends false alarms that the individual is not receiving enough calories and enters into a survival mode of sorts trying to induce us to eat more calories as if a famine was coming soon. The clinic notes that these hormonally induced feelings feel essentially the same as real hunger and, over time, typically wear down even the most disciplined and strong-willed individuals. Dr. Feiz and Associates notes that there is no countervailing biological process in place that tries to reduce our food consumption when we are too heavy.

Dr. Feiz and Associates says bariatric surgery offers a significant boost in the fight against obesity. The clinic cites sleeve gastrectomy, which removes roughly 75%-85% of the stomach, as a prime example of weight loss surgery that can help patients lose and maintain their weight without being as radically invasive as older procedures. This surgery is particularly effective in that it removes an area in the stomach that appears to be responsible for ghrelin production alongside making overeating physically uncomfortable. The clinic says that by dramatically reducing hormonal hunger, patients are finally able to sustain their weight loss once they are no longer plagued by incessant hunger pangs. Dr. Feiz and Associates note that patients who come out of the sleeve gastrectomy typically lose significant amounts of weight and even more important are able to stave off the return of obesity over the long term.

Readers can learn more about weight loss surgery by visiting Dr. Feiz and Associates at https://www.drfeiz.com/ or by calling 310-855-8058.

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Obesity Rates May Be Increasing but so Is the Ability to Fight It, Says Dr. Feiz and Associates - PR Web

As autumn transforms into winter, the number of available hours of daylight slowly dwindles. Some areas of Alaska and Canada see only about three or four hours of daylight per day in the winter months. Conversely, those who live in Key West, Florida, the southernmost point of the contiguous United States, may enjoy around 10 hours of daylight.Fewer daylight hours can adversely affect mood and productivity. Seasonal affective disorder, often referred to as SAD or the winter blues, has been recognized and included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders. Clinicians say that, as days become short and dark, a predictable set of symptoms of SAD may emerge. Individuals with SAD may experience a host of symptoms, including difficulty waking in the morning; diminished energy levels; a tendency to eat more; an inability to concentrate; and depression.The Cleveland Clinic advises that approximately half a million people in the United States suffer from winter SAD, while 10 to 20 percent may suffer from more mild forms of winter blues. The Canadian Mental Health Association states that between 2 and 3 percent of Canadians will experience SAD in their lifetime. Another 15 percent will experience a mild form of SAD that leaves them only slightly depressed. Similar symptoms can occur for those people who live in cloudy regions or high latitudes.Evidence strongly suggests SAD is linked to sunlight. This lack of sunlight may trigger production of melatonin in some individuals. Melatonin is a hormone made in the pineal gland that regulates sleep onset and sleeping patterns.

A combination of self-care strategies as well as professional medical treatment may help those with winter blues or more severe SAD. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that these strategies can help people coping with SAD. Get out of the house into sunlight or brightly lit spaces early in the day when the sun is out. Increase time spent outdoors. Take a break midday and enjoy lunch outside or take a walk, even if its chilly. Try to spend time with other people and chat with friends and relatives. Avoid overloading on carbohydrates like cookies and candies. Talk to a doctor about using light therapy, which is the first line of SAD treatment, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Consider cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy with a licensed mental health provider. He or she also can make recommendations about the use of medication to alleviate symptoms if other treatments do not provide results.There are many ways to mitigate the symptoms of winter blues.

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Beating the winter blues - Weyburn Review

As the transgender movement continues to develop, the cultural sentiment has moved rapidly toward acceptance and affirmation. While some believe the affirmation campaign is a step in the right direction, others are concerned that a rush to champion hormones and gender reassignment surgery while ignoring other potential drivers of gender dysphoria could ultimately do more harm than good.

The affirmation of gender dysphoria has even gained steam among the youth population. According to a study published in 2017 from The Williams Institute, an estimated 0.7 percent of youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender in the United States. This is approximately 150,000 young people.

Despite the increasing social acceptance of transgenderism by Hollywood and the mainstream press, there is a segment of the trans population that is feeling regret, and seeking to detransition.

Walter Heyer, a former male-to-female transgender individual, runs a website called Sexchangeregret.com. The website serves as a contact point for Heyer to help those who are seeking to detransition.

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to speak with Heyer about his life and his work. In part one of this two-part interview, Heyer speaks about the circumstances that led to his own gender dysphoria, his transition to female-identifying, the childhood trauma and comorbid disorders uncovered in the transgender population with whom he interacts, and more.

DW: Could you walk me through your early story about how you developed your dysphoria?

HEYER: Yeah. At four years old, my grandma was a seamstress and was making dresses. Thats where she made her money. Its 1944, and so Im the kid thats being babysat by grandma, and I was curious about what she was doing, and just kind of watched her as the women came in and out of the house. That curiosity got her to make me a purple chiffon dress. And then she put it on me, and that was my little dress as a four-year-old. She thought I looked very cute, and today we would probably call it affirming. That curiosity and what occurred later, this affirmation process, led me to become confused about whether I should have been a girl or a boy. In 1944, we didnt have any names for it, and I was just struggling with who I was. It took a long time for me to go to sleep at night. I struggled for a long time.

My dad and mom found out about it because it was a secret for two and a half years. I was at grandmas, and then when my dads teenage brother found out, who was adopted, he thought I was good game to be sexually molested because I was wearing this purple dress at grandmas. When I told my parents I was being sexually molested, they said that couldnt be true because Fred said he didnt do it.

So, you start off life before youre nine years old with some of these confusing events, and Christine Jorgensen came along in the 1950s, and when I saw that news story, I thought, Well, that must be me. That must be what I am. The association without having any other knowledge and information, I assumed that that was me.

I continued to cross dress and think that I was born in the wrong body throughout my life. Never really stopped as a teenager. I took on a secret name, Crystal West, and didnt tell anybody about it. As time went on, I continued to cross dress all the way through high school and early college. Still confused, still struggling. Then I got married in my early twenties because, like so many people who identify as transgender, Im not homosexual. The ones that I work with, probably over 90% of them are not homosexual; theyre just people confused about their gender identity, but their sexual identity is still heterosexual. So, I married, had kids, worked on the Apollo space mission, and at American Honda Motor Company.

I went to a gender therapist in San Francisco at the age of 40 to 41, and he diagnosed me with gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder and he was the author of the original standards of care that are in place today. His name is Paul Walker. He was kind of the number one guy in the country on diagnosing and treating these disorders. So, I thought that was pretty radical and talked to my wife about it, and over the next couple of years I started on hormones. In April of 1983, I underwent gender reassignment surgery while I was an executive with American Honda Motor Company. They terminated me when I notified them of my new identity, and I became homeless not long after that. I was divorced and broke and struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction, then began to crawl my way back.

I lived for about eight years as Laura Jensen, female, in the San Francisco area. I studied psychology at UC Santa Cruz as a way to try to get myself back. Id been living with a family in Pleasanton, California, because I had no real source of income for a long time.

When I saw and studied psychology at UC Santa Cruz, I realized that people who identified as transgender were also suffering from many disorders that no one ever talked about things like separation anxiety and body dysmorphia and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, social adjustment disorders. Just a pretty big laundry list of things that people who identified as transgender carried with them that were typically not addressed during the pre-surgical evaluation.

I then started going for therapy and realized that no one could actually land on anything specific. One therapist said that I had dissociative disorder; the other one said I didnt. No one could come to a solid agreement. They just felt that the sexual molestation that occurred when I was young, the cross-dressing, all precipitated into me having difficulty identifying with who I was, electing to identify with my transgender identity. I eventually through therapy and actually going to church in Foster City, California kind of walked my way out of that, and detransitioned in 1990, and have been restored back to my sanity since 1990. Now, Ive been married for 22 years to a real woman, and Ive been clean and sober for 33 and a half years.

DW: So those two things the chiffon dress and the sexual abuse you believe were the primary contributors to your developing gender dysphoria?

HEYER: Yeah, and the people that Ive known for a long time and work with even today, find thats what it is. The people that I work with today, 45% to 50% of them were sexually abused as children, and they ended up identifying as a transgender later on. These are the ones that are also detransitioning.

DW: Can you explain the idea of comorbidities and past trauma as it relates to transgenderism?

HEYER: Yeah. Well, comorbidity is just a fancy word for additional disorders. These are things like schizophrenia, which some studies say that theres a certain portion of people who identify as transgender have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These disorders typically werent there prior to identifying as transgender, but often times these disorders develop as a result of identifying, cross-dressing. A portion of them are disorders like autogynephilia and transvestic fetish disorder. Autogynephilia and transvestic fetishism are two pretty major factors that people dont talk much about, and thats men who cross dress and look at the mirror, and what they see in the mirror becomes the object of their own sexual affection, that becomes their sexual arousal. And so theyre typically not homosexual, they dont need a partner, its just looking at themselves, they become complete sexually.

The person with transvestic fetish usually attaches himself sexually to one particular type of clothing, whether its shoes or whatever, and they become sexually aroused by those garments or female clothing. So, these are typically not transgenders; theyre actually people with other disorders, but they identify as transgender.

You also have people who are just cross-dressers, and transvestites. Then you have the drag queens, many of whom dont have bottom surgery. They just are flamboyant, over-the-top homosexuals who identify as drag queens. But most of those groups, actually, are not transgender; they just identify as transgender when they have these other issues that we call comorbidities.

DW: Why do you believe people identify as transgender when what theyre experiencing is rather just a set of comorbidities?

HEYER: I dont think it plays well when somebody sees you cross-dressing, and you tell them, I have autogynephilia because I get sexually aroused by looking in a mirror. Its just a lot more socially palatable to tell people, Im transgender, without going into the details of what that means.

And people who have dissociative disorders, your bipolar disorder, or whatever you just throw all of these things into a basket, toss a blanket over it, and call it transgenderism, when, if you take the blanket off and begin to look deep into these things, you can see what the underlying comorbidities are but we typically dont do much of that. I do it all the time, 100% of the time, with the people who contact me after theyve had a failed transition, and want to de-transition and we dig into, Well, lets find out why you transitioned. 100% of the time, the people that Ive worked with over the last ten years can come up with a situation, an event, that caused them to transition, whether its from female-to-male or male-to-female. So, they can identify it usually after the fact when the transition failed, which usually occurs between five and 15 years.

DW: Has there ever been someone you helped who didnt either have a comorbidity or a past trauma?

HEYER: No.

DW: Back to your story, you transitioned when you were about 42, right?

HEYER: Yeah, thats right.

DW: What were the years like while you were transgender?

HEYER: Well, I worked for FDIC and banking; I worked for the postal service. I was also at the same time studying psychology at UC Santa Cruz. Thats when I started looking into the books and finding comorbidities. So my life was fairly reasonable. I had a decent job. When I wanted to work, I could work, and I lived in San Francisco part of the time, I lived in L.A. part of the time, and in Pleasanton, California, part of the time. I was clean and sober. So I would call it unremarkable, except that I was really learning a lot about what they were doing in terms of identifying people who are transgender actually having other issues. So I was kind of beginning to crack into that in the late 1980s.

DW: Can you tell me about your detransition experience? What first ignited it, and then the process of going through that detransition?

HEYER: Well, a series of things happened and it took probably a year and a half maybe to come all the way back. I think once I had begun to look into this idea of comorbidities, and begun to explore that I was working actually in a psych hospital in L.A. on the unit as part of my schoolwork. I was called a chemical dependency technician in a lockdown psych unit. There was a psychiatric doctor there and hes the one who began to talk to me about the comorbidities and other issues. I told him where I was trying to go with this, and he recommended I go see a therapist that he knew. I went and saw that therapist, and several other ones. It took me a lot of convincing through psychotherapy from many different people that it would be safe for me to detransition, and that I wouldnt have this gnawing feeling that Id made a mistake and needed to come back.

So, once I had resolved all those early childhood issues and could rectify what had happened, then it was relatively easy for me to realize that not only am I one of the ones that had gone through this unnecessarily, but that there were probably others and thats when I built the website sexchangeregret.com. The first year, we had 700 people come to the website. In 2015, we had 356,000 people come to the website. Today, we get 25,000 or 30,000 people a month. So many people are struggling. Somebody in the U.K. wrote an article recently they are detransitioning and said theyve found hundreds of people, and thats the same thing I reported. I myself have worked with hundreds of people who are detransitioning, but its kind of a taboo subject. Nobody wants to hear about it; nobody wants to believe it. But this thing runs its course between five and 15 years.

Strangely enough, theres a Dr. Charles Ihlenfeld who worked at the Harry Benjamin Gender Clinic in New York in 1979 as an endocrinologist, had administered hormone therapy to 500 people who had transitioned over a six year period, and he said in New York in 1979 that he was leaving the practice of administering hormones to these individuals, and going to become a psychiatric doctor so that he could actually help them because he said, and I quote, Giving them hormones and changing their genders, it is causing too much unhappiness and too many of them ended in suicide.

In part two of this interview, which you can read here, Heyer discusses the shockingly high suicide rate among the post-op transgender population, the dangerous consequences of youth transitions, the future of the trans movement, his relationship with his ex-wife and kids, and more.

Read the rest here:
INTERVIEW (Part I): Former Transgender Walt Heyer Talks About His Detransition, The Dangers Of 'Affirmation,' And Childhood Sexual Trauma - The Daily...

She is the mother of thousands of children across Scotland, but Ellen Drew knows having a baby is never easy.

The lead embryologist at Dundees Ninewells Hospital has experienced first-hand the heartbreak of spending years trying to start a family only to discover you cant conceive. It is a dilemma that faces one in seven couples struggling to fall pregnant.

This week marks National Fertility Awareness Week when BBC Scotland will air Making Babies, a documentary about the ups and downs of IVF.

The programme follows three couples on their exciting yet agonising journeys through fertility treatment, from the stress of daily hormone injections to countless scans, not to mention the anticipation and tears that come along the way.

IVF isnt always successful, as Ellen can attest to. She said: IVF doesnt work more often than it does. Its an intense process and there are no guarantees it will be successful. Even if patients have a top grade embryo, its still quite likely not to work.

Putting that across to people is one of the hardest parts of the job.

With over 30 years experience in the industry, Ellen has helped make thousands of babies and turned countless couples dreams of having a child into reality.

When we manage to make a baby, its just incredible, she said. Even in all these years, I dont think Ive ever taken a new baby in my arms and not shed a tear or two. You see the heartbreak and pain these people go through trying to have a baby and how much they want it and its such a privilege to be able to help them when we can.

In an ironic twist, Ellen herself is one of those people. The mum of four endured secondary fertility problems after having her first child.

And becoming a patient in her own ward was an eye-opening experience.

My husband and I wanted a baby for quite a while, but struggled to conceive, the 53-year-old explained. I didnt ovulate very well and realised very early on that we would likely have problems conceiving.

By the time we got married, I hadnt used contraception for a year.

The natural conception and arrival of Sam (now 22) was a welcome relief.

But when Ellen and Rob tried for a sibling, life had other plans.

The second baby really wasnt coming, then we discovered I wasnt ovulating, she said. I was prescribed HCG medication, but that didnt work. Then hormone injections, which werent successful either. Eventually I had to move onto IUI treatment, basically having Robs sperm inserted into my womb to increase the chances of conception. To be honest, I thought it would never work. Every month, I would have two weeks of hope I might be pregnant, and then my period would arrive.

I found the whole experience pretty brutal and not being able to talk about it was hard. I would have patients going through treatment, crying and telling me going through fertility treatment was so hard and I couldnt understand what it was like and I would just have to swallow and say, No, I cant imagine. I didnt want anyone at work to know, it was all a big secret.

I would bring the sperm sample into work and prep it, then a colleague and I would sneak off and she would insert it into my womb.

However, when she did fall pregnant, it didnt go quite as planned.

Ellen said: When I found out I was pregnant, I was ecstatic. When we discovered it was twins, I was shocked. The morning sickness, especially with twins, was horrendous but I would have put up with anything for another child, and it wasnt half as bad as the treatment, or the waiting to get pregnant.

Ellen, who lives in Dundee, had just returned to work after maternity leave with twins Josh and Jake (now 17) when she got the bombshell news that she was pregnant again with fourth child, Johanna.

I still wasnt using contraception, she said. To be honest, I hadnt used any for so long that the thought never crossed my mind. One day I arrived at work and realised I couldnt remember when I had last had a period. I did a pregnancy test and it was positive.

A scan showed I was about nine weeks. It was crazy. Id gone from spending my whole life trying to get pregnant and being prepared to be a parent to it happening naturally when I least expected it. We werent even trying. My husband saw me upset one night and asked what was wrong.

He joked: Dont tell me youre pregnant with twins again? I said Its not twins. To my surprise he was delighted. He told me not to worry, it would all be okay and it was a blessing.

And it was. After Johanna (now 15) was born, Ellen went back to work and Rob gave up his IT job to become a stay-at-home dad.

Im really good at planning and organising, and Rob is great at doing. Its the perfect marriage, she said. A few years ago, the couple decided to add to the chaos by becoming foster parents. They now foster three children.

We moved into this big house and decided we would let some of it out to students, but I didnt like the idea of people we didnt know living with the kids. So we came up with a plan. We are pretty good parents so why not extend that to more children?

Now were a big family, and were a great team. I always wanted a noisy house with lots of children and thats exactly what Ive got. And I am surrounded by babies at work. I honestly have no idea how many babies I have helped to make but its certainly into the thousands.

I do miss that side of the job. Now I manage, guide and direct, and try to develop the service. And, while it has improved tenfold, theres still so much I want to do. I vowed to leave the service after 40 years, so that leaves a decade to get through my list.

As for childrenI think seven is enough so no more for me. But I eagerly await the grandchildren.

Amy Wanless, from Edinburgh, did a week of work experience at Ninewells in Dundee when she was 22, while preparing to study for a Masters in clinical embryology at Leeds University.

She told Ellen that finding out as a teenager she was an IVF baby herself had led to her career choice, and she wanted to work at Ninewells as that was where her parents had their fertility treatment.

Ellen checked the records, and came back to tell Amy she had made her.

Amy, now 27, said: It was a really lovely surprise as not many people get the chance to meet the person who made them, if its not their parents.

If you think about it, Ellen is the very first person who will ever have seen me, and that blew my mind. I asked, Should I start calling you Mum?, and we both laughed.

I know the chances of something like this happening are so slim, and I feel really lucky to have met Ellen.

Shes been a complete inspiration.

Amy is seeking a career in fertility medicine. After graduating, she worked for a spell as an IVF technician at a Glasgow clinic.

Shes hoping to complete the specialist training required to become a clinical embryologist.

She added: I feel very proud to be an IVF baby and Id love to be able to help other couples have children, in the same way that Ellen helped my parents.

Its a very special thing to be able to give someone the gift of a family.

It was her own experience of infertility that led BBC producer Laura-Jane McRae to work on the Making Babies documentary.

Last year, she posted a heart-wrenching video of herself talking about IVF on BBC social media page The Social.

And it prompted such a reaction that she decided to open up on the subject by filming couples going through the process.

Once my husband Findlay and I had been trying to conceive for about 18 months, we were referred to the Assisted Conception Service, said Laura-Jane.

We have what is called unexplained infertility, which means the doctors cant find a clear reason why its not working.

After lots of tests, the doctor said, You have a healthy womb, you have great sperm. You should be making babies, but we dont know why youre not.

It can be incredibly frustrating and we have tried everything, but when you cant find the problem, its hard to find a solution.

Laura-Jane, 35, from Glasgow, and Findlay have gone through two rounds of fresh cycle IVF and two rounds of frozen IVF. Sadly, none of the attempts have been successful.

In the early days, trying to have a baby was all-consuming. There were babies everywhere I looked.

Meeting so many people who have gone through IVF, I realised were not alone and its more normal than not normal. Im now grateful for what I have an amazing husband and a fantastic life. Having a baby would be a bonus, but were so lucky already.

IVF is largely a taboo subject. Few people understand how hard a process it is and what is involved.

I thought we would ace IVF, but then came to the realisation there is potential failure at every point.

So hopefully this documentary can open the largely taboo subject up and help people understand a bit more.

Were taught from an early age how to prevent unwanted pregnancy, but were never taught how difficult it can be for some couples to get pregnant.

Its not easy for everyone, but at least in Scotland we have the gold-star package of three rounds of IVF.

Not everyone is that lucky.

Were taking a break for now, but will definitely use our last round.

We dont know if it will be third time lucky, but well certainly give it a try.

Making Babies, BBC Scotland, 10pm, Tuesday

Read the rest here:
Fertility specialist Ellen Drew talks about her career, starring in new show Making Babies and her own struggles with conceiving - The Sunday Post

SYDNEY, Australia, Oct. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noxopharm (ASX: NOX) announces that it will apply its glutamate-inhibition technology to the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

GBM remains a poorly managed cancer, with surgery, radiotherapy and the chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, the current standard of care, offering median survival of only 12-15 months.

Recent research now has confirmed that brain chemical, glutamate, is playing a key role in driving the aggressive nature of GBM growth.1,2

Glutamate is an important brain chemical, triggering passage of electrical impulses between brain cells. These chemicals are known as neurotransmitters. Glutamate is the brains main neurotransmitter, with important roles in learning and memory.

GBM cancer cells now have been shown to be connected to brain cells (neurons) that are feeding glutamate into the tumour, driving growth of the cancer cells.1

As a result of a collaboration with UNSW Sydney in 2016, Noxopharm already has drugs in its chemical library that are selective glutamate-inhibitors. This proprietary intellectual property centred on a search for a drug capable of protecting the brain from glutamate-associated brain damage following a stroke or severe concussion.

Noxopharm already has a number of potential lead candidates, which puts it well-placed to expedite the path to the clinic.

Dr Graham Kelly, Noxopharm Executive Chairman, said, This is an exciting opportunity that we believe we lead the world on. Its early stage with many questions yet to be answered, but if we are successful, then we see this approach as potentially having the same benefit as blocking the way sex hormones drive the growth of breast cancer and prostate cancer. If anti-hormone therapy can deliver very significant survival benefits with highly aggressive forms of breast cancer and prostate cancer, then we see no reason why blocking glutamate function cannot deliver the same benefit for patients with GBM.

A key challenge will be to limit a glutamate-blocking effect just to the tumour. A drug that blocks glutamate function in the brain generally would be far too toxic. Our compounds appear to work specifically where there is glutamate over-dose and have been well tolerated in animals to date. This is what we believe gives us a major competitive edge in what seems likely to be a major new area of drug development.

The Companys primary focus remains on Veyondaand bringing it through the clinic and to market for the treatment of late-stage prostate cancer using its DARRT and LuPIN treatment regimens. The glutamate-inhibition program becomes the Companys second pipeline drug program but will be secondary to the Veyondaprogram.

References:1. Venkataramani V et al (2019) Nature 573, 532-538.2. Ye ZC, Sontheimer H. (1999) Cancer Res 59, 4383-4391.

About GBMGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive of the primary brain tumors. Patients with GBM present with symptoms such as headache and seizure often late in the disease when the tumour has become well-established and inoperable. As a result, the median survival is very short at about 12 months.

About GlutamateGlutamate (glutamic acid) is a neurotransmitter that brain cells use to pass signals, including electrical impulses, between cells. It is important in learning and memory and is the dominant neurotransmitter in the brain and spinal cord. Glutamate works by increasing the entry of ions such as calcium into receiving nerve cells. Excessive amounts of glutamate lead to toxic amounts of calcium entering the cell, resulting in over-stimulation and death of healthy brain cells in a process known as excitotoxicity.

About NoxopharmNoxopharm is a clinical-stage Australian drug development company with offices in Sydney and New York. The Company has a primary focus on the development of Veyondaand is the major shareholder in Nyrada Inc, a spin-off company developing a pipeline of non-oncology drugs.

http://www.noxopharm.com

Forward Looking StatementsThis announcement may contain forward-looking statements. You can identify these statements by the fact they use words such as aim, anticipate, assume, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, plan, predict, project, plan, should, target, will or would or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections and assumptions made by Noxopharm about circumstances and events that have not yet taken place. Although Noxopharm believes the forward-looking statements to be reasonable, they are not certain. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond the Companys control that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. No representation, warranty or assurance (express or implied) is given or made by Noxopharm that the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are accurate and undue reliance should not be placed upon such statements.

See the original post here:
Potential for Fundamental Change in the Treatment of Brain Cancer - BioSpace

TEXAS, October 17, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) A pediatric endocrinologist who specializes in transgenderism and medical transitions took the stand yesterday in the case of James Younger, theseven-year-old whose mother wants to transition him to a girl. His father, Jeffrey Younger, is trying to stop his ex-wife from doing this.

James mother is Anne Georgulas, a pediatrician.

Dr. Daniel Schumer, the endocrinologist, explained the process of a medical transition, which begins with puberty blockers and eventually can lead to cross-sex hormone therapy. He said that a child who has reached puberty should be given puberty blockers if his or her bodys natural development would cause significant distress.

The point of puberty blockers is to delay the decision making around things that like [gender identity] until the child is older, he said.

Dr. Schumer clarified that starting puberty blockers does not necessarily lead to cross-sex hormone therapy. Dr. Schumer stated that puberty blockers are meant to buy time for children to develop their understanding of gender and develop increased maturity before making the decision to take hormones to make them more like the opposite sex.

When questioned by Mr. Odeneal, Mr. Youngers attorney, and the amicus attorney about the side effects of these drugs, Dr. Schumer claimed they are no different than the normal side effects of puberty for the sex of the desired gender.

Risks with estrogen [are] similar to risks of a female going through puberty.The majority of effects of testosterone or estrogen are similar to puberty.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the side effects of feminizing hormone therapy include:

Dr. Schumer denied that cross-sex hormone therapy leads to any significant side effects. There is a host of evidence that suggests otherwise, and a growing community of people who have de-transitioned back to their real sex.

Follow all LifeSiteNews coverage of the James Younger casehere.

More here:
Expert witness in trial of 7-year-olds transition downplays dangers of cross-sex hormone therapy - Lifesite

Mighty Night uses clean, clinically proven ingredients in effective dosages that work while you sleep resulting in a fresh complexion each morning. The proprietary formula boosts overnight renewal by supporting skin cell turnover, scavenging free radicals, promoting optimal sleep and improving skin texture.

During sleep, the body produces more collagen and melatonin both known to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol fall during sleep, which helps skin to repair daytime damage. And, the human growth hormone, responsible for accelerating skin's repair and cell regeneration, is released during sleep.

Mighty Night ingredients include Ubiquinol, the most absorbable form of CoQ10 which protects the skin cell's membrane and supports overall renewal; Ceramides to lock in moisture and boost elasticity; Ferulic Acid proven to scavenge free radicals; and, a clinically studied combination of Valerian Root, Hops and Passion Flower that helps to promote optimal sleep.

"Sleep is when your skin repairs itself, grows new cells and fortifies against moisture loss and free radical damage. Valerian Root and Hops are two herbs I recommend for better sleep quality, which is critical for overnight recovery," says Dr. Breus PHD, aka The Sleep Doctor.

Dermatologist Dr. Julie Russak of the Russak Dermatology Clinic in New York says: "Ferulic acid and ceramides offer skin benefits while you sleep by improving the protective barrier of skin and strengthening it. When our skin barrier is at its optimal state, we appear healthier. HUM's Mighty Night is a responsibly sourced, multi-beneficial supplement I trust and recommend to my patients."

Mighty Night is available at http://www.humnutrition.com and http://www.sephora.com beginning October 18th. It retails for $40 for a 30-day supply (60 capsules) and is vegan, vegetarian, Non-GMO, gluten-free and sustainably sourced.

Take 2 at bedtime and expect results in 4 to 6 weeks. Here's to a peaceful beauty rest, Sleeping Beauty.

Press Contact:Shauna Aminzadehshauna@humnutrition.com

About HUM NutritionHUM Nutrition, the leading beauty supplement company, revolutionized an entire industry by successfully merging beauty and wellness. By completing the beauty routine from within, HUM initiated a movement that has inspired over half a million people to lead healthier lifestyles and retailers to create a new category. HUM has reinvented every touch point of the vitamin experience starting with a proprietary online quiz that pairs consumers with curated product recommendations and a personal Registered Dietitian. HUM's innovative range addresses ultra-specific beauty concerns. Every formulation is rooted in clinical research, and ingredients are carefully sourced and triple tested by independent labs for quality and purity. HUM's appealing brand resonates like no other with today's consumers and its distinct color-coded packaging and friendly tone has successfully removed the often-intimidating barrier to vitamins and supplements. For more information, visit HumNutrition.com and follow @HumNutrition.

SOURCE HUM Nutrition

http://www.humnutrition.com

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HUM Nutrition Launches Mighty Night, the first skin cell renewal supplement specifically formulated to optimize beauty sleep from within. - PRNewswire

You may want to sort out your chronic pain, look and feel younger, or maybe you would like to increase your energy level so you can pursue your goals.

Well, thankfully the team at Richardson Pain & Wellness is ready and able to help you do it, their doctors have many years of experience with custom-made wellness plans suited to each patients individual needs and wants, ensuring that they not only feel renewed in our office but for many years to come. All you have to do is set up an appointment with one of the doctors, and they will help you get started and create a plan to suit your needs and interests.

The pain clinic Richardson offers testosterone replacement therapy and hormone replacement therapy at Richardson. If tests show that you do have low T and you notice the condition taking over your life, then you should consider hormone replacement therapy in Richardson to supplement the bodys production of testosterone to levels of young adulthood.

Furthermore, replacement therapy may lead to desired results, such as greater muscle mass and a stronger sex drive.However, Richardson Pain & Wellness the testosterone therapy to treat low T is vital is surprised to make you aware. Due to the mental and physical risks may develop with self-administered artificial or synthetic testosterone.The testosterone therapy Richardson is suitable for those with low testosterone, call Richardson Pain & Wellness today to schedule a consultation.

Also, Richardson offers the residents of medical weight loss programs Richardson, which they designed with care and precision to suit each patient. So, what does the weight loss program entail? Well, they create a customized diet, exercise plan, and supplement program, they believe it is essential to focus on workingwith their body for weight loss, not against it.

Richardson Pain & Wellness creates a weight loss program that is put together by two doctors alongside a registered dietitian. These professionals have years of experience in the field of wellness and pain management. For instance, Janel Kobza-Chukhman has over 15 years of nutrition counseling experience. A considerable advantage of Richardson Pain & Wellness is that they provide you with all three elements; a diet plan, an exercise plan, and supplements. Whats even better is the result you achieve after all the hard work of keeping to your specified program.

Richardson believes the key to healthy weight loss is following a plan that is specially made for you, and they are proud of the weight-loss programs they provide for their clients.

Contact the Richardson pain clinic today if you would like to book an appointment and have one of their experienced doctors custom make a wellness plan to suit your needs or if you want to start your weight-loss journey today. Ring the clinic on (972) 907-1125, or you can email alignrightchiropractic@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.

Source:https://thenewsfront.com/richardson-pain-wellness-offering-testosterone-replacement-therapy-male-hormone-replacement-therapy-medically-assisted-weight-loss-and-conservative-pain-management-in-richardson-texas/

Excerpt from:
Richardson Pain & Wellness Offering Testosterone Replacement Therapy, Male Hormone Replacement Therapy, Medically Assisted Weight Loss, and...

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There has been little advancement in the treatment of men's sexual dysfunction, or "E.D.," since the early 90's when the "little blue pill" made it's way onto the scene. Andrew Rinehart with Wasatch Medical Clinic says that finally, there is a new treatment that isn't simply a Band-Aid for erectile dysfunction; it eliminates the problem at its root.

"Acoustic Wave Therapy treats the root cause of the problem, which is blood flow," Rinehart said. "It widens blood vessels, increasing the amount of blood released into the penis during arousal."

It does this, he says, without the harmful side effects that medication and hormone therapy can have. It targets the problem without throwing your whole body off balance.

Andrew said that if viewers call now, a free doctor exam and ultrasound (worth $300+) will be done with a medical doctor. So there really isn't anything to lose! Even if you don't go through with the treatment, you will know the cause of your E.D. But with the results patients are seeing - such as a total rebound in the bedroom in 3-4 weeks, who wouldn't want to give this a try?

For your free consultation, call 801-901-8000 or visit wasatchmedicalclinic.com.

Follow this link:
With this new technology, men have been able to ditch the little blue pill quickly, and for good - KSTU FOX 13 Salt Lake City

A vaginal yeast infection also called vaginal candidiasis occurs when the yeast fungus (candida) that is naturally present in the vaginas microbiome (the collection of good bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that help keep the vagina self-cleaning and healthy) proliferate beyond normal amounts. The imbalance can cause discomfort and pain it may also itch down there but its not typically considered a serious health risk. Still, heres what you need to know to live your life through the irritation and soreness.

The fungus Candida albicans is behind most yeast infections. Its a naturally occurring microbe in the vaginal microbiome that can proliferate out of control when other microbes diminish. (That said, other types of yeast can cause yeast infections, too, but its rarer.)

Certain activities can aid this imbalance. Douching, contrary to popular belief, is an entirely unnecessary, unhygienic practice that actually disrupts the balance of the vaginas microbiome, makes the vagina less healthy, and puts individuals at risk of a vaginal infection. Excess use of antibiotics for instance, taking antibiotics for a cold or the flu (for which antibiotics are ineffective) can kill off the kinds of vaginal bacteria that hold yeast microbes in check and contribute to a yeast infection. Hormone fluctuations as associated with pregnancy, hormonal birth control use, and/or hormone therapy can also affect the balance of the vaginas microbiome and cause a vaginal yeast infection.

The bottom line is this: Yeast infections arent caused by being dirty. Theyre caused by a host of factors, many entirely natural and many outside the control of the person experiencing one.

Three in four women will get a yeast infection at some point in their lives; many of them will experience at least two. Pregnant women are particularly prone to yeast infections, for the same reason they are more prone to urinary tract infections: their hormonal fluctuations can alter the balance of the vaginas microbiome. For the same reason, women who use hormonal birth control may also be at higher risk for yeast infections.

That said, anyone with a vagina is able to contract a vaginal yeast infection. And anyone, period, is able to contract a yeast infection in other parts of the body. (For instance, a yeast infection of the mouth is known as thrush, and yeast infection is a major cause of diaper rash in babies.)

A yeast infection is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, because people with vaginas can also develop a yeast infection by other means than sex. That said, according to the Mayo Clinic, some research suggests that sexual intercourse both oral and vaginal can affect ones risk of yeast infection. Still, it isnt quite clear to scientists whether having oral or vaginal sex when you have a yeast infection makes your partner more likely to get a yeast infection as well, according to Planned Parenthood.

Either way, experts are quite clear: Its best to avoid vaginal and/or oral sexual activity until the yeast infection has cleared up partly because theyre not 100% sure if the infection transfers to a partner, partly because the friction of sex can irritate the vaginal tissue further and worsen the infection, and partly because some oil-based yeast infection treatments could cause condoms to break, raising the risk of pregnancy.

Related on The Swaddle:

Why Women Are More Prone to Urinary Tract Infections Than Men

According to Planned Parenthood and the Mayo Clinic, typical yeast infection symptoms include some or all of the following:

Yeast infections are common before and/or after periods for the same reason pregnant women and women who use hormonal contraceptives are more prone to developing yeast infections: hormonal fluctuations. The waxing and waning of hormones around the time of menstruation can also alter the balance in the vaginas microbiome and put someone at risk of a yeast infection.

Nothing. Yeast infections are treatable during menstruation. Also, its totally fine to use tampons or pads if youre bleeding and also have a yeast infection, Dr. Jennifer Conti, a clinical assistant professor at Stanford University in obstetrics and gynecology, told Womens Health in 2017. However, (a) make sure they are not scented, or deodorizing, tampons and/or pads, which could contribute to an imbalanced vaginal microbiome, and (b) anyone menstruating and experiencing a yeast infection at the same time might want to be more conscious about frequently changing tampons or pads.

For anyone who has never had a yeast infection before, it is a good idea to consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis before attempting to treat a yeast infection at home. Also, pregnant women, women who have diabetes, women who have a weakened immune system, and women who have had four or more yeast infections in the last year should consult a doctor for treatment automatically.

However, for anyone else who is familiar with yeast infections and recognizes the signs, many over-the-counter treatments are available.

According to the Mayo Clinic, anti-fungal medication for yeast infection can come in a variety of forms: creams, ointments, oral pills, and vaginal suppositories. Regimen differs according to each medication, and treatment can last anywhere from one day to a week. Oral pills are not recommended for pregnant women.

For severe yeast infections, or lingering symptoms, a doctor might prescribe a longer course of anti-fungal therapy, a multi-dose therapy (two or more different kinds of anti-fungal medications), or, as a last recourse, a boric acid vaginal suppository, if the infection proves resistant to other forms of treatment.

Home remedies for yeast infection are popular; a quick Google search will provide lists upon lists of at-home, DIY yeast infection treatments, with dahi (yogurt) topping recommendations. While some of these jugaad remedies have tentative or inconsistent scientific support for their curative effects, none have been tested remotely enough to be considered actual treatments. Experts are clear: Do not attempt an at-home, DIY remedy for a vaginal yeast infection without consulting a doctor first.

Yes, certain measures can minimize ones risk of a vaginal yeast infection, per the Mayo Clinic. Avoiding douching tops the list of preventative actions. And avoiding scented feminine products, including pads and tampons, is also a good step for the same reason; the scent additives can disturb the balance of vaginal microbes.

Also, avoiding unnecessary antibiotics can prevent the kinds of vaginal bacteria that hold yeast microbes in check from dying off.

Finally, avoiding lingering in damp clothes, especially damp clothes made of synthetic material such as swimsuits, workout clothes, pantyhose, and synthetic underwear can do much to minimize the chances of a yeast infection. Note that its the breathability of the fabric that is as important as the dryness; for instance, using talcum or other powders might avoid vaginal dampness, but its definitely not a good idea for vaginal health.

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Why Does It Itch 'Down There'? It May Be a Vaginal Yeast Infection - The Swaddle

TEXAS, October 17, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) A number of expert witnesses and healthcare workers testified in court yesterday about transgenderism and James Younger, the seven-year-old whose mother, Anne Georgulas, wants to transition him into a girl against his fathers wishes.

Dr. Benjamin Albritton continued his testimony, followed by Diane Zilca of Dallas County Family Services; Rebekka Ouer, James counselor from Dallas Rainbow Therapy; Dr. Abel Tomatis, James trauma therapist; Jasmine Jackson, a Child Protective Services investigator; and finally, Dr. Daniel Schumer, a pediatric endocrinologist from the University of Michigan.

There were many highlights from the testimonies, and there were a few common veins throughout them. Most of the expert witnesses spoke about the fluidity of James gender presentation, and the positive long-term impact of James identifying with his biological sex.

Mr. Odeneal, the attorney for James dad Jeffrey Younger, and the amicus attorney focused on the discussion of the criteria for a gender dysphoria diagnosis and the definition of gender itself. Each professional who commented on gender gave a slightly nuanced answer and all of them prefaced their statements with, I think gender is

Gender is in the brain...It's not that you want to be [a gender], its that you are, Ms. Ouer told the court.

Gender is more socially constructed, Dr. Tomatis said. It is someones innate sense of oneself as masculine or feminine.

Gender is an internal sense of oneself as a boy or girl, man or woman, or any gender in between....its a social construct, Dr. Schumer insisted. Everyone is born without a gender identity.

Gender is the focus of the case as Georgulas a pediatrician is working to convince the court that she deserves to be named Sole Managing Conservator for James and his twin, Jude. Jeffery Younger, meanwhile, is fighting to prevent Georgulas from making independent decisions for the boys, such as starting a medical gender transition for James.

In addition to defining gender, Youngers attorney and the amicus attorney the court-appointed lawyer who is supposed to be neutral and act in the best interest of the children focused on James diagnosis of gender dysphoria and the imminent threat of a medical transition.

In his questioning of Dr. Albritton, Dr. Tomatis, and Dr. Schumer, Youngers attorney drew their attention to the fact that James does not meet a critical aspect of the criteria required for gender dysphoria: James isnt distressed. Dr. Albritton also testified that the boys are not afraid of their father. Other witnesses testified to the contrary, but Dr. Albritton has spent the most time with the boys and the family of all the expert witnesses.

Albritton noted in his psychological evaluation, which was reviewed during his testimony: Neither child appears to be depressed, anxious or aggressive ...He [James] gave no indications of other significant psychological difficulties.

Dr. Tomatis testified that he saw no clinical symptoms of distress in his interactions with James.

Ms. Ouer stated that the lack of distress exhibited by James is due to the fact that he is affirmed as a girl with his mother and at school.

Mr. Odeneal also highlighted medical records from James pediatrician referring James to a medical transition clinic when he reaches age eight or nine: Will plan to have a psychological evaluation at GENECIS when closer to 8-9 years old to consider hormone suppression.

Dr. Schumer, who specializes in medical transitions, testified that puberty blockers should not be started until a child hits Tanner Stage 2 of puberty. He also told the court that the average start of puberty in someone who is a male is eleven and a half.

Mr. Odeneal also showed the jury a referral letter from Ms. Ouer to Childrens Medical Hospital for the GENECIS clinic. The GENECIS clinic completes gender evaluations and facilitates medical transitions, which involve giving children puberty blockers and in many cases cross-sex hormones.

This is a letter of recommendation that my client, James Younger, aka Luna, begin the process of becoming a patient of the GENECIS clinic so that she [sic] can receive a full psychological assessment for gender dysphoria and potentially take hormone blockers.

The expert witnesses, all of whom were paid by Georgulas to testify, and the state agency representatives admitted that James does not identify with only one gender.

Dr. Albritton told the court, There is still some fluidity in his [James] thinking.

Ms. Zilca, from Dallas County Family Services, refused to call James by anything other than Luna. She told the court, She [James] does not identify with only one gender.

James counselor Ms. Ouer who specializes in working with the LGBT community told the court that gender fluidity means something different for each person. She also stated that James may not be transgender despite her having diagnosed him with gender dysphoria since there is some fluidity in his expression.

Ms. Ouer and many of the other experts insisted on the importance of calling James Luna and letting the seven-year-old guide any changes.

While questioning Ms. Ouer, the amicus attorney shared that James initially came to his mom asking to be called Starfire, a female character in Teen Titans Go! Ms. Ouer chuckled slightly.The amicus attorney asked why allowing James to go by Starfire didnt align with Ms. Ouers recommendation of letting children control their gender transition. Ms. Ouer stated that affirming the childs underlying gender desires is what is most important.

Dr. Tomatis, James so-called trauma counselor, also testified. Georgulas attorneys referred to Dr. Tomatis as James trauma counselor, but he said he neither specializes in trauma, nor has he diagnosed James with trauma. He noted that he is seeing James to help with emotional regulation in the midst of such difficult circumstances.

Dr. Schumer, a pediatric endocrinologist specializing in gender transitioning, was flown in from Michigan to testify. In his testimony, he said that children begin developing the concept of gender between six and seven years old, but later also stated it occursbetween five and seven years old. James first reported to his father that his mother told him he was a girl when he was just three years old.

At one point during Dr. Schumers testimony, Georgulas attorneys shared Dr. Schumers formal custody recommendation with the court. Dr. Schumer has never met either of the boys or their parents. Judge Kim Cooks chastised the lawyers privately and announced to the court that only Dr. Albritton is qualified to make custody recommendations.

Each of the expert witnesses admitted that returning to identifying as being a boy would be the easiest path forward for James.

Certainly it offers less challenges for him, Dr. Albritton stated.

Being trans is not an easy path, Ms. Ouer testified.

There was much back and forth regarding gender, sex, prounouns, and whether James should be called James or Luna.

The case resumed today with Mr. Youngers testimony.

Follow all LifeSiteNews coverage of the James Younger case here.

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Pro-LGBT adults admit 7-year-old in gender transition case isnt totally convinced hes a girl - Lifesite

For those who want to match their physical gender with what they feel is their true gender, Thailand is the place for Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) also known as Gender Reassignment Surgery, Sex Change Operation, and MtF Surgery, to name a few. So, what makes Thailand such an attractive destination for this type of procedure? In short, its because patients can get the most out of such surgeries in Thailand thanks to the number of highly trained surgeons, low-cost and quality health care, and decades of knowledge and experience in perfecting this procedure.

If youre considering SRS in Thailand, or you have a family member, a partner, or a friend who is wondering what is involved in the procedure, this guide should help to paint a clearer picture.

To undergo SRS is a huge, life-changing decision that should not be made lightly. It is a lengthy process that requires a lot of resilience and patience. Before the actual surgery, you will first need to live as a woman for at least a year and undertake hormone treatment to help reshape your body contour and stimulate the growth of a labia majora.

Heres a list of the required prerequisites that all surgeons will insist upon before considering your case:

The actual process usually involves a few procedures:

You may also choose other surgical procedures, such as a Tracheal Shave to remove your Adams apple, or a Buttock Augmentation to increase the volume of the buttocks. Since every patient is unique, the procedures involved in SRS can be performed based on your needs and budget.

The most important part of male-to-female surgery is the creation of the vagina. There are numerous surgical techniques to do this based on your preference. You can discuss with your surgeon which one is best for you. The other popular techniques are as follows:

1. SRS without vaginal depth

2. SRS with Penile Skin Inversion

3. SRS with Scrotal Skin Graft

4. SRS with Sigmoid Colon by Laparoscopic Technique

Caitlyn Jenner, Possibly the Most Famous Transgender Person Ever

Recovery after surgery will be a long and painful process. It will also require several follow up procedures as well as constant monitoring so you will have to stay a little bit longer at the hospital until you are fully ready to be discharged. Generally, allow for a minimum of 3 weeks stay in Thailand or the country of your choice area after your surgery. Most people are able to return to work in about 4-6 weeks after a sex change operation. Furthermore, you can resume strenuous work and exercise in about 6-8 weeks. It is vital that you strictly follow all medication instructions during your recovery period.

Social support is very important before and after the surgery, especially the support that comes from your family and loved ones. You have to be socially and emotionally stable before you undergo the operation. This is why it is required that you have proper counseling to help you with your emotional wellbeing. You have to prepare yourself mentally, before, during and after transition because it can be quite overwhelming and stressful.

It is also important that you maintain regular check-ups with your local Doctor to monitor the progress of your healing and avoid such complications.

The success rate for a sex change is very high, given our technological advancements. Gender reassignment surgery from male to female has a higher success rate than female to male; this is why more male transgender opts for a sex change.

However, given the nature and complexities of this type of surgery, you also have to be aware of its complications:

Possible side effects may also include:

SRS can be very expensive, especially since it is difficult to get this type of surgery in many countries. One reason why Thailand is popular with those who want to change their sexual identity is that the country offers more affordable fees. Many patients come from the United States because the US has the most expensive male-to-female SRS prices in the world.

The prices range from $25,000 to $30,000 for just the reconstruction of the genitals alone. If you want to add breast augmentation and voice feminisation surgery, you can expect to pay more than $50,000. Additionally, some clinics in the US dont include consultation fees in their prices, so you need to pay at least $50-100 for every consultation.

In general, SRS in Thailand costs around a third to half of what it can cost in the United States. For the reconstruction of the genitals in Thailand, you can expect to pay between $8,400 to $13,700 depending on which technique you choose.

Breast augmentation costs approximately $4,100 to $6,170 and Voice Feminisation Surgery costs between $3,590 to $7,180. In total, you will need to pay around $16,090 to $27,050 in Thailand for the complete procedure. These prices can also include packages, such as hospitalization accommodation, post-operative care, consultation fee, post-operative care, medications, and transportation.

The low-cost healthcare in Thailand does not mean low-quality treatment. In fact, Thailand is extremely popular among medical tourists because the country is known to have high-quality healthcare. Numerous medical centers in Thailand are accredited by prestigious international organizations, such as the Joint Commission International (JCI). The country has come a long way since its first Sex Reassignment Surgery in 1975, with many surgeons specialising in SRS for years, some even have over 20 years of experience. With their skills and experience, the surgeons and clinics can give patients the proper care they need and guarantee the best possible result.

Since there are many medical centres in the country that offer Male to Female SRS, it is understandable that some will better than others. To avoid disappointment, do your research, read reviews, find out about the clinics accreditation, and ask for your surgeons certifications. Better still, seek out the services of a dedicated Medical Tourism Facilitator like MyMediTravel who will guide you through the whole process and find you the best possible surgeon/clinic/hospital available and within your budget.

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Your ultimate guide to Sex Reassignment Surgery in Thailand (male to female) - The Thaiger

Medical clinics across the country are advertising a treatment some believe is a fountain of youth. They're selling hormone therapy as a way to make people look and feel younger. But a CBS News investigation finds this may be putting patients at risk.

Last year, at the age of 60, Cindy Kinder-Benge was rushed to a hospital in New Albany, Indiana, with a heart rate four times normal. Two months earlier, she had gone to the emergency room with palpitations.

"A cardiologist walks in and he said, 'Who put you on thyroid medicine?'" Kinder-Binge said.

She had been prescribed a thyroid hormone for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, even though her thyroid blood levels were normal. She says her cardiologist had her stop taking the hormone because he believed it contributed to her irregular heartbeat.

She was treated by a nurse practitioner at a clinic called 25 Again. Hormone therapy is promoted as a way to help patients lose weight and feel younger. But a CBS News investigation found there are clinics across the country prescribing hormones like thyroid and testosterone to people with normal levels and it's not just 25 Again.

Ultrasound technician Leighann Decker is a former employee of an OB-GYN in Owensboro, Kentucky. The doctor Decker worked for prescribed testosterone to patients with normal testosterone levels looking to turn back the clock.

"More and more practitioners have tried to jump on board and when they've seen the profit that's being made from it. Of course, it's cash pay. It's easy money," Decker said.

The doctor in Kentucky and the practitioner in Indiana both attended seminars given by Dr. Neal Rouzier. He has been promoting hormone replacement therapy for decades and said he's trained thousands of clinicians around the world. During a 2016 deposition, he said he gives testosterone to patients even if their levels are normal.

"I don't care about the number. I treat patients. I treat symptoms," Rouzier said.

Some research suggests testosterone therapy may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. In 2015, Rouzier dismissed that concern.

"There's thousands of articles to show protection against heart attacks," he said.

But under oath, in that deposition, he was unable to point to any evidence that would back up his claim that his approach to testosterone therapy is safe.

"The problem is that there is no fountain of youth," said Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Nissen is leading an FDA-mandated study to see if giving testosterone affects the risk of heart attack or stroke in men with low levels."There's no scientific basis for giving hormone therapy to people whose levels are already normal and there's lots of suggestions that it may actually be harmful," Nissen said.

Kinder-Binge is suing 25 Again. The company told CBS News the overall health of their patients is their priority and they make patients aware of any risks. Rouzier declined our request for an interview and did not respond to a list of written questions.

The company 25 Again sent the following statement to CBS News:

We thank CBS News for reaching out to us regarding our company. While we are unable to speak to a particular patient's health because of federal health guidelines (HIPAA), we are eager to discuss the many benefits we provide to our patients and clear up any confusion or false information regarding hormone replacement therapy.

At 25 Again, the overall health of our patients is our priority and our mission. Hormone therapy is only a part of what we do in consideration of a person's health. Many of the patients we see have been turned away by their primary care physician or have not otherwise been able to find help to alleviate symptoms they may be experiencing.

From the start, when a potential patient visits us, we make them fully aware of any possible risks associated with hormone replacement therapy. Patients must sign a consent form before they can participate. Every patient at 25 Again is also required to undergo a physical and blood test, so that our team can first look at each person's health history to decide the best course of action, whether hormone replacement is the best fit for the patient, and the level of hormones needed for the individual patient. Individuals can also opt out at any time, and all patients are directed to, and agree to, remain under the care of another physician for all other medical conditions.

Hormone replacement therapy can be used to alleviate many signs and symptoms known to be associated with certain declining hormones, including inflammation in the body, which is the root cause of many diseases like cardiovascular disease, arthritis, depression, stress and more. Studies show lower hormone levels can cause these symptoms, and hormone replacement therapy can help people reach their optimal hormone levels.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), normal lab test values are a set of upper and lower limits generally given as a range because normal values vary from person to person. At 25 Again, we treat the patient individually and consider many other factors while addressing hormone levels. We have more than 7,000 customers, many of whom have found relief with this method. If a patient is still experiencing symptoms, additional hormones may be given safely.

Like other forms of medication in the health care industry, before a potential patient signs a consent form, they are informed that this treatment may not be effective for every individual. An individual's lab results are always available upon request, and are often used to show them how wide the range of normal can be for hormone levels.

If you or someone you know have information you'd like to share regarding a hormone therapy clinic, email:investigates@cbsnews.comor contact the CBS News Investigative Unit via one of the methods on ourtips page.

Read more:
Hormone therapy clinics could be putting patients in danger - CBS News

Two years ago, federal corrections officer Emmitt Landry was taken to a Houston hospital after having a stroke at age 41. About a month earlier, Landry had been feeling fatigued when coworkers told him about Optimum Wellness, a clinic in Nederland, Texas, that could treat him with hormones.

"I was just looking for something to help me get through the day," Landry told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook. At the hospital, doctors tried to figure out why someone so young would have a stroke. The only thing doctors could deduce, according to Landry, was that the testosterone caused a clot.A nurse practitioner at the clinic Landry visited in Nederland had prescribed him testosterone even though his testosterone blood levels were normal. Optimum Wellness is one of a number of medical clinics across the country selling hormone therapy that some believe could provide patients a fountain of youth. A CBS News investigation found there are clinics across the country prescribing hormones like testosterone to people with normal blood levels.

Landry says his nurse practitioner only highlighted the benefits and never discussed a possible risk of heart disease, stroke or any other problems whatsoever.

In Texas, nurse practitioners are not allowed to prescribe hormones without a doctor's approval. Landry's treatment was overseen by Dr. James Kern, an OB/GYN in Houston about 100 miles away. In October 2017, the Optimum clinic was raided by the DEA and shortly after that, Kern withdrew his supervision. The DEA declined to comment.

Amy Townsend, a doctor in southeast Texas, told CBS News, "I'm seeing multiple people that are my friends and my family that are being treated completely inappropriately."

So, she decided to report the clinic to the state nursing board. But according to Townsend, they didn't take action.

Oversight comes from state medical and nursing boards. CBS News reached out to both sets of boards in all 50 states and of the 95% that responded, only seven states have both medical and nursing boards who keep track of incidents related to hormone therapy. "Right now this practice of giving testosterone to people who, in your mind, shouldn't be getting it, it's still going on?" LaPook asked.

"It's widespread throughout the country," Townsend said.

Landry said these clinics prey on people's fears of growing old and that when he walked out of the hospital after suffering a stroke, he felt embarrassed.

"I went to these physicians looking for help and I had a stroke," Landry said. "And I'm supposed to be taking care of my family."In February 2018, the nurse practitioner who treated Landry lost his license for inappropriately prescribing hormones to Landry and others and in August, the clinic closed its doors for good.Landry is now suing Dr. Kern and the nurse practitioner who treated him at the clinic. They've denied Landry's allegations.

CBS News reached out to Dr. Kern and the nurse practitioner, but they declined our request for comment.

If you or someone you know have information you'd like to share regarding a hormone therapy clinic, email:investigates@cbsnews.comor contact the CBS News Investigative Unit via one of the methods on ourtips page.

2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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A clinic treated a fatigued 41-year-old with testosterone. A month later he had a stroke. - CBS News

Erin Reed was just 13 years old when she first began researching gender transition. It took her another 18years to transition publiclyand access to treatment, or lack thereof, played a big role in the wait.

As a teen, Reed found that in order tobe prescribed hormone therapy, she would need letters from gender specialists and she would have to present as a girl for months (or even longer) prior to her first dose. It just didnt seem like something I could access, she told Rewire.News. Transitioning without hormones terrified Reedalthough many trans people do transition non-medically, she didnt want toso she didnt try at all.

There was no way I could present as female for a year before receiving treatment. The whole process just seemed really daunting to me, Reed said.

It wasnt until adulthood that Reed, now the digital director of the progressive news site Shareblue, discovered informed consent (IC) clinics, where trans people can access hormones without jumping through the various hoops. Reed booked an appointment at one a few hours from her home in Washington, D.C., and began hormone replacement therapy a few months ago. But after herchallenging road to finding the resources she needed, Reed felt inspired to help others. So she created what has become one of the largest repositories of information on IC clinics in the country: a map of clinics all over the United States.

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Conventional medical wisdom holds that hormone therapy treatment should involve a long series of complex steps. Rather than having to consult with a mental health professional and present as their gender for a year, patients at informed consent clinics are educated about the impact of the drugs they are interested in starting therapy with. If they are determined to be of sound mind and fully able to consent, they can sign a form and begin treatment. Patients, who are often still in the early stages of hormone therapy at IC clinics, are then monitored carefully; their hormone levels are checked every few months.

For Reed, this was key: You can just start. That just blew my mind. I wished I could have done it 10 or 15 years ago. Knowing that was an option gave me the confidence to transition.

Informed consent doesnt mean that trans people are receiving medication with any less oversight thanpatients being prescribed any other non-addictive drug. IC clinics just operate the way standard treatment processes should,allowing doctors to treat their patients as they see fit and giving patientsthe right to advocate for themselves. The clinics vary in structure; some are independent facilities, and others, likethe transgender health program at Bostons Fenway Health and the trans health clinic at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), are operated by larger medical systems. Some Planned Parenthood clinics offer IC hormone treatment, but not all of them.

A study of 12 informed consent clinics conducted bya UCSF medical professor found minimal risk of regret and no known cases of malpractice suits. UCSF also noted that most providers are already familiar with the hormones used for gender-affirming hormone therapy because the medications areused for conditions ranging from male pattern baldness to menopause.

Some people have criticized IC clinics forpotentiallytreating patients who arent actually trans or who later change their minds. Statistically, however, thatseems to be incredibly rare. A 2018 study of surgeons that had treated more than 22,000 transgender patients in total found that, between them, the providers could only recall62 patientsthat had ever expressed regret about transitioning.

I always hear that the big concern is that: What if you are letting people through that are just going to de-transition, or what if you are letting people through who arent transgender? I can tell you from my personal life and from everyone I have spoken to . If youre looking into transitioning, chances are youre transgender, Reed said.

Generally speaking, patients have to be 18 to accesshormone therapy and related treatment through informed consent, although advocates are pushing for that limitation to be dropped in certain cases. For adult trans folks, though, IC can streamline the process significantly.

Considering all of this, Reed decided to share the word about informed consent. I spent probably 20 to 25 straight hours in front of my laptop, just looking up clinics, she explained. Reed scoured the internet and also crowdsourced info on clinics from other trans folks, asking people to send in the names and locations of clinics they had used. Once she found them, Reed compiled the clinics into a map she shared on social media, which has now been viewed more than 88,000 times.

Reeds map shows a serious dearth of informed consent clinics in certain areas of the country, like Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. Overall, the Rocky Mountain, Southeast, and Midwest regions have far fewer clinics than the Northeast and the West Coast. Clinics are also concentrated near major metropolitan areas.

Informed consent clinicscannot necessarily guarantee that a patients medication will be covered by their insurance; Reed is still paying out pocket for hers because of the slow process of approval through Kaiser.

Informed consent isnt a complete or perfect solution, but the IC map has still been a powerful tool for transpeople.

I have gotten private messages from people saying stuff like that: that they wouldnt have been able to do it without the map,Reed said. And I wouldnt have been able to transition without [knowing about informed consent], so I understand.

Reed hopes that her map will not only be a resource for other transpeople, but potentially serve as an example for policymakers, health-care practitioners, and other decision-makersboth trans and cisabout the importance of informed consent. Ideally, Reed said, projects like hers will eventually be replicated by others, taking some of the pressure off of trans people to constantly produce their own resources in the absence of information.

If we didnt have to take all the burden on ourselves, that would be great, she said.

For many transpeople, access to hormone therapy is an important aspect of being able to live on their own terms and feel comfortable in their bodies. Being able to begin treatment without the trauma and expense of being forced to see gender specialists can be radically liberating.

Moving from transition being a theoretical thing, to an actual concrete thing, being able to make a plan, knowing that there is a physical place you can go, and seeing it on the mappotentially not far from youI think it gives people a little bit of courage to be themselves, Reed said.

Original post:
Meet the Woman Making It Easier for Trans People Around the Country to Get Hormones - Rewire.News

Do you sometimes run through all your childrens names first when trying to call the dog? (Amy! Dave! Brian oh, for the love of Beanie!) Recalling whats-her-name who did that thing with that guy in that movie? (You know who, that guy who also did the thing?) If you are a postmenopausal woman, you might be able to blame your fogginess on the length of time your body produced estrogen naturally and how long you took hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known ashormone therapy (HT).

Related: Perimenopause and Menopause: Whats the Difference?

Men and women have different sex hormones that have different effects on the brain as we age. A study published online October 16, 2019,in thejournal Menopausehas found that the longer a woman has been exposed to estrogen (from onset of menstruation to menopause or through early use of HT after menopause), the better her brain health and mental flexibility as she enters her sixties.

Related: Hormones and Your Health: An Essential Guide

The study looked at more than 2,000 postmenopausal women over 12 years to discover what, if any, association there is between estrogen and brain health. They focused on how long the woman had been exposed to estrogen, adjusting for pregnancies (when they would be exposed to more hormones), breastfeeding (when they would have produced less estrogen), and if they took HT for any length of time.(Use of hormonal birth control was not considered because thiscontraception methodregulates, rather than significantly add, estrogen.)

The women were tested at various points on five factors of brain health, including psychomotor skills, memory, identification and association, orientation, and concentration and calculation. It would make sense to define this as broad thinking skills, such as memory, concentration, and being able to make decisions quickly, explainsJoshua M. Matyi,lead study author and doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Utah State University in Logan.

Related: Stress Can Shrink Your Brain, Study Says

This study found that the longer the estrogen window (when women were naturally producing estrogen), the better the womens brain function was. The brain function of participants who took HT remained the same, but was higher than those who did not take HT. Cumulatively, length of estrogen exposure was associated with how the participants would do on the cognitive measure test, says Matyi.

Related: Treatments for Menopausal and Perimenopausal Symptoms

Many studies on estrogens effect have been conflicting and complex. In 2003, the large Womens Health Initiative Memory Study(WHIMS) showed anincreasein dementia risk for women taking HT. (These are the studies that influenced the application of the black box warning on many HT products.) However," Matyisays, "our results are in contrast to those results. Also, our study shows support for the critical window hypothesis, which suggests that HT should be initiated closer to menopause, rather than later, to reduce any reduce any risks related to thinking and learning abilities.He adds, We also did not see any change in women who started and stopped HT. Thats an indication that the majority of effect occurred years before our study. This means that benefits may potentially continue even after discontinuing.

Some women go into menopause earlier than normal because of cancer treatments or removal of the ovaries.This study shows that for these women (under age 45), early treatment with HT at least until the natural age of menopause (around age 51 in the United States) the benefits will outweigh the risk, unless there is a clear reason to avoid HT, such as breast cancer history.

Related: How to Keep Your Brain Sharp and Healthy as You Age

The decision gets more complicated as you get older. Weve suggested that any woman going through menopause before the age of 45 should use HT, for the protective effect. unless there is a medical reason not to do so. It helps not just the brain but the heart and bones as well. Its never going to be cut and dried; it has to be weighed out in terms of risk and benefits, saysStephanie S. Faubion MD, medical director ofNAMS, and Penny and Bill George Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Womens Health in Rochester, MInnesota.

The actions described can provide additional benefit even if you are taking hormone therapy. According to Harvard Health Publishing, you can up your chances of finding your glasses, phone, or keys by following these suggestions:

Related: 7 Ways to Move More at Midlife

Further research is needed on the connection between the brain health and estrogen. These are complicated questions but researchers are looking into it. This study brings us one step close to solving the riddle, says Faubion.

More:
Estrogen May Protect Brain From Cognitive Decline - Everyday Health

Melatonin is a hormone produced by your brains pineal gland, which controls your internal sleep and body clock.

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The supplements you buy in the store contain a synthetic version of melatonin. They will not increase your sleep drive or put you to sleep, and most research does not show significant benefit in using them as sleeping pills.

But if melatonin is taken at a time and dosage that is appropriate for someones sleep problem, it can help shift the biological sleep clock earlier. This can be helpful for shift workers and people with circadian rhythm disorders.

My general recommendation is less is more, or 0.3 milligrams to 1 milligram taken several hours before bedtime. Unfortunately, most melatonin sold over-the-counter is available in doses ranging from 3 milligrams to 10 milligrams, which is much more than your body needs.

To allow your bodys own melatonin to work best, you should create optimal conditions. Keep lights dim in the evening and avoiding using a computer, smartphone or tablet before bed, as bright light exposure can inhibit the release of melatonin. In addition, getting light exposure in the morning can help keep your sleep-wake cycle on track, so get outside for a morning walk when you wake up, if possible.

Sleep specialist Michelle Drerup, PsyD

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What's the Right Way to Take Melatonin? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

October 12 2019, 12:01am,The Times

A child gender clinic in London is being threatened with legal action. The question of whether children can agree to life-altering treatment must be carefully weighed

The moment a pregnancy is announced, expectant mothers are asked whether they are awaiting a boy or a girl. As children get older, most have a straightforward relationship with their gender. Yet for a growing minority, the question becomes vexed and can cause immense distress.

In recent years the number of children reporting gender dysphoria the conviction that the sex on their birth certificate is the wrong one has rocketed. Five years ago, 468 children were referred to the Tavistock and Portman NHS trusts gender identity development service in north London, while last year alone, 2,519 children were referred.

Today we report that the clinic is being threatened with legal action by a parent who wants to stop it from prescribing hormone blockers

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The Times view on the Tavistock clinic and hormone-blocking drugs for the young: Informed Consent - The Times

PEORIA UnityPoint Health is offering a new form of birth control.

Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) is a one-time long-term method of birth control that can be easily removed by a doctor. Users have three to ten years of birth control depending on which method they use.

My goal is to improve reproductive health for women. Im always looking for opportunities to increase our communitys access to birth control, especially the under served public insurance population, said Dr. Rahmat NaAllah, UnityPoint Clinic Family Medical Center provider and Family Residency Program faculty member.

In addition to providing the option to women at the UnityPoint Clinic Family Medical Center, the organization is also working to get more physicians trained to dispense LARC.

As a faculty member in our residency program, I want to train the residents to be more competent and confident in contraceptive procedures. Currently less than 20 percent of family physicians nationwide are trained in LARC placement. As a doctor, I want to increase accessibility for our patients, said NaAllah.

UnityPoint Health is offering women two LARC options. Nexplanon is an arm implant. A plastic rod the size of a matchstick is inserted in the arm under the skin. The intrauterine device is a T-shaped plastic device placed inside the uterus. A non-hormone copper IUD alternative is available. Nexplanon and the IUDs release the hormone progestin, which make it difficult for sperm to reach an egg in the uterus.

Women who use LARC dont require any other form of birth control. LARC also reduces menstrual pain, and doesnt interfere with sexual activity. Many women like LARC because it can make periods lighter. And because they dont have to take a pill every day or renew a prescription, its more convenient, said Na'Allah.

LARC is the most effective birth control with a failure rate of less than one percent, said NaAllah. All the major healthcare organizations like the CDC, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, and American Academy of Pediatrics support these findings.

NaAllah notes that contrary to popular belief, the risk of an IUD puncturing the uterus is less than 2 percent. Her team takes extra precaution in measuring the depth of a womans uterus before placing the IUD to ensure it is safely secure.

Every woman has a right to plan their pregnancy, so they can be empowered and productive members of society. To help women reach their best, they need to have access to birth control. I want to help our community and beyond. I want to be able to train more future family physicians so wherever they go to practice they are part of the solution and not part of the problem, said NaAllah.

The Family Medical Center is a UnityPoint Health family medicine and residency clinic with the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria partnership. Doctors at the clinic are currently dispensing the LARC devices during a once-a-month clinic, but the program may be expanded to once a week to meet demand.

UnityPoint Clinic Family Medical Center is at 815 Main St. in Downtown Peoria. To schedule a LARC appointment to speak to a provider about different LARC options, call 672-4977.

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UnityPoint Health is offering Long Acting Reversible Contraception - Pekin Daily Times

CRANBURY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OncLive, the nations leading multimedia resource focused on providing oncology professionals with the most current and insightful information they need to offer the best patient care, will host its latest State of the Science Summit on Genitourinary Cancer on Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 5-9 p.m. at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, in Arizona. The chair for the summit will be Alan H. Bryce, M.D., medical director of the genomic oncology clinic, chair of the division of hematology/oncology and associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic.

This interactive and educational meeting will analyze and discuss novel treatments for patients with genitourinary cancers. The expert presenters will explore a wide variety of related topics, such as novel imaging in nonmetastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, the role of radiation therapy in prostate cancer, treatment of nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, advances in metastatic prostate cancer, advanced urothelial cancer and the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy in renal cell cancer. The presenters will also engage in a peer exchange and address audience questions.

The presenters for the summit include the following:

State of the Science Summit is a premier conference series hosted by OncLive that features medical experts from across the nation discussing treatment options. Each summit integrates academic and community-based physicians and health care professionals across key disciplines, from medical and surgical oncology to hematology.

Registration is free and open to all health care professionals, and food and beverages will be served. For more information and to register, visit https://www.onclive.com/meetings/soss or contact Kayla Collins at kcollins@onclive.com.

About OncLive

A digital platform of resources for practicing oncologists, OncLive offers oncology professionals information they can use to help provide the best patient care. OncLive is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in the U.S. dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

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OncLive Presents State of the Science Summit on Genitourinary Cancers - Business Wire

You know how some people could eat ice cream every day, and others are satisfied with one cone a month? Your sex drive is like your appetite, according to Sheryl Kingsberg, PhD, the chief of behavioral medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Some people are in the mood for sex daily, while others are happiest getting action less often. But what might it mean if your sex drive suddenly goes AWOL?

An ebb in sexual appetite is often due to a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Here are a few of the reasons you may be less interested in getting it on:

If deadlines, family woes, or spats with friends are weighing on your mind, chances are theyll also put the kibosh on any interest in sex. If there are too many things causing inhibition, those will outweigh your ability to process and respond to a sexual cue, explains Kingsberg.

Obvious alert: Discomfort during sex makes it very difficult to focus on any pleasure that may also be happening. But many women who experience this kind of pain think that what they feel is normal, says Irwin Goldstein, MD, the director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California.

Pain is never normal, but it is common: Three in four women have pain during sex at some time in their lives, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Pharmaceuticals can be a huge help for certain medical conditions, but a side effect of some can be low sexual desire. One biggie: SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which can help those living with depression but also increase serotonin, a known inhibitor of desire. About 40 percent of sexual dysfunction in people with depression can be attributed to antidepressants, according to a 2016 paper in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Additionally, some birth control pills can decrease desire because they lower the production of testosterone, Dr. Goldstein explains. Although women have less of this sex hormone than men do, a drop in T can impair womens libido.

Bringing a child into the world impacts, well, everything, and that can definitely include how often youre in the mood. The changes in your hormones during pregnancy, after giving birth, and while breastfeeding may interfere with the hormones that cause sexual drive, Kingsberg explains.

Additionally, if youre breastfeeding, you may think of your bodyand your breasts in particularas maternal and not sexual. Or, you may be touched out by having constant contact with baby. Add to all of that a potential shift in body image and a lack of time, energy, and privacy, and your sex drive can go totally MIA.

Both current and past relationships can take a toll on your sex life. Previous traumas, a partners sexual dysfunction, infidelity, not feeling connected to your partner, trust issues, and more can all make it hard to want to be intimate.

HSDD is the persistent loss of sexual thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and interest in sex that causes distress, Kingsberg explains. You may have HSDD if you know what its like to want to have sex and masturbate, yet you no longer feel that way. If this feeling lasts for at least six months and it bothers you, HSDD might be to blame.

Many women just deal with the disappearance of their sex drive. In one recent survey* of 1,686 women ages 25 to 49, almost half of respondents who said they experienced symptoms of low sexual desire havent discussed them with anyone.

Plus, research shows that the majority of women with desire issues and distressing sexual problems dont mention them to a healthcare provider, often because theyre too embarrassed or uncomfortable. But, your sexual health is important to your overall health and quality of life, and treatments are available, Kingsberg says. You dont need to suffer in silence. So speak up!

Therapy, either alone or in combination with medication, can help you get your mojo back. Psychotherapy can change the dynamic between a couple living with low desire or help a woman change her perception of how and what sex means to her, Kingsberg says. It can also validate your experience, in turn helping you regain your confidence and sexuality.

A physical exam can be the first step to diagnosing conditions that may be causing the issue, such as ovarian cysts or endometriosis. Chatting with your doctor could help you figure out how to relieve pain caused by something more temporary, such as a lack of lubrication or a UTI.

Its def worth talking to to your doctor to see if an alternative treatment option might be available.

Make sure you set aside time for yourself to exercise, eat well, and relaxall things that can help with a shift in body image and low energy levels. And def make time for the occasional date night. This will help you get out of mommy-mode so you can get your sexy back.

If youre still not into the idea of having sex after a few months of taking more time for self care, see your doctor to rule out any other underlying issues.

Your doctor can diagnose you by asking a set of questions about your sex drive. If it turns out thats the cause, they may prescribe medication that raises dopamine and lowers serotonin (desire starts in the brain, not the genitals, Kingsberg explains), or a medication that activates melanocortin receptors, which increase sexual desire.

* Survey was conducted by Women's Health & Cosmopolitan, in partnership with a pharmaceutical company that sells a drug to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).

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What It Might Mean If You're Craving Sex Less Often Than You Used To - Women's Health

Patients with life-threatening conditions have been left waiting on the phone to see a doctor at a medical practice in Wokingham.

A woman receiving post-cancer treatment and an 84-year-old man who was subsequently rushed to hospital after waiting outside Wokingham Medical Centre are among those affected by large waiting times and frustrating appointment booking systems.

Hordes of patients registered at the Wokingham Medical Centre (WMC) have contacted The Wokingham Paper this week, most of whom have found it increasingly difficult to book an appointment with a GP.

With over 164,000 people currently registered across the boroughs 13 GP practices, resources are in heavy demand.

Local resident, Jane Thomas (whose name has been changed for privacy), believes that the service provided by WMC isnt set up for patients with ongoing medical needs.

The 35-year-old had breast cancer five years ago, and has since had multiple surgeries alongside a thyroid condition.

She said: I have to have an injection every 12 weeks as part of post-cancer hormone suppression treatment. This is time critical and so has to happen as close as possible to 12 weeks.

However Wokingham Medical Practice doesnt put more than four weeks of appointments on the system at one time, so there is no way of booking my next injection at the time I am having an appointment.

Because the booking system isnt working for thse who need ongoing medical treatment. Ms Thomas sometimes has to use A&E if she cannot get a time-appropriate appointment for her post-cancer hormone suppression treatment.

Dr Helen Rutherford, GP at Wokingham Medical Centre and Medical Director for the Wokingham Division of Modality Partnership said: At Wokingham Medical Centre, patient care is our number one priority.

We appreciate that in certain instances being able to book an appointment three months in advance would be beneficial. For example, where patients need a regular appointment for a time-critical medication to be administered.

However, the reason that we reduced this to four weeks ahead was due to the significant numbers of patients not coming to their advance booked appointments.

The numbers of Did Not Attend were on average 450 appointments a month, and by having a four weekly booking process this number has been reduced to an average of 216 missed appointments a month.

Telephone wait times

Local resident Karen Knight is currently undergoing physiotherapy from a private healthcare provider, and is in need of an MRI scan, for which she requires a GP referral.

She said: I have tried unsuccessfully to get a doctors appointment for over a week, and was looking to book an appointment for up to a months time, all to no avail.

I was religiously calling each morning at 8am on the dot, and my place in the queue varied from 41st to 35th each time.

Sometimes I was holding on the line for over an hour and then before getting through, I was getting cut off on the majority of occasions.

When Mrs Knight eventually got through to reception, she was told that there were no pre-bookable appointments, even for one month in advance.

The reception staffs response to my concern and disappointment with not getting an appointment was to say that I need to call tomorrow, said Mrs Knight. Tomorrow will be no different, as I know from past experience.

The current system in place requires patients to either ring first thing, when the centre opens at 8am, or to queue outside from 7.30am to see a doctor the same day.

Ms Thomas said: No matter how minor the issue, you have to go and stand in person for half an hour before the surgery opens to have any hope of getting seen that day.

Dr Rutherford said: We have reviewed and we are changing our telephone system, so it is more responsive, and will be able to recognise a callers details. This will help speed up the call process, so patients should have less of a wait to speak to someone.

Effect on the elderly

The most common concern that patients of WMC have is the difficulty in obtaining appointments and how this is affecting the elderly.

Expressing concern for her stepfather, Sue Woodason said: My 84-year-old stepfather was very poorly last Tuesday. He phoned the Wokingham Medical Centre at 8am and was 40th in the queue.

He made the decision to get to the practice and was able to get an appointment that day so he waited in the surgery. When he finally saw a GP they immediately phoned for an ambulance to take him to A&E. He then was left sitting in the A&E waiting room for over six hours after initially being accessed, then waiting for results of a blood test.

A spokesperson from Modality Partnership said: We have introduced new ways to ensure any patient who needs a same-day appointment for an urgent need can be seen either in our acute care clinic or can receive an online consultation with a GP via our Push Doctor service, this has helped to alleviate some of the pressure.

However, WMC isnt the only surgery coming under fire for their appointment wait times.

Resident Catherine Smith who attends Brookside Practice, Earley said that she often experienced a four-week wait time to see a named GP, after having a double transplant.

Yet, she attributes the difficulties in getting a GP appointment to failings by the national Government in their provisions for the NHS.

Ms Smith said: Currently, too few GPs are trying to take on ever-increasing numbers of patients to the detriment of their own well being.

I believe the problem is caused by successive governments not training sufficient numbers of doctors nor providing suitable conditions for them to work in when qualified. This includes all hospital doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.

For Ms Smith, not being able to see a named GP had almost life-threatening consequences.

There have been occasions, within the NHS system, where a doctor has tried to give me medications that are banned for me, she said. This is why a named GP is so important.

Not every sick person is able or well enough to inform a strange doctor of all their relevant conditions. And not every doctor has the time to read every patients relevant details due to the increased pressure they are under.

Access to a named GP was also addressed by the Modality Partnership. Dr Rutherford said: The national shortage of GPs also means we have to change the way patients access appointments. This means that seeing your named GP at a time that you request is not always possible.

As a practice we actually offer 4 more appointments per 1,000 patients a week, than the nationally recommended figure of 72 appointments per 1,000 patients, and we recognise we need to respond further to the increasing demand for appointments.

We have started to introduce new alternative healthcare practitioners, who have their own particular areas of expertise. Often these practitioners are better placed to see and treat patients for certain conditions than GPs.

We want to ensure that our patients see the right clinician, the first time. Our new roles at Wokingham Medical Centre include two GP Pharmacists and two Urgent Care Practitioners who work alongside our well-established nursing team that includes two Nurse Practitioners. Two new Physicians Associates are due to start with us in November.

In addition to this, we are continuing to advertise to recruit new GPs, but sadly so far, we have been unable to fill the vacancies.

Stretched NHS

A spokesperson from The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust said: We are aware of the concerns raised by patients regarding telephone access and waits for appointments and are looking into these issues with the practice concerned.

In Wokingham as elsewhere in the country, demand for GP appointments is rising and there are challenges in recruiting and retaining doctors and practice nurses.

In response to this, practices across Wokingham Borough have been introducing changes to improve access, such as longer opening hours and new on-the-day clinics.

Practices are also working together through new Primary Care Networks (clusters of neighbouring GP surgeries which have grouped together to form a new-style healthcare network in their local neighbourhoods) to bring in new staff such as paramedics and clinical pharmacists.

The CCG is working with the new Primary Care Networks and with Wokingham Borough Council to consider what else can be done to improve access for local residents.

The lucky ones

However, not all residents of the Wokingham Borough are being hit equally by demands on their local GP.

Wargrave resident Marjie Thorn has a positive experience at her surgery.

I can call at 8am, Monday to Friday and almost always get an appointment for the same day, she said. For appointments that arent urgent, theres usually a waiting time of a week or two, depending on what its for.

Mary Perkins Crowthorne resident, said: We are lucky in Crowthorne. If youre at Ringmead Medical Practice you can use the extended hours service run by Berkshire Primary Care which operates 365 days a year.

Currently, Wargrave surgery has 7,113 registered patients. This is compared to WMC which has 22,872, Brookside, with 27,373 and Ringmead, which has 22,584 registered patients.

Dr Rutherford said: We are listening carefully to the feedback about access and availability of appointments. However, like many other GP practices up and down the country, we are struggling with an ongoing national shortage of doctors. This is unfortunately not a unique issue for Wokingham; nor a new problem in primary care, and sadly cannot be instantly resolved. Our teams are working very hard, under extreme pressure to respond to the demand for appointments.

As the population of Wokingham Borough grows year on year, a question arises as to whether the 13 GP practices are able to match the patient demand, and how this issue can be addressed on a national level.

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Wokingham patients frustrated by wait times at GPs - The Wokingham Paper