unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

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Welcome to unPAUSED, the podcast where bold, unfiltered conversations take place about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and #1 New York Times best-selling author, tackles the conversations women actually need to hear. Dr. Haver sits down with a variety of medical experts, CEOs, and risk-takers to discuss everything that matters, from hormones and identity to financial power, relationships, and the tools needed to build the life you want. unPAUSED is about reclaiming your healthspan—not just the number of years you live, but the number of years you live well. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes of unPAUSED. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.

  1. 16H AGO

    From Hysteria to Medical Gaslighting and the Path Forward with Dr. Elizabeth Comen

    Dr. Elizabeth Comen is a board certified oncologist at NYU Langone Health, co-director of the Mignoni Women's Health Collaborative, and author of the groundbreaking book "It's All In Her Head: What It Reveals About Medicine's Past and Present." In this powerful conversation about medical gaslighting and women's healthcare, she and Dr. Mary Claire Haver trace the deep roots of medical misogyny and reveal why the healthcare system still dismisses women's symptoms today. Dr. Comen shares the story of a breast cancer patient on her deathbed who, hours from death, apologized for sweating during a hug. It's a moment that captures what nearly every woman experiences in a doctor's office, the reflexive apology for being in a normal human body. Whether it's apologizing for leg hair in stirrups or hiding underwear during an exam, women have internalized tremendous shame about their bodies. Dr. Comen explains this isn't random. It's the legacy of a medical system built by men who dismissed women's pain and symptoms as hysteria, neurosis, or anxiety. Through meticulous research into medical history, Dr. Comen reveals how this medical gaslighting became embedded in healthcare. She discusses William Osler, one of cardiology's founding fathers, who described women's chest pain as "neurotic angina" and wrote that "these women do not die." Yet heart disease is the number one killer of women. She explains how women are twice as likely to call an ambulance for their husband's heart attack than for themselves, and when they do seek help for chest pain, they're far more likely to be misdiagnosed with a panic attack instead of receiving proper cardiac care. Dr. Haver and Dr. Comen discuss the systemic healthcare gaps across medical specialties: why 80% of autoimmune diseases affect women yet it's not considered a women's health field, why female specific surgeries are reimbursed at significantly lower rates than comparable male procedures, why Alzheimer's disease is twice as common in women but received almost no research funding, and how the legacy of dismissing women's sexual health continues in breast cancer and oncology care today. They explore bizarre historical medical fears like "bicycle face," the myth that women would become ugly and infertile from exercise, and how plastic surgery evolved to make women "marriage material" rather than serve their actual health needs. Despite the sobering history of medical misogyny, this conversation ends with hope. Dr. Comen shares why she's optimistic about the cultural shift happening in women's healthcare now, the importance of women advocating for themselves in medical settings, and how the next generation doesn't have to wait for menopause to stop apologizing and start demanding better healthcare. Guest links: Dr. Elizabeth Comen Dr. Elizabeth Comen (Instagram) Dr. Elizabeth Comen (LinkedIn) Dr. Elizabeth Comen, MD (NYU) Books “All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today,” by Dr. Elizabeth Comen “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver“The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 12m

  2. JAN 6

    Menopause Masterclass: Hormones, Brain Fog, Weight & Mental Health with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

    Dr. Mary Claire Haver breaks down everything you need to know about perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause in this solo episode, answering critical questions about hormones, symptoms, and treatment with the medical expertise and personal experience that's made her a trusted voice for millions of women. Most women don't realize perimenopause can begin at 35-36 years old, a full seven to ten years before periods stop. Dr. Haver explains why the first signs are often brain-related: fog, anxiety, feeling like "something's not right," rather than physical changes. Menopause itself is just one day (one year after your last period), but postmenopause represents 30-50 years of life without ovarian hormones. Understanding these three phases changes everything about how women can navigate this transition. In this episode, Dr. Haver answers questions like: What is menopause and when does it really start? Why am I gaining weight around my middle even though my diet hasn't changed? Why am I suddenly experiencing anxiety and depression? What changes happen to the vagina and bladder? What are my hormone therapy options? And what about testosterone, do I need it? With estrogen receptors mapped throughout the body, Dr. Haver reveals how declining hormones affect nearly every system. She lists over 40 potential symptoms beyond hot flashes: frozen shoulder, elevated cholesterol, insulin resistance, joint pain, kidney stones, even heightened hearing. Understanding the biology of how your hypothalamus frantically signals ovaries that can't respond explains why menopause impacts so much more than your cycle. She also explains why visceral belly fat triples during this transition regardless of diet and exercise changes, and what that means for long-term health. Dr. Haver shares a revealing statistic: only 8% of OB-GYN residents feel competent treating menopause, and 77% receive zero menopause training. She explains what doctors should know but often don't: hormone therapy as first-line treatment for mental health changes in perimenopause, prophylactic vaginal estrogen for all perimenopausal women (considered safe even for many breast cancer patients), no mandatory stop date for hormone therapy when benefits outweigh risks, and affordable bioidentical options that exist beyond expensive pellets. This episode arms you with knowledge to find menopause-educated clinicians, recognize quality care, and demand treatment that actually works. As Dr. Haver emphasizes throughout the episode, no woman should suffer unnecessarily when safe, effective options exist. Articles: When zero doesn’t mean zero: the limits of coronary calcium in women (Dr. Peter Attia) Guest links: Mary Claire Wellness The ‘Pause Life Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Instagram) Dr. Mary Claire Haver (YouTube) Books “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver Other Resources The Menopause Society The Women’s Health Initiative Dr. Kelly Casperson Dr. Corinne Menn To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    51 min

  3. 12/30/2025

    Midlife Divorce: The Facts, The Finances, and The Fallout with Jenny Hutt

    Divorce rates for people over 50 have doubled since the 1990s, and women are initiating the majority of them. What's really driving this shift? In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with family law attorney and broadcaster Jenny Hutt to discuss the facts, finances, and fallout of midlife divorce. Jenny Hutt is a family law attorney specializing in divorce and mediation in New York, and she spent two decades as a broadcaster on SiriusXM. She's one of Dr. Haver's earliest supporters, and she brings both personal experience and professional insight to this conversation about a controversial topic relating to women's health: the connection between menopause and divorce. Dr. Haver and Jenny start with the facts: the statistics behind gray divorce, why women are initiating most of them, and what's really happening beyond the oversimplification of "dry vagina" causing divorces. They discuss feeling unsupported, undervalued, and reaching a breaking point after years of caregiving. They also dive into finances: what every woman should know about her money whether she's thinking about divorce or not, the three things to do if you're considering divorce, the difference between mediation and legal representation, how to protect inheritance, and the details around a postnuptial agreement. They also address the financial reality that women's household income drops 41% on average after divorce compared to 23% for men. Finally, they explore the fallout: the stress on the sandwich generation of caring for aging parents while raising children, how trauma strains marriages, rebuilding identity after a long marriage, the shame women feel, and why the other side of divorce can bring unexpected peace and freedom. Guest links: Jennifer Hutt  Just Jenny Podcast (Apple Podcasts) Jennifer Koppleman Hutt (Wisselman Harounian Family Law) Jenny Hutt (e-mail) Jenny Hutt (Instagram) Other Resources U.S. Divorce Rates Down, Marriage Rates Stagnant From 2012-2022 (U.S. Census Bureau) Women More Likely Than Men to Initiate Divorces, But Not Non-Marital Breakups (American Sociological Association) Books“The Galveston Diet: The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormonal Symptoms,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    55 min

  4. 12/23/2025

    Leaving Her Dream Job for Menopause Advocacy: Tamsen Fadal on HRT & Purpose After 50

    What happens when a news anchor loses her words on live television and discovers it's not stress, but menopause? Emmy Award-winning journalist Tamsen Fadal joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver to share why she walked away from her dream job in pursuit of changing the conversation around women's health, the powerful story behind her New York Times bestselling book How to Menopause, and her groundbreaking PBS documentary The M Factor. Tamsen spent 30 years in broadcast journalism without saying the word "menopause" on air—not once. Then perimenopause hit. Brain fog made her skip words on the teleprompter. A hot flash so severe during a live newscast left her sweating and pale, eventually forcing her off the set entirely. Despite erratic bleeding, insomnia, and mounting symptoms, doctor after doctor missed the diagnosis. But once she understood what was happening, she couldn't stop talking about it. She co-produced The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause with three other women, self-funding the documentary after she was told there was no audience. The trailer went viral. PBS picked it up. Over 1,000 community screenings followed in 43 countries. Dr. Haver and Tamsen reflect on meeting at their first menopause conference, the moment they both realized how little training doctors receive, and why this work feels like a calling. Guest links: Tamsen Fadal The Tamsen Show “The (M) Factor” Documentary Tamsen Fadal (Facebook) Tamsen Fadal (YouTube) Tamsen Fadal (LinkedIn) Tamsen Fadal (Instagram) Tamsen Fadal (TikTok) Books “How to Menopause,” by Tamsen Fadal “The New Menopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver “The Galveston Diet,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver “The Wisdom of Menopause,” by Dr. Christiane Northrup “The Menopause Manifesto,” by Dr. Jen Gunter This episode covers: -Why many women are prescribed antidepressants for hot flashes instead of hormone therapy -Growing up with a mother who suffered through surgical menopause in silence -The fear of HRT and what finally changed Tamsen's mind -Writing a book publishers said had "no audience" and then hitting the New York Times bestseller list -Why the Women's Health Initiative headlines continue to harm women decades later -Walking away from a 30-year career as a primetime news anchor to focus on menopause advocacy -The "shelf life" for women in journalism and ageism in media -Her new documentary Before the Pause focusing on perimenopause -Why millennials are approaching menopause differently than Gen X -Finding community, purpose, and a second act in midlife Articles The North American Menopause Society recommendations for clinical care of midlife women (Menopause)The Estrogen Dilemma (Time Magazine) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 8m

  5. 12/18/2025

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

    In our last episode of unPAUSED, we began a conversation with Dr. Lauren Streicher about orgasm, sexual function, and why these topics are still so taboo. Because there was so much to talk about, we decided to make this a two part episode. So today, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues this conversation. Dr. Streicher is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the host of Dr. Streicher's Inside Information Podcast, and the creator of Come Again, a 30 episode audio series on sexuality and sexual function. She's been at the forefront of sexual medicine for decades, pushing conversations forward that most clinicians still avoid. In this episode, we're diving into why vibrators work when nothing else does and what the research shows about vibration versus other types of stimulation. Dr. Streicher explains non-hormonal arousal creams, CBD oil for the clitoris, and whether these products actually help. We discuss the role of neurotransmitters in orgasm and walk through the FDA-approved libido drugs Addyi and Vyleesi, including why testosterone is often the preferred option for women and why pellets are problematic. Dr. Streicher breaks down the orgasm gap between men and women and explains why it actually narrows with age. She walks us through her clinical approach when a patient comes in struggling with orgasm, why pain must always be addressed first, and how to find a sexual medicine expert. We also talk about what gives her hope for the future of this field and why not every woman needs to have an orgasm for sex to be pleasurable and successful. Guest links: Dr. Streicher Dr. Streicher (Instagram) Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More (Apple Podcasts) Lauren Streicher - Faculty Profile (Northwestern Medicine) Dr. Streicher (YouTube) Subscribe to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm DrStreicher.com/comeagain Use code UNPAUSED20  for 20% off (This code expires Dec 23)  Dr. Streicher's  Podcast Dr. Streicher’s  Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More DrStreicher’s Substack https://drstreicher.substack.com/ Gyne Hacks! (Including how to How to Get a Hands-free Free Vulvar View) Books: “Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Hot Flash Hell-A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat (Dr. Streicher's Inside Information),” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy: Advice from a Gynecologist on Your Choices Before, During, and After Surgery,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman,” by Dr. Ian Kerner “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    45 min

  6. 12/16/2025

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

    What happens to your orgasm after menopause? It's something nearly half of women experience changes with in midlife, but so few are talking about it. In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Lauren Streicher to discuss exactly what changes to orgasm, libido, and sex, why it happens, and what you need to know if you're struggling. Dr. Streicher is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the host of Dr. Streicher's Inside Information Podcast, and the creator of Come Again, a 30 episode audio series on sexuality and sexual function. She's a senior researcher at the Kinsey Institute and one of the true pioneers of sexual medicine, helping to define and legitimize a specialty that for decades simply didn't exist. Dr. Haver and Dr. Streicher start with the basics: what an orgasm actually is, the anatomy of the clitoris, and why most women cannot have an orgasm from penetrative sex alone. Dr. Streicher explains vaginal orgasms, cervical orgasms, the G spot, and the historical research of Princess Marie Bonaparte, who measured the distance between the clitoris and vaginal opening in 240 women in an effort to understand why she couldn't orgasm during intercourse. They discuss what happens to orgasm and sex post menopause, including the role of blood flow, nerve health, clitoral atrophy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and medications, especially SSRIs that can affect both libido and orgasm. Dr. Streicher walks through how genitourinary syndrome of menopause affects the clitoris, why the pelvic floor matters for orgasm, and why so many women have never even seen their own anatomy. They also talk about anorgasmia, the inability to have an orgasm, both primary and acquired, and why this is almost never discussed in medical training. Guest links: Dr. Streicher Dr. Streicher (Instagram) Dr. Streicher: Menopause: The Inside Info (Substack) Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More (Apple Podcasts) COME AGAIN Lauren Streicher - Faculty Profile (Northwestern Medicine) Dr. Streicher (YouTube) Subscribe to COME AGAIN: Sexuality and Orgasm DrStreicher.com/comeagain Use code UNPAUSED20  for 20% off (This code expires Dec 23)  Dr. Streicher's  Podcast Dr. Streicher’s  Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife and More DrStreicher’s Substack https://drstreicher.substack.com/ Gyne Hacks! (Including how to How to Get a Hands-free Free Vulvar View) Books: “Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Hot Flash Hell-A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat (Dr. Streicher's Inside Information),” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy: Advice from a Gynecologist on Your Choices Before, During, and After Surgery,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever,” by Dr. Lauren Streicher “She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman,” by Dr. Ian Kerner “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    56 min

  7. 12/09/2025

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

    Dr. Sharon Malone has spent decades fighting for women to get the healthcare they deserve, and she's not slowing down. As Chief Medical Advisor at Alloy Women's Health, host of "The Second Opinion" podcast, and author of the New York Times bestseller "Grown Woman Talk," Dr. Malone joins Dr. Mary Claire Haver in this episode to talk about reshaping how we think about menopause, aging, and women's health advocacy. For too long, women have been told to accept suffering as normal. Hot flashes, brain fog, joint pain, sleep problems, the complete unraveling of quality of life during perimenopause and menopause? Dr. Malone talks about being done with that narrative. In this conversation, she explains how the medical system has systematically failed women, from keeping them out of research studies to applying male-centric data to female bodies, from dismissing their menopause symptoms to perpetuating dangerous myths about estrogen and hormone therapy that have left an entire generation undertreated. She breaks down the Women's Health Initiative, the deeply flawed study that scared women away from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). She explains exactly what went wrong, why the study enrolled women who were too old to answer the questions it claimed to address, and why doctors are still getting it wrong today, decades after the original findings were walked back. The cost? A generation of women suffering unnecessarily while billions in research dollars went elsewhere. Dr. Malone also tackles the intersection of gender and racial bias in medicine, explaining why your zip code matters more than your genetic code when it comes to health outcomes. From her own journey navigating medical school as a Black woman in the 1980s to losing her mother to cancer at just 12, she points out the healthcare disparities from both sides of the exam table. At 66, Dr. Malone is proof that midlife isn't about decline. It's about stepping into your power. And she shares a clear message, that women have accepted suffering for far too long, and it's time to demand better. Guest links: Dr. Sharon Malone Dr. Sharon Malone (Alloy) Dr. Sharon Malone (Instagram) Dr. Sharon Malone (X/Twitter) Dr. Sharon Malone (Threads) Dr. Sharon Malone (Facebook) Dr. Sharon Malone (Alloy/YouTube) Dr. Sharon Malone (LinkedIn) The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon Books “Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy,” by Dr. Sharon Malone “The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 24m

  8. 12/02/2025

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

    In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Corinne Menn to tackle one of the most common questions in women's health: "Can I take estrogen?" As a board-certified OB-GYN, certified menopause practitioner, and 24-year breast cancer survivor, Dr. Menn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation about who can take hormone therapy, who can't, and what's changed in recent years. Dr. Menn's own story provides powerful context for this discussion. At just 28 years old, during her second year of medical residency, she discovered a lump in her breast just one week before learning her mother had recurrent ovarian cancer. Within days of her mother's sudden death, Dr. Menn received her own devastating diagnosis: breast cancer. What followed was a grueling journey through mastectomy, chemotherapy, and induced menopause while simultaneously completing one of medicine's most demanding training programs. Throughout this conversation, Dr. Menn shares the profound gaps in survivorship care that she experienced firsthand and continues to witness in her patients today. The medical system, she explains, is focused on treating cancer but often fails to prepare women for the marathon of side effects that follow, particularly the devastating impact of estrogen deprivation on sexual health, mental health, bone density, and cardiovascular risk. Guest links: Dr. Corinne Menn Dr. Corinne Menn (Instagram) Dr. Corinne Menn (Facebook) Dr. Corinne Menn (Alloy Health) Dr. Corinne Menn (LinkedIn) Dr. Corinne Menn (TikTok) Dr. Corinne Menn (YouTube) Dr. Corinne Menn (Substack) Dr. Corinne Menn (Young Survival Coalition) Books “The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver “You Are Not Broken: Stop ‘Should-ing’ All Over Your Sex Life,” by Dr. Kelly Casperson This episode explores: -Why family history of breast cancer is NOT a contraindication to HRT -The truth about Factor V Leiden, fibroids, endometriosis, and migraines: what really excludes you from hormone therapy -The concept of "weird Barbie" and why perfect candidates don't exist -How the medical system is focused on treating cancer but often fails to prepare women for the marathon of side effects that follow, particularly the devastating impact of estrogen deprivation on sexual health, mental health, bone density, and cardiovascular risk -How women with BRCA mutations (previvors) can protect themselves from ovarian cancer while managing hormone loss -Why vaginal estrogen should be considered essential for breast cancer survivors -The critical safety difference between oral and transdermal estrogen -Non-hormonal options for managing hot flashes and night sweats -Why one in eight women lose ovarian function before natural menopause -The importance of updated genetic testing if you were tested before 2013-2014 -The profound gaps in survivorship care and why 89% of breast cancer survivors feel their menopausal care is inadequate -How addressing menopausal symptoms helps women stay adherent to life-saving cancer treatments and maintain quality of life. -What comprehensive, individualized care should look like for every woman To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    1h 19m
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4.8
out of 5
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About

Welcome to unPAUSED, the podcast where bold, unfiltered conversations take place about what it really takes for women to thrive in the second half of life. Every week, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and #1 New York Times best-selling author, tackles the conversations women actually need to hear. Dr. Haver sits down with a variety of medical experts, CEOs, and risk-takers to discuss everything that matters, from hormones and identity to financial power, relationships, and the tools needed to build the life you want. unPAUSED is about reclaiming your healthspan—not just the number of years you live, but the number of years you live well. Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes of unPAUSED. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.

Information

  • Channel
    Audacy
  • Creator
    Audacy | Mary Claire Haver, MD
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    Copyright © Mary Claire Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

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