Get to know our newest KCM contributor, Dr. Sharon Malone.
For far too long, menopause has been “shrouded in mystery,” says Sharon Malone, MD.
“Most of us enter this phase of life knowing little to nothing about it because we never talked about it amongst ourselves or even intergenerationally,” she tells us. “We would never let young girls walk into puberty without informing them about all the ways their bodies will change, but so many of us walk into menopause blindly.”
It shouldn’t be that way, Dr. Malone says. She’s a board-certified OB/GYN, a prominent menopause practitioner, the author of the bestselling book Grown Woman Talk, and the chief medical officer of Alloy Women’s Health, a telehealth company that focuses on women over 40. And now, she’ll be joining KCM as a contributor, talking with our community about menopause and what women can do to optimize their health.
We spoke to Dr. Malone about her eye-opening book (a favorite of Michelle Obama’s), how far we’ve come in elevating menopause care, and how much further we still have to go. Watch our full conversation above, and read a few of the highlights below:
Katie Couric Media: What drove you to focus on women’s health and menopause?
Dr. Malone: I’ve been practicing medicine for a very long time. And as I’ve progressed throughout my career, I found that there just wasn’t a lot of focus on women in midlife. I have been talking about menopause for the past 20 years, and it’s great to see that it’s finally getting the attention it deserves.
How have attitudes about menopause have evolved over the course of your career?
Historically, menopause has been something that’s shrouded in mystery. Most of us enter this phase of life knowing little to nothing about it because we never talked about it amongst ourselves or even intergenerationally. Most of what we grew up hearing is lore or stereotypical information about menopause, and our doctors were not equipped to inform us about it either. There’s now a generation of medical professionals who really have not been adequately trained in this area, which has really left women adrift.
The other reason why we’ve been so reluctant to talk about it is because it’s associated with aging. We’re in a youth-obsessed culture, and no one wants to admit to being a woman of a certain age. Fortunately, we’ve started to take menopause out of the shadows. We’re losing the stigma and shame that’s been associated with it.
Can you tell us more about Grown Woman Talk and why you decided to write it?
Over the past 30 years, I’ve been an informal health advisor to my friends and family. And it struck me that people really don’t understand how the medical system works and how to be good advocates for themselves. Because my friends are smart, they have access to great care and know how to advocate for themselves in every other aspect of their lives, but they become so confused about the medical world. That was really the genesis of the book.
I spend time talking about how to pick a doctor, how to assemble a team, what’s important about your family history, so that when your physician shows up you can make the most of the five to seven minutes you have with them. The other thing I really wanted to explore was not just menopause, but all these other factors that are important for aging well. Hypertension, diabetes, chronic stress, Alzheimer’s, the importance of community or lack thereof — these are all things that converge for women in midlife.
What are the topics you’re passionate about, and what types of things will you be exploring in your columns for KCM?
As doctors, we’re trained to treat diseases and conditions. But what I really want to focus on now is prevention, because there’s so much that we can do lifestyle wise to optimize how we age — and I want to share all of that. There’s never going to be one answer for everyone, but it’s always better to intervene before you’ve reached the stage of disease.
All of us want to live, not just longer, but longer and healthier lives. To do that requires a little bit of effort on our part to be sure, but it’s also going to require that you get the education and the tools that you need to be a better advocate for yourself as you age.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
