Menopause Went to Washington D.C: What this Means for You
In the span of three days, menopause went to Washington, D.C. Health and Human Services met with physicians about the estrogen patch shortage. The Senate held its first-ever congressional hearing on menopause. And the FDA convened a panel of medical experts. In this special episode, Shari breaks down what actually happened, why it matters, and what you can do right now, no matter which state you live in.
Key Takeaways
- In one week, three federal agencies addressed menopause: HHS met with physicians and manufacturers about the estrogen patch shortage, the Senate held its first-ever congressional hearing on menopause, and the FDA convened a panel on testosterone therapy for women.
- The Senate held its first-ever congressional hearing on menopause, titled "Half the Country, Zero Hearings." A bipartisan request was also made to the Government Accountability Office to investigate how menopause research and care are funded.
- 80% of OB-GYN residents say they feel unprepared to talk about menopause, and fewer than a third of residency programs teach it. That gap in training, not a personal failing, is why so many women leave appointments with more questions than answers.
- This is a workforce issue as much as a health issue: nearly 90% of women say menopause symptoms affect their work, and 1 in 3 has considered leaving or already left the workforce because of it.
- States are already moving. Rhode Island, Maryland, Washington, and California have all passed or introduced menopause-related workplace and healthcare legislation, and a federal bill is in both the House and Senate.
- None of this happened on its own. It happened because women kept talking. Staying in the conversation, sharing what you learn, and contacting your state legislators are all real, practical next steps.
Resources
- Find your state legislators: https://www.usa.gov/state-legislature
- NBHWC health coach provider directory: https://members.nbhwc.org/search/custom.asp?id=6956
- The Menopause Society: https://menopause.org
π― Take the free Midlife Spark Type Quiz: https://www.sharibiery.com/quiz
π Website: https://www.sharibiery.com
Sources
- U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. "Half the Country, Zero Hearings" hearing, September 16, 2026. https://www.aging.senate.gov/
- Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women's Health Act, H.R. 9671, 119th Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9671
- Office of the Governor, State of Washington. Executive order on perimenopause and menopause workplace support, June 2026. https://governor.wa.gov/news/2026/governor-ferguson-signs-executive-order-support-women-workplace-experiencing-perimenopause-and
- The Menopause Society. Making Menopause Work (employer resource). https://menopause.org/?p=3826
- Allwork.space. "Perimenopause at Work Is Costing Employers Billions and Driving Experienced Women Out," June 2026. https://allwork.space/2026/06/perimenopause-at-work-is-costing-employers-billions-and-driving-experienced-women-out/
Transcript
Good News Got Buried
[00:00:03] Shari Biery: I'm recording this special episode because good news has a way of getting buried under everything else competing for your attention, and this is genuinely good news that happened recently.
So, I wanted to make sure you didn't miss it, and you know the value it has for you as a woman, especially in your health and well-being.
I'm Shari Biery, a national board-certified health and wellness coach, speaker, author of It's Your Turn, and creator of this podcast called It's Your Turn.
Let me tell you what happened.
Three Days, Three Federal Agencies
[00:00:44] Shari Biery: In the span of just a few days, menopause went to Washington, D.C.
Now, I'm recording this at the end of September 2026. And it's important to hear these things that are happening. As a woman, this affects you. So, mid-September, September 15th, Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. sat down with physicians and manufacturers specifically to have a conversation with everyone about the estrogen patch shortage, and how to expand women's access to hormone treatments, along with just encompassing better health outcomes.
And on the very next day, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held the first congressional hearing on menopause in the history of this country.
Let that sink in. The first one ever to talk about menopause.
The hearing was led by Chairman Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York. They called it, Half the country, zero hearings.
And on September 17th, the next day, the FDA convened a panel of medical experts, several of them that I follow closely, the urologist, Dr. Rachel Rubin, and Dr. Kelly Casperson, and they really brought forward several things. Vaginal estrogen, they talked about evaluating testosterone therapy for women, not just for libido, but for bone density, muscle mass, cognition, and mood.
So let's look at this here. That was 3 days, 3 federal agencies, 1 conversation that has been a long time coming.
A Republican and a Democrat, Saying the Same Thing
[00:02:54] Shari Biery: Now, also, I want you to hear both of these senators, because this matters.
Senator Rick Scott said there's simply no excuse for the lack of resources and information.
And Senator Gillibrand said, women have carried this alone for generations. Not anymore.
A Republican and a Democrat saying the same thing, standing in the same room.
That's not nothing. That's actually everything.
Because this isn't a political issue. It never was. It was a health issue. It is a health issue. And when both sides of the aisle show up for the same conversation, things have a better chance of actually moving.
What This Means for You
[00:03:47] Shari Biery: So, I want to stay in my lane here. I am a nationally board-certified health and wellness coach, I'm a respiratory therapist, I'm a wife of a medical practitioner, I am not a policy expert.
What I care about is you. And what this means for the woman sitting in the doctor's office, or lying awake at 3 AM wondering what's happening in your body, or pushing through another day, feeling like something is off, and not quite knowing why.
51% of our population in America is women, and every day, 6,000 American women start menopause. But their needs aren't being met.
And here's something that breaks my heart a little when I read it, because 80% of OB-GYN residents say they feel unprepared to talk about menopause. Fewer than one-third of residency programs teach about perimenopause and menopause.
That's why you walk out of appointments feeling confused more than when you walked in. It's not you. It's a gap in training, and it's finally being named out loud, on the Senate floor, on record.
So, Senators Gillibrand and Scott also made a bipartisan request to the Government Accountability Office to investigate how the federal government currently coordinates and funds menopause research and care.
That's accountability. That's a paper trail, and that matters.
A Note to Physicians and Providers
[00:05:37] Shari Biery: Now, I want to speak directly to any physicians or healthcare providers listening today. And I say this with deep respect for what you do and how hard you work. I know the sacrifices. I see it.
But here, the woman walking into your office right now, they have done their homework. They've read the research. They've listened to the podcast. They've joined the online communities. Some of them know more about perimenopause than they were ever taught in school, because they had to figure it out themselves.
And that's not a criticism of you. That's a sign of how significant this gap has been.
But here's what I want you to hear. I want to encourage you to do. Seek out the continuing education. It's there. The Menopause Society holds an annual conference, and it's open to clinicians across specialties, not just OB-GYNs. Your professional organizations have resources, they're building more, there are CEUs available, some physicians have made this their life work. There are colleagues doing this work who would love to share what they know.
So, ask for the training, read the updated research, attend the conference. The women in your practice are counting on you. And the ones who come in armed with knowledge and questions? They're not challenging you. They're asking you to meet them where they are.
You have the opportunity to be the provider who finally gives someone an answer they've been waiting to hear for years. And that's a gift, and it starts with education.
This Is a Workforce Issue Too
[00:07:43] Shari Biery: And I want to name something that I think gets overlooked in this conversation. This isn't just a personal health issue. It's a workforce issue.
Nearly 90% of women say that menopause and perimenopause symptoms impact their work. And almost 70% say they lose up to 10 hours of productivity per week. That's not a personal inconvenience. That's a structural problem.
1 in 3 women has considered leaving or has already left the workforce because of menopause symptoms. These aren't entry-level positions, either. These are experienced professionals. Women at the heights of their careers. Women with institutional knowledge, leadership skills, and decades of experience.
And to the employers listening, I want to speak to you directly. The women on your team who are quietly pushing through, who are showing up and managing their symptoms without saying a word, they need your support. Not because it's the nice thing to do. Because it's the smart thing to do.
When a woman feels supported through this transition, she stays. She contributes. She leads. When she doesn't, you lose her. You lose everything she brings with her.
Flexible policies, access to informed healthcare, a culture where this conversation isn't taboo. These aren't perks. They're retention strategies.
When a woman is healthy, your workplace is healthier. That's not a talking point. That's what the data shows.
States Are Already Moving
[00:09:39] Shari Biery: So, here's what else gives me hope for everyone. While Washington was catching up, states have been moving already.
In 2025, Rhode Island became the first state to require workplace accommodations for employees experiencing menopause. Maryland passed a law this summer requiring health professionals to undergo continued training on menopause and perimenopause, and requiring private insurers to cover evaluation and related cost.
In June of 2026, Washington's governor, Bob Ferguson, signed an executive order aimed at supporting and retaining women at the height of their careers by expanding perimenopause and menopause education and workplace accommodations.
California has introduced legislation that would make menopause a protected condition under the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act.
And at the federal level, the Advancing Menopause Care and Midlife Women's Health Act has been introduced in both the House and the Senate.
This is real. Named. Documented. Movement.
This Is What Grassroots Change Looks Like
[00:11:04] Shari Biery: And none of this happened because someone in Washington decided it was time. It happened because women kept talking. They shared their experiences with their friends, their sisters, their doctors, strangers on the internet. Physicians asked questions nobody was funding. Researchers kept publishing. Advocates kept showing up, even when the rooms were empty.
This is what grassroots change actually looks like. It's quiet. It's been quiet for a long time. And then last week, agency showed up. People showed up.
Is This Real, or Will It Fade?
[00:11:45] Shari Biery: Now, I know what you might be thinking, because I'm thinking it too. Is this real? Or does it fade when the news cycle moves on?
And here's where I land on this. Because this is why I'm bringing it to you. I'm hopeful. Carefully, but specifically, I'm hopeful.
There are too many people in this conversation now for it to disappear. Too many politicians on both sides, on record, too many states with legislation moving, too many physicians who have put their names to this work, too many women who finally have language for what they've been experiencing, and are not going back to silence.
When you are healthy, your family is healthier. Your workplace is stronger. Your community feels it. That's what this moment is really about.
What You Can Do Right Now
[00:12:51] Shari Biery: So here's where I want to leave you today.
You're not imagining what you've been experiencing. If you are experiencing symptoms, you deserve real answers and real support. Stay in the conversation. Share what you learn. The reason this all happened is because women kept talking. Keep talking.
And here's something practical you can do right now. Find out what's happening in your state. Look up your state legislators. If there's menopause legislation moving, write a letter. Make a phone call, send an email. Tell them you support it. Tell them this matters to you personally, and why.
Elected officials pay attention to their constituent voices, especially when enough of them say the same thing.
You don't need to be an advocate by profession, either. You just need to be a woman who says, this affects me.
And I want you to know, if you've been waiting for permission to take your own health seriously, to ask harder questions at your next appointment, to find a provider who will actually listen, this is it. You don't have to wait for Washington to start taking care of yourself right now.
Where to Go From Here
[00:14:24] Shari Biery: Now, I will link everything in the show notes, the Senate hearing, the state legislation updates, the Menopause Society, the links to find your state legislators, and the National Board of Health and Wellness Coach Directory, if you're looking for a health coach who specializes in midlife women, I am one of them. But you may have someone else in mind.
And if you want to get a clearer picture of where you are right now in your own midlife health, the Midlife Spark Type Quiz is a good place to start. It's 3 minutes, I'll link the quiz below.
And if this landed for you, share it with at least one woman who needs to hear it. That's how this movement grows. That's how It's Your Turn grows.
Keep Taking Your Turn
[00:15:15] Shari Biery: So, until next time, thank you for joining. I appreciate your support in listening to this podcast. It's my way of using my voice, so that I can keep saying, when you feel defeated, and you feel like it's just time to throw your hands up in the air, I want you to remember, you're a valuable part in your life, you are worthy. And every time I say it, keep taking your turn.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional with any questions about your health.
AI Disclosure: I'm a mom, wife, veteran military spouse, healthcare worker, and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. My writing connects back to my book, It's Your Turn, and my own lived experience. I use AI to help draft and edit, but every idea, story, and word comes from me.
