392. When in Menopause: Advocacy, Policy, and the Power of Speaking Up

Episode 392 – When in Menopause: Advocacy, Policy, and the Power of Speaking Up Who gets to be a menopause advocate? You do. You probably already are. Dr. Casperson sits down with Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, a lawyer, women's leadership leader at NYU Law, and author of When in Menopause: A User's Manual and Citizen's Guide. Jennifer helped drive the fast, bipartisan wins in period policy. Now she's applying those lessons to menopause, and she's honest about why this one is harder. They cover where the policy wins are coming from, what still blocks progress, and why workplace perks miss the point. They also talk about why the real work is bigger than any one issue. If you're a clinician, an advocate, or just someone who wants to make change without a big platform, this one is for you. In this episode: How Jennifer moved from menstruation policy to menopause around 2020. It started with a friend's question about the policy landscape, not with her own symptoms. Advocacy as a choose-your-own-adventure. Legislative language, storytelling, and community-building all count. What period policy taught her about state-level wins and working across the aisle. Why menopause reform is more complicated than it looks. Decades of neglected science and deeply interconnected issues make it hard. She describes the field as organic rather than fractured. Language, stigma, and culture. How do you change policy when people still can't say "vagina" in public or on social media? Why most workplace accommodations fall short. Many are too small, too generic, or built on a weak understanding of menopause. Protections also have to come before anyone asks employees to disclose. The legal gap. The U.S. has no clear anti-discrimination protection for menopause. The ADA, pregnancy protections, and age-discrimination law help in some cases, but they leave holes. What actually moves the needle: access, research funding, clinician education and training, and reimbursement reform. Business leaders should fund these upstream fixes instead of offering superficial perks. Clinicians already have a platform. Patient visits, office materials, and staff handouts all spread accurate information, and small repeated messages add up. Community is the engine. Jennifer's examples include gyms, book clubs, schools, libraries, and PTAs. Midlife women are an underestimated political and social force. Jennifer's IG Jennifer's New Book As always, this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice — talk to your own doctor about your own health. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs it. 🎙️ You Are Not Broken is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Take my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Adult Sex Ed Master Class:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Interested in my sexual health and hormone clinic? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Clinic is Open Listen to this podcast on Pinnacle to earn CME Thanks to our sponsor: Addyi, the little pink pill. To find out if Addyi is right for you, go to addyi.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for a $10 telemedicine appointment.And great news: with commercial insurance coverage Addyi is as little as $20 a month! Visit Addyi.com/notbroken. Eligible patients only. Restrictions apply. See Full Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning at addyi.com/pi This episode is sponsored by Joi and Blokes. If you’ve been wondering whether hormones could be playing a role in how you feel, Joi and Blokes can help you get answers. Start with comprehensive lab testing, then work with a licensed clinician to understand your results and discuss treatment options that may be right for you. Visit JoiAndBlokes.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for 65% off labs and 20% off treatment. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.