Jackie's Take: What's on My Mind in Women's Wellness ✍️ 🤔 

This week, I had the privilege of participating in a women's health panel in New York City, co-hosted by my alma mater, Georgetown University's Hoyas in Health group, and Columbia University's Global Health and Wellness Network. The event, aptly titled "Activating Women in Shaping the Future of Women's Health," brought together a dynamic group of professionals passionate about transforming women's healthcare.​

One of the most striking discussions centered on the persistent underrepresentation and underfunding in women's health research. It was eye-opening to recall that it wasn't until 1993—yes, the same year Jurassic Park hit theaters—that the NIH Revitalization Act mandated the inclusion of women and minorities in all NIH-funded research. This delay has left significant gaps in our understanding of gender-specific health issues, such as heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death among women. The panel emphasized the critical need for increased investment in women-focused research to personalize healthcare effectively.​

Another compelling topic was the integration of healthcare and technology. While there's growing excitement around digital health solutions, challenges persist in reimbursement and clinical integration. The consensus was clear: telehealth is here to stay, but we must address these systemic issues to fully realize its potential. Additionally, the importance of including clinicians in executive roles, including C-suite positions, on boards of directors and on the cap table, was highlighted as a vital step toward informed decision-making in healthcare innovation.​

A heartfelt thank you to the Georgetown and Columbia alumni groups, as well as to our hosts at White & Case for organizing this event, and to all the panelists and attendees who are committed to advancing women's health. Together, we're not just observing the evolution of healthcare; we're actively shaping its future.

Looking to get involved? Here’s how to take action for better midlife women’s health — right now:

🚀 Shift the Conversation
✔️ Educate yourself & others: Women’s health is more than reproduction—our hormones impact brain function, heart health, metabolism, and longevity. Share these and other evidence-based facts in conversations, social media, or with your healthcare provider.

✔️ Push for better research: Women were excluded from medical studies until 1993. Donate or advocate for organizations funding women-specific research like WHAM.

💰 Support the Women’s Health Economy
✔️ Shop & invest wisely: Women drive 80% of healthcare decisions, yet funding lags behind. Support brands and businesses actually solving problems, not just marketing to you like Elektra Health.

✔️ Follow & amplify innovators in women’s health: Stay informed on FemTech Insider and Female Founders Fund, also read this McKinsey Health Institute Report.

✔️ Demand menopause-friendly workplaces: 1 in 5 women consider leaving their jobs due to menopause, costing companies $800B yearly. If you have HR connections, push for menopause-inclusive benefits.

🛠 Support Solutions That Meet Women Where They Are
✔️ Advocate for caregiver support: Women are often the default caregivers for aging parents. Ask employers, policymakers, and health companies how they’re addressing this massive but overlooked burden.

🔎 Push for Policy & Platform Reform
✔️ Fight censorship in women’s health: Social media platforms ban sexual health education while misinformation thrives. Follow The Center for Intimacy Justice and support clearer content policies.

✔️ Challenge outdated policies: Vaginal estrogen (safer than Tylenol) still carries an unnecessary black box warning. Contact the FDA, sign petitions, and support advocacy groups like Let’s Talk Menopause!

👊 The Bottom Line?
Women deserve better research, better care, and more decision-making power. Start small—share an article, ask your doctor a question, challenge outdated policies, or simply demand better. The more we push, the faster things change. Now’s the time. 💥

The Tea: What's Trending in Women's Wellness & Culture 🍵 🛍️ 

💊 Is the “Female Viagra” Revolution Finally Here?  It’s interesting to see Goop spotlight Addyi—especially since the brand has faced criticism in the past for promoting wellness trends that aren’t always backed by science. But here, they’re helping bring scientific research and women’s sexual health into the mainstream, which is long overdue. Addyi, the first FDA-approved drug for low libido in premenopausal women, has been controversial since its 2015 debut. Unlike Viagra, which works on demand, Addyi is a daily pill that alters brain neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine to gradually improve sexual desire (the responsive kind ofc)—but the results have been mixed. Some women swear by it, others find the side effects (dizziness, nausea, and low blood pressure) not worth it. Regardless of where you land, the fact that Goop is talking about women’s sexual health in a serious way is a step in the right direction. (Goop)

🦠 A Third of Women Get This Infection. The Fix: Treat Their Male Partners.  A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine is shaking up the way we think about bacterial vaginosis (BV)—suggesting that it may, in fact, be sexually transmitted. Researchers found that treating both women and their male partners with antibiotics significantly reduced BV recurrence rates, meaning male partners may harbor and transmit the bacteria responsible for BV. Traditionally, BV has been seen as an imbalance of vaginal bacteria rather than an infection passed between partners, but this research is prompting a reevaluation of how we treat it.

But let’s take it a step further. BV happens downstream to dysbiosis—a disrupted microbiome in the vagina—and that disruption doesn’t just happen randomly. It’s common during periods of hormonal shifts like breastfeeding, perimenopause, and even while on birth control pills, because when estrogen levels drop, we lose our natural protective barrier. This leaves the vaginal environment more vulnerable to infections like BV.

So yes, treating both the patient and the partner makes sense, but what if we also treated the root cause? In perimenopause, that means supporting vaginal health with localized hormones like vaginal estrogen or DHEA—helping restore the microbiome and making it more resilient to these recurrent infections in the first place. Because the goal shouldn’t just be putting out the fire—it should be fireproofing the house. 🔥 (NYT)

😟 🫦 Generation Xanax: The Dark Side of America’s Wonder Drug Once hailed as a miracle pill for anxiety, Xanax and other benzodiazepines are now under scrutiny for their long-term risks and dependency issues. Originally prescribed for short-term use, these medications have become a go-to fix for stress, but new research highlights withdrawal difficulties, cognitive impairment, and the potential for addiction—even when taken as directed. With anxiety on the rise, the conversation around better, safer alternatives is more urgent than ever. (WSJ)

Looking for a better option? Harness your body’s natural Xanax—progesterone. I’ve said it before—progesterone is basically the Victoria of hormones (yes, White Lotus Victoria). Just like Xanax and Lorazepam work on GABA receptors to calm the nervous system, progesterone does the same thing naturally. This is why many women feel more relaxed, sleep better, and have less anxiety in the second half of their cycle—until perimenopause hits and progesterone starts to decline. If you want to dive a bit deeper with me on this check out my Instagram reel series, that starts here. 🎭💊 

The Group Chat Edit - Send This to Your Besties📲 👯‍♂️ 

🎧 Podcast: Erin and Sara sit down with Ramit Sethi, entrepreneur and author of Money For Couples. They discuss why he doesn’t recommend budgets, how to split finances in a relationship with different incomes, and much more. (The World’s First Podcast)

📖 Read: Gut issues like bloating, IBS, and reflux aren’t just physical—stress, hormones, and the gut-brain connection plays a huge role in digestive health. A GI psychologist (who knew that was— a thing?!) helps rewire the gut’s response to stress, which is especially important in midlife when hormonal shifts can make digestion more unpredictable. (Oshi Health)

📲 Wellness Influencer You Can Trust: Rachel Frankenthal, PA-C, MPH, MSCP – A Broadway performer turned menopause and gynecologic oncology expert, bringing you all the evidence-based women’s health with a side of stage-worthy charisma.

FSH: Facts, Snacks & Hacks ✅ 🥨💡 

✅ Fact: Did you know that while this side effect is uncommon, eyelash growth serums containing prostaglandin analogs can cause fat cells under the eyes to shrink? This can lead to hollow or sunken skin and the appearance of dark circles. No thanks. For a prostaglandin-free alternative, I’ll be testing out this growth serum that derms seem to rave about.

🥨 Snack: Seaweed is a midlife superfood—rich in iodine to support thyroid health, magnesium to ease stress, and fiber for gut balance. Plus, it is packed with antioxidants and minerals that help support brain function, metabolism, and hormone regulation, making them a crunchy, nutrient-dense alternative to processed chips. This brand is a fan favorite, and comes in lots of fun flavors 🌊 ✨

💡Hack: We have all heard about a sleep divorce, but is a bathroom divorce the key to a happy marriage? I’ll let you decide 🧻