Rethinking the power of hormones: 'Women deserve the information needed to choose'

Dr Louise Newson is a leading authority on women’s health. In her new book, she argues that we are still not giving enough attention to the profound impact hormones can have on our daily lives

Dr Louise Newson. Picture: Andrew Crowley

If you're a woman aged 40 or older, chances are you’ve heard of Dr Louise Newson. The British-based GP has long been an outspoken advocate for women’s health, particularly menopause care, focusing on the topic long before it became mainstream.

Having spent 18 years working as a GP and medical writer, she opened the first of several private menopause clinics in 2018, launched a podcast in 2019 and then Balance, a free menopause app in 2020, and in 2021 was a leading voice on landmark documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Myths, and the Menopause, which transformed the national conversation around menopause in Britain. Around the same time, a similar discourse around menopause kicked off in Ireland when Sallyanne Brady, co-founder of The Irish Menopause support group, emailed Liveline about her traumatic experience of menopause.