Steven Bartlett with Dr Rachel Rubin
Modern medicine often neglects women's sexual anatomy and hormonal health, leaving even affluent patients suffering from treatable conditions because of gaps in physician education.
Medical training programs frequently exclude female sexual anatomy and urological health, meaning many doctors are never taught about the clitoris or how to diagnose sexual pain.
Rubin says low-dose local vaginal hormones, including estrogen and DHEA, can reduce recurrent urinary tract infections by more than half and are safe at any age, including for people with histories of cancer, blood clots, or stroke; she distinguishes these vaginal treatments from systemic hormone therapy.
The massive drop-off in hormone replacement therapy prescriptions stems from the misinterpretation of a major health study in the early 2000s, which caused lasting fear of hormones among both doctors and patients.