Women's health is having a moment. From social media feeds and the most popular podcasts to movies, TV shows and news headlines, conversations about breast cancer, menopause, hormone therapy and more have officially entered the mainstream.
However, while it's a welcome and long-overdue cultural shift that these once-taboo topics are finally getting airtime, many doctors say there's a catch: The information can be oversimplified at best and often downright wrong, which means doctors spend a lot of time clearing up misinformation—or at least adding context so their patients have the full information.
So, at a time of year when many people are focused on improving their health, here are five women's health myths to be aware of. Here's what leading experts had to say about them, and the truth they want more women to understand.
This excerpt was adapted from NEW RULES FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH: Your Guide to Thriving at Any Age.
Myth #1: All you need to prevent breast cancer is an annual mammogram.
Reality: Mammograms are critical, but prevention starts with understanding your lifetime risk and the need for more personalized screening.
Although mammography plays an important role in detecting breast cancer, it is not sufficient for everyone.
“To prevent breast cancer, identifying women at high risk is an important first step,” says Dr. Lisa Larkin, an internal medicine physician who specializes in women's health.
Unfortunately, most people do not discuss their individual breast cancer risk with their healthcare providers. Result? “Many high-risk women are unaware that they should have screenings other than mammograms, such as breast MRIs or ultrasounds, and perhaps more than once a year,” Larkin says.
For example, the American Cancer Society and other organizations recommend that women at high risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime (more than 20%) undergo annual mammography and breast MRI at six-month intervals.
If you haven't already talked to your doctor about your risk of developing breast cancer throughout your life, make it a priority. Larkin recommends using one of the free, evidence-based risk assessment tools available online, e.g. Tyrer-Cusick model or Gail Model. Both questionnaires estimate the likelihood of developing breast cancer during your lifetime, taking into account factors such as your age, family and reproductive history, genetic factors (such as known genetic variants), breast density and more.
Then bring your results to your next wellness visit to start a conversation about what your result means and how it should be reflected in your breast cancer screening plan.
It's also important to remember that while you can't change some of the risk factors that increase your lifetime risk of breast cancer, a healthy lifestyle involves limiting (or better yet, eliminating) alcohol and regular exercise. may reduce your risk.
Myth #2: Strength training is more important than cardio, especially in middle age.
Reality: Aerobic exercise is still critical.
Women these days are inundated with information about the importance of putting down the little pink dumbbells and picking up heavier weights. This is great, especially when women experience hormonal changes in their 40s and 50s. Estrogen plays a key role in muscle growth in response to stressors such as heavy lifting. This means that when there is less estrogen flowing through your body, you begin to require heavier loads (read: heavier weights) to get the same muscle-building results.
However, with all the talk about the importance of strength training, it can be tempting to think that you can skip your daily walks or time spent on the elliptical if you're already lifting weights. That's not true, says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist. Exercise that increases your heart rate increases the ability of the heart's ventricles to fill with blood, she says. The more easily they expand, the more flexible they remain and the less likely you are to suffer from cardiovascular disease.
Moderate-intensity exercise—such as walking at a pace where you can still talk—may be a good choice because you can do it regularly without requiring long recovery periods. American Heart Association recommends All adults aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of higher-intensity activity (such as hiking or running) each week.
Myth #3: Menopause is years of suffering with no positive side.
Reality: Yes, this big hormonal shift can be worrisome. But it can spur positive changes that will set you up for a healthier, happier future.
There's no denying that menopause is a time of change, and not just for the better. Fortunately, women suffering from the many unpleasant symptoms of this major hormonal transition are now prescribed menopause hormone therapy, or MHT (also called hormone replacement therapy or HRT). After years of misunderstanding and misconception, evidence shows that it is safe for most women.
However, there is still a widespread belief that menopause is a doom and gloom experience, when for many women it is an opportunity to reinvent their health and lives, says Dr. Heather Bartos, a menopause specialist and author of the book Quickies: One Hundred Little Lessons on How to Live Sexually in Midlife.
“In traditional Chinese medicine, menopause is known as the 'second spring,'” says Bartos, adding that it's important to consider the many ways this time in our lives is liberating. No more periods or worries about birth control. No more PMS, cramps, or unexpected periods.
Some women may experience symptoms for many years after their last period. Black women, in particular, tend to have longer duration of menopausal transition. But for many women, symptoms go away over time.
“The hormonal hell that many women go through during perimenopause is like floating on a raft through whitewater rapids,” says Bartos. “But after menopause, you go down the canyon and get to the lake, where it’s calm and beautiful. This is a great time to reassess and recalibrate.”
Are you as healthy as you would like to be? Are you achieving your goals when it comes to your personal goals? Menopause is a time to pause, take stock and make sure you are where you want to be. “It really can be a freeing and wonderful time, especially if you go into it thinking that it is,” Bartos says.
Myth #4: Women can maximize their workouts based on their menstrual cycle.
Reality: There is no reliable data showing significant changes in strength, endurance, or recovery during different phases of the menstrual cycle.
“Cycle sync” is the idea of matching different training styles or approaches to the phase of your menstrual cycle you are in. For example, proponents may recommend light movement (such as walking or low-intensity strength training) during the menstrual phase, when estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest levels, and higher-intensity training (such as heavier strength training and sprint intervals) during the follicular phase, when estrogen levels rise.
The idea is that hormonal fluctuations throughout your cycle can impact strength, endurance, and recovery, and that by synchronizing your training plan with these changes, you can optimize performance.
However, the data doesn't support that, says Dr. Megan Roche, a sports medicine physician, adding that there are hundreds of different variables that go into optimizing training. Did your kids wake you up in the middle of the night? Are you worried about the long turnaround time? These factors also affect your workout.
“If you try to tweak your workouts based on just one variable—your menstrual cycle—you risk missing the bigger picture of other things that also have an impact,” Roche says.
The takeaway: The body knows movement, not perfection, says Roche. If tracking your cycle timing helps you be more intentional about your training regimen, that's great. But if it forces you to rethink your workouts, trying to find the right training style for the phase of your cycle, it could be holding you back, she adds. Instead, focus on getting recommended 150 minutes moderate-intensity physical activity each week and prioritize exercise that you look forward to—whether it's walking with a friend, playing pickleball, or lifting weights at the gym.
Myth #5: Heart disease is a major threat to men's health and shouldn't be something to worry about until later in life.
Reality: More women die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer combined, and our awareness of this fact is declining.
Many of us tend to think that heart disease occurs more often in men. Or we assume that it is a risk for older women or women who are not active or do not go to the doctor regularly. That is, we find ways to distance ourselves from the very real fact that All women should worry about heart health. One ten year study The American Heart Association found that less than half of women realize that heart disease is their biggest killer.
Here's another fact that surprises too many women: Your reproductive health history can give your cardiologist a better idea of your risk for heart disease, says Dr. Jane Morgan, a cardiologist. For example, women whose menstrual cycles are shorter than 22 days or longer than 34 days may have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and atrial fibrillation.
Pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia also put you at greater risk for heart disease later in life—no matter how long you've been pregnant or how healthy you are now. If you went through early menopause (before age 40) naturally, or if you had your ovaries surgically removed, your risk of a number of heart problems may be increased. Women who experience more frequent hot flashes and night sweats are at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases as they age, according to research.
“If your doctor doesn't ask about these topics when he starts asking you about your heart health, be proactive and bring them up on your own,” Morgan adds. And if you haven't already, follow the instructions American Heart Association Guidelines to prevent cardiovascular disease, including eating a diet rich in fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, staying physically active, and managing stress.
This excerpt was adapted from NEW RULES FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH: Your Guide to Thriving at Any AgeMegan Rabbitt. Published by The Open Field, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House.
