Are you a millennial thinking about menopause?

The Hotflash inc podcast

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-24:54

Are you a millennial thinking about menopause?

Episode 192

Hotflash Inc

Jan 08, 2026

Journalist and Hotflash inc founder Ann Marie McQueen welcomes Lauren Tetenbaum, aka The Counselaur – a licensed social worker, former lawyer, and author of Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life’s Next Period. At 40, Lauren brings a fresh, younger perspective to a conversation that’s long left her generation out.

Ann Marie and Lauren dive into what it means to enter perimenopause as a millennial – through the lens of mental health, trauma, hormone therapy, supplements, shame, IVF, and what the next generation (Gen Z) might face. Lauren’s unique background in law, therapy, and women’s rights advocacy makes her a powerful voice in this space. Through her private practice and corporate workshops, she supports women navigating life transitions – including the often-misunderstood onset of perimenopause.

Fact Check:

During this discussion we explore breast cancer risk and hormone therapy, including the distinction between bioidentical progesterone and synthetic progestins. It’s essential to understand the difference:

Across the strongest randomized evidence from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), combined estrogen plus synthetic progestin is associated with a 25–30% relative increase in breast cancer incidence – roughly 8 extra cases per 10,000 women per year in the original WHI report. More recent large observational datasets suggest a higher risk with combined therapy, especially with longer-term use. Combined estrogen with bioidentical progesterone (oral micronized progesterone) has not been shown to carry the same level of risk, though more research is needed.

Highlights:

1:30 – Lauren explains why she wrote Millennial Menopause at age 40
3:00 – How her law and social work background blend in advocacy and therapy
4:00 – Why most millennials are still clueless about perimenopause
5:15 – “Denial is the first symptom” – the mental health and symptom overlap
6:00 – Why personalized care is key – and hard to find
7:30 – How millennials are still scared of hormone therapy
8:30 – Estrogen-only vs. combined therapy – and what women still get wrong
9:45 – Why trauma, mindset, and support shape your perimenopause experience
10:30 – What shocked Lauren most while researching menopause
12:00 – Is menopause estrogen deficiency or hormone fluctuation? Lauren’s take
13:00 – Are supplements worth it? And why many women don’t talk to their doctors
14:30 – Why shame and dismissal still dominate menopause care
15:45 – Her hope for Gen Z and how they’re different from millennials
17:00 – How Lauren personally managed early peri symptoms with the pill
18:15 – IVF, fertility, and their possible ties to earlier menopause
19:30 – The gaps in medical training and misconceptions among doctors
20:30 – How risk is part of all health decisions – and how to weigh it
21:00 – Are millennials drinking less? The booze-risk conversation
23:30 – Why support matters even when there’s no “official” diagnosis