Journalist Fiona Clark on hype, hormones and finding better science
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Don't miss The Perimenopause Game Plan. Six weeks to sorted – mind body and soul – so you can be the journalist, scientist and CEO of your own health. It's everything I've learned in my work researching this transition. We start November 8.
In this episode of the Hotflash inc podcast, host and founder Ann Marie McQueen speaks with award-winning journalist, broadcaster and women’s health advocate Fiona Clark. Together they unpack how media, medicine and marketing collided to create confusion and polarization in menopause care – and what needs to change.
Fiona, co-founder of the Menopause Research and Education Fund, shares why she wrote Meno Wars, the impact of social media “medical influencers,” how evidence gets cherry-picked and misused, and why better data, plain-language summaries and shared decision-making are vital for women’s health. They also discuss vaginal health – including her own issues – testosterone, GLP-1s, trauma, diet culture and the urgent need for more menopause research funding.
Time-stamped highlights
1:30 – Why Ann Marie created The Perimenopause Game Plan
6:00 – Fiona’s personal menopause story and the power of vaginal estrogen
10:30 – How the menopause movement went off the rails
13:30 – The rise of medical influencers and misinformation online
15:30 – How statistics and risk get twisted on social media
18:30 – Absolute vs relative risk
21:00 – What hormone therapy can and can’t do
25:00 – The real data gaps in perimenopause and menopause
27:00 – Vaginal health and why simple treatments are overlooked
31:00 – Surgical vs natural menopause and why it matters
33:00 – What we still don’t know about bone, brain and heart health
36:00 – How to navigate doctors, evidence and social media
39:00 – The small-vessel heart disease link and what it could mean for women
42:00 – Testosterone research, backlash and why caution matters
44:00 – The GLP-1 craze and the ethics of “biohacking” medicine
46:30 – How PR, marketing and the wellness industry shape narratives
49:00 – Menopause product gold rush: the M-tick and “for menopause” labels
53:00 – Supplements, protein, food and the myth of deficiency
55:00 – Diet fads, fear and common-sense nutrition
59:00 – Trauma, poverty and why context matters for menopause outcomes
1:01:00 – Inside Fiona’s Menopause Research and Education Fund
1:03:00 – Why anger is valid – and how women can demand better
About Fiona Clark
Fiona Clark is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and women’s health advocate. She is the author of Meno Wars: Why Menopause’s Moment Has Gone Horribly Wrong, which examines how media, medicine and marketing have shaped today’s menopause narrative. Fiona is also co-founder of the Menopause Research and Education Fund, dedicated to improving scientific research, education and equity in women’s health.
Follow Fiona:
Meno Wars: available wherever books are sold
Instagram: @fiona_clark_writes
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Disclaimer This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
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Disclaimer:
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, supplements, or treatment plan. Opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hotflash Inc.