December 20th, 2015
I’m often asked by women, “Isn’t it better to go through menopause naturally? If God’s design was for us to go through menopause, why should we still be taking estrogen?”
Menopause simply means the end of a woman’s ability to bear children. In 1900, the average age of menopause was 51, just like it is today, BUT in 1900, the average life expectancy for a woman was 50! Many women in the 1800s died in childbirth and men often remarried because of this loss.
Today in 2015, life expectancy for women is pushing 80! So essentially with modern medical advances, God has graced women with 30 extra years of life! What are we to do with this precious gift of 30 extra years that He’s given us?? Are we to squander that gift by letting our bodies fall apart?
I think of my body as God’s temple that He’s given to me on loan. God expects us to be good stewards and care for our bodies. Taking estrogen is simply putting back a substance that’s part of your original design. Estrogen is a vital hormone that has over 400 actions on a woman’s body. When you were twenty, you took estrogen for granted because everything worked automatically. When you become menopausal and your estrogen levels fall, only then do you appreciate it’s significance
Women who don’t take estrogen have a higher risk of heart disease, strokes, osteoporosis, dementia and Alzheimer’s. If this risk can be reduced with estrogen, why would you want to deprive yourself of this potential benefit?
I’m not saying ALL women should take estrogen, but every woman at some time in her life needs to make this important decision. I want women to make that decision based on facts, not from fear and misinformation! That’s why I wrote my book, “Outliving Your Ovaries: An Endocrinologist Review the Risks and Rewards of Treating Menopause with Hormone Replacement.”
As I close on this weekend before we celebrate Christmas, I want to take a moment to thank God for all the blessings that he’s given me. With all the flurry of gift-giving and social activities at this time, it’s easy for us to forget that Jesus is the reason for this season.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dr. Johnson
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