11/10/2025
🌟 Big news for women’s health — and for our mental health too. 🌟
Today, HHS announced that the FDA is removing the “black-box” warnings on hormone replacement therapies (HRT) used during menopause and its transition. What this means: after decades of fear-based labeling, many women will have greater access to treatments that support not only physical health (bones, heart, brain) but emotional and psychological health too.
As a therapist working with midlife and menopausal women, I know how often the hormonal shifts of this time affect mood, anxiety, sleep, memory—and how they overlap with identity, life transitions, and yes, mental health.
Here’s why this regulatory change matters for us:
It signals that the science around women’s health is catching up — and that hormone decline in menopause isn’t just about hot flashes or bone loss. It affects the brain, the nervous system, our emotional regulation.
It opens doors for more choice. When we remove outdated stigma and misinformation, women and clinicians can engage in shared decision-making, not fear-based avoidance.
It reminds us that mental health care for women in perimenopause and menopause needs to be informed by hormonal, physical, and psychosocial factors — not siloed.
And it underscores a broader truth: women’s health has long been under-resourced and under-studied. Today’s announcement isn’t the finish line — it’s a step. We still need more research, more clinician training, more integrated care.
🧠 If you’re in perimenopause, menopause or working with clients who are:
Feel empowered to ask about hormone status and its impact on mood, cognition and mental wellness.
Encourage open dialogue between prescribing clinicians (OB/GYN, endocrinologists) and mental health providers so the whole person is seen.
Recognize that whether or not HRT is appropriate, the hormonal transition is a major life transition — and that means mental health matters.
Let’s use this moment as a reminder: When women’s bodies change, our mental health deserves focused attention, compassionate care and cutting-edge science.
If this change raises questions or touches something in you (or your clients) — whether it’s “What does this mean for me?” or “How does this tie into my anxiety/mood issues?” — I’m here. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
✨ Here’s to more truth in science, more voice for women’s health, and more holistic support for mental health in this transition. ✨
Recent women’s health regulatory update on hormone therapy warnings
reuters.com
US FDA to drop black box warnings from menopause hormone therapies
Today
washingtonpost.com
FDA to lift warnings on menopause hormone therapy, potentially boosting access
Today
nypost.com
FDA to finally change 'scary' and 'outdated' black box warning for menopause treatment
Today
