Is Perimenopause Becoming the Default Diagnosis? HRT, Testing Gaps, and Advocating for Better Care with Anne Matthews

This week, Nikki sits down with Anne Matthews, fertility and women's hormone expert, founder of Energy Tree Studios, and one of Canada's few qualified traditional Chinese medicine practitioners (ABORM). After their joint participation in a menopause panel left them speechless, Anne and Nikki knew they had to have this conversation. Together, they unpack the pendulum swing around hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—from being considered "dangerous" 10 years ago to now being prescribed via AI platforms without proper testing. They're not anti-HRT. They're anti-blanket prescriptions for symptoms that might not be perimenopause at all. Anne shares real stories from her practice, the critical tests women should demand before accepting an HRT prescription, and why advocating for yourself isn't "being difficult"—it's being smart. Anne shares: Why a physician said "my 10-year-old could prescribe HRT" using AI platforms An ovarian cancer story: a woman diagnosed with "perimenopause" who actually had stage 3 ovarian cancer Why women in their 30s are being told they're perimenopausal when they're not "At what point between 12 and 44 are we considered whole and healthy and not pathologized?" The parallel to birth control in high school: same blanket-prescription energy Why exercise works better than SSRIs for depression (and why nobody wants to hear it) Critical tests to request: thyroid panel, ferritin, B12, vitamin D, insulin, A1c, autoimmune markers, pelvic ultrasound Day 3 hormone panels vs. irregular cycle testing—when to test and what to ask for Why healthcare for women is broken at every life stage—and how to advocate anyway Click here to download the PDF mentioned in this episode: Testing to Consider for Women 40+  Ways to Connect with Anne: Instagram: @energytreestudios Website: energytreestudios.com