For anyone looking for a friendly, welcoming one-stop place for midlife conversations, Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley's Dig It podcast is a brilliant place to start.
Released twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays, the duo's unscripted conversations about the messy, everyday realities of life are like sitting down with great friends to chat through anything life can throw at you as a midlife woman.
Recently, Zoe shared the challenges of facing Christmas without her mum, and she and Jo talked listeners through the ways they honour lost loved ones during the festive period.
During another recent episode of Dig It, the pair discussed something pertinent to all women: HRT and the menopause.
Responding to a listener's question about HRT, Jo shared that she'd initially been "reluctant" to try it. "I was really reluctant to start HRT and this was probably eight to 10 years ago," she says.
Delving into the reasons for her trepidation to try the therapy, she continues, "It was taboo subject. People weren't talking about it.
"There was a little bit of stigma about it and I just thought, 'No, I will be fine I'm sure,' because nobody talks about it. I just assumed that everybody was actually fine and didn't really need HRT."
The presenter listed the early menopause pioneers and conversation changers - those who'd started to change her mind about the potential benefits of HRT, and made moves to reduce the stigma surrounding it.
"Along came the likes of Mariela Frostrup," she says, continuing, "Jenny Murray talked about it and then Davina came along and it became a conversation - and I realised it wasn't something to be scared of."
By the time the landscape surrounding the medication was changing, Jo had some menopause symptoms that needed addressing.
"My issue was brain fog, which was difficult because I was on the radio," she shares, adding, "so just not having words coming into my head to speak is obviously really scary when you're on the radio."
Alongside this, Jo reveals she was "constantly feeling like I had a UTI." According to menopause specialist, Dr Louise Newson, it can be common to experience urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms during perimenopause and menopause without an actual infection, due to the lack of hormones in your bladder and surrounding tissues.
As other women have found, the process of Jo getting her medication right, took a little trial and error. "I tried lots of different things. I tried patches. I tried gels. I rubbed loads and loads of stuff on and I wasn't really getting the effect," she says.
Jo reports that sometimes, when her symptoms ease, she'll stop her treatment. However, the symptoms quickly return and she understands now that patience is key - the manifestations of menopause will go away one day and for now, she needs something to help her along.
The presenter says, "I think if there's anybody watching right now who is going through any kind of symptoms, then take it from me that there are solutions out there."
If you're concerned about menopause or its symptoms, please consult your doctor. HRT and menopause treatments should only be given under supervision from a medical professional.
