In this two-part episode, Dr Naomi Sutton and Dr Shema Tariq have a rousing conversation on a topic rarely discussed in public: menopause in persons living with HIV. The second episode picks up with the benefits of using systemic HRT in menopausal women living with HIV weighed up against its risks, before moving onto premature ovarian insufficiency, FSH testing, and what HIV clinicians can be doing better. Shema signposts listeners to invaluable patient resources at the Sophia Forum, aidsmap, Positively UK and the GROWS project.

"If a woman is in her 40s, start asking her proactively about menopausal symptoms. It doesn’t take long. You just need to ask her about hot flushes, ask her about her mood, and ask her about sex, because otherwise she’s not going to volunteer it."

"Women who don’t have that exposure to oestrogen up to the usual age of 50-51 are much more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis and a whole host of other things. The treatment for that is HRT."

Dr Shema Tariq is a Consultant HIV and Sexual Health Physician at Mortimer Market Centre, and Clinical Academic at University College London's Institute for Global Health. Her main clinical and research interest is the health and wellbeing of women living with HIV. She leads the PRIME Study - one of the largest studies internationally on HIV and menopause. Shema is also part of the GROWS team, developing information and peer support for older women living with HIV, and is a Trustee of Positively UK and Tommy's. Follow her work on Twitter @savoy__truffle and @prime_ucl

UK-UNB-2657

Jan 2024

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