Dr. Erika Schwartz, author of "Don't Let Your Doctor Kill You," told Newsmax on Friday that women should feel empowered to make their own healthcare choices and not be intimidated by doctors or the medical system.
Speaking about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and recent developments in women's health on "American Agenda," Schwartz said she has long advocated for the benefits of hormones, despite what she described as decades of misinformation.
"I've been saying that hormones are good for you, and the science has been there all along," she said. "The healthcare system has been broken, and the medical education is the same today as it was 50 years ago."
Schwartz said the medical industry too often relies on "intimidation and fear mongering" to push patients toward unnecessary treatments.
Instead, she urged individuals to become "quarterbacks" of their own health decisions.
"The doctor doesn't live in your body — you do," she said. "You should be empowered to make your own decisions, not scared into doing some procedure that's not going to help you."
She also discussed the government's move to remove black box warnings from hormone therapy treatments, calling it a critical step in correcting years of flawed research.
"That study went wrong," she said, referring to a government-backed project that linked hormones to increased risks of cancer and stroke.
"It was conducted on women more than 10 years post-menopause who already had other conditions. It wasn't based on bioidentical hormones, which have been used safely since the 1990s."
Schwartz concluded by encouraging patients to be confident, ask questions, and leave their doctor's office feeling reassured, not fearful.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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