Hot flashes. Brain fog. Sleepless nights. So many women ask, “Is this just how it is now?” Spoiler: it’s not.

In this episode of The Grown-Ass Woman’s Guide, Dr. Kudzai Dombo, OB-GYN and menopause expert at Alloy Women’s Health, is back! She breaks down everything you actually need to know about hormone replacement therapy (HRT), without the outdated fear, misinformation, or judgment.

You’ll learn:

  • What really defines menopause (and when it officially starts)

  • The truth about “the menopause window” and when HRT is most effective

  • What the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study got wrong

  • Are bioidentical hormones important?

  • How to know if you’re a candidate for HRT

  • Common myths around weight gain, testing your levels, and family history of breast cancer

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too early (or too late) to consider hormone therapy, start here.

About the Guest

Dr. Kudzai Dombo, MD, FACOG, MSCP, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and menopause expert with 20 years of experience dedicated to women’s health. Known for her deep commitment to both individual care and global health advocacy, she brings a unique cross-cultural perspective shaped by her upbringing in the U.S. and Zimbabwe.

Her career has spanned continents, with work for Doctors Without Borders and NGOs in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, El Salvador, South Africa, and Haiti, where she has advocated for women at every stage of life. In recent years, she has focused her practice on supporting women in midlife and the menopausal transition, most recently as a practicing physician and Director of Advocacy and Outreach at Alloy Women’s Health and Akasha Center for Integrative Health.

She is currently a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and a member of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health.

She loves the creative arts, enjoys traveling, and appreciates time with her family.

Free Resource

Download your Grown-Ass Woman’s Health Cheat Sheet — a simple, printable guide to the screenings, labs, and hormone insights you need to take charge of your midlife health.
👉 Get the cheat sheet here

Listen to the Full Series

  1. Screenings & Labs Every Woman Over 40 Needs

  2. Is Hormone Replacement Therapy Right for You? (You’re here!)

  3. Supplements That Actually Work 

  4. Vaccines and Prevention Updates for Midlife Women

Share with a Friend

If this episode helped you feel a little more empowered, share it with a friend who deserves the same. Because every grown-ass woman deserves to feel informed, supported, and in control.

Full Transcript

Hot flashes, brain fog, sleepless nights—so many women wonder, is this just how it is? The truth: it’s not too late—or too early—for relief.

Welcome back to The Grown-Ass Woman’s Guide. I’m Jackie MacDougall.

Today we’re digging into a question that comes up constantly in our community: Is hormone replacement therapy right for you?

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