Season 1 of Medsplaining is brought to you by Estée Lauder.

Use code DRZ15 for 15% off ALL Estée Lauder products at esteelauder.ca

I’m Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky, welcome to Medsplaining. Introducing our new segment, "Let Me Medsplain," where I break down common medical questions in a way that makes sense.

Today, I'll be Medsplaining why Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is one of the most effective treatments for menopause symptoms, yet it still carries a stigma—both within the medical community and among those experiencing menopause.

This is a mini-episode, so let's dive right into today’s topic: treating menopause symptoms with HRT.

It's time we set the record straight.

In other news...

We're GIVING AWAY a $450 Estée Lauder skincare set!

What have you done BECAUSE of your age?

Share your story for a chance to be featured on a special “Because of my Age” episode of Medsplaining—and entered to win an Estée Lauder skincare set valued at $450 courtesy of Estée Lauder.

Email medsplaining@gmail.com with your story.

Good luck!

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Medsplaining is for educational purposes, not medical advice! ✨

Season 1 of Medsplaining is brought to you by Estée Lauder.

Use promo code DRZ15 for 15% off all Estée Lauder products at esteelauder.ca

I’m Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. Welcome to Medsplaining.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! This important month is dedicated to raising awareness, promoting early detection, and supporting those impacted by breast cancer.

I am deeply humbled by today’s guest: Dr. Toni Zhong. She is a true rockstar in the world of women’s health. She is the Clinical and Research Director of the University Health Network Breast Reconstruction Program here in Toronto, an Associate Professor in UofT’s Department of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, and a passionate advocate for breast health. Today, we will take a deep dive into the prevention, detection and treatment of breast cancer, including the brand-new Ontario breast screening guidelines.

Find Dr. Toni Zhong on Instagram @drtonizhong

Quick 6:

1. What: Breast health and breast cancer.
2. Who: Breast cancer can affect anyone with breast tissue, including about 300 biological males in 2024, but it overwhelmingly affects women, with 84 women diagnosed every day in Canada.
3. Where: Breast cancer most often develops in the milk ducts or milk-producing glands of the breasts, and 50% of breast cancers are discovered in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, where the tissues are denser.
4. When: Breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed when a woman is in her 60s, followed by her 70s and then her 50s. Although still relatively rare, women are being diagnosed increasingly in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.
5. Why: Apart from age, the major risk factors for the development of breast cancer are:
   - Genetic mutations
   - Having fewer children
   - Having dense breasts
   - Family history of breast or ovarian cancer
   - Previous radiation therapy to the chest
   - Obesity
   - High-risk alcohol intake
   -Smoking or vaping
6. How: How to get screened for breast cancer in Ontario: As of October 2024, women, including non-binary, trans and two-spirit people between the ages of 40 and 74 can self-refer for a mammogram every 2 years. No doctor's referral is required.

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Medsplaining is for educational purposes, not medical advice! ✨

Season 1 of Medsplaining is brought to you by Estée Lauder.

Get great skin courtesy of Estée Lauder! Enter promo code DRZ15 for 15% off all Estée Lauder products at esteelauder.ca.

I’m Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. Welcome to Medsplaining! This mini-episode is all about skincare, which is perfect because I love skincare.

My guest today is a double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Jennifer Tran. She’s a recent mom of two, and a strong advocate for aging gracefully all while feeling confident in your skin—which is why she’s here today to tell us about the perfect guide to skincare.

We often ask ourselves, “What’s my skin type? Should I be using retinol? How often should I wash my face? Is it ever OK to pop my pimples?” and more serious topics like, “When should I get my moles checked? How can I prevent skin cancer?” We answer each one of these questions and more. Find out how you can avoid the biggest skincare mistakes and start taking better care of your skin today.

Find Dr. Jennifer Tran on Instagram @drjenntran

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Medsplaining is for educational purposes, not medical advice! ✨

Season 1 of Medsplaining is brought to you by Estée Lauder.

Find your next perfect pair with promo code DRZ15 for 15% off all Estée Lauder products at esteelauder.ca.

Welcome to Medsplaining! I’m Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. My guests today are two people I hold close to my heart.

I first met Isrene and Tommy when I worked at Sunnybrook Hospital’s INDYGO clinic—which stands for Individualized Care for Young Gynecology Oncology Patients. Isrene was one of my patients.

She had recently undergone a complete hysterectomy for Stage 3 Cervical Cancer and found herself in early menopause at age 30.

Today, she and Tommy are intended parents—also known in their world as IPs. On Instagram at their handle @wombmate4life, they share the highs and lows with their community. In this episode of Medsplaining, Tommy and Isrene share their emotional journey to become parents, from attempted adoption to choosing and working with an egg donor to the search for a surrogate, the importance of getting Pap tests, and what it means to them to become parents.

Find Tommy & Isrene here:

Instagram

Journey video

QUICK 6:

1. What: Cervical Cancer

2. Who: Anyone with a uterus can be affected, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

3. Where: The cervix is the opening to the uterus—it protrudes into the vagina, and it dilates to allow a baby to pass through during childbirth.

4. When: Typically it is diagnosed after the initiation of sexual activity and before age 50.

5. Why: The number one cause is HPV infection, but smoking, being immunosuppressed and having a high number of sexual partners or a history of STIs can also increase your risk.

6. How: HPV or the Human Papilloma Virus, is extremely common: 3 out of 4 sexually active people will contract it. Of those 90% will clear it on their own within 2 years, however of the remaining 10%, some will develop a persistent infection that alters the cells of their cervical lining and eventually leads to cancer. A pap test or HPV test can pick up those changes before they become cancer, and of course, the HPV vaccine can help prevent the infection from developing in the first place.

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#WomensHealth #CervicalCancer #PapTest #Surrogacy #Surrogate #FertilityJourney #Survivor

Season 1 of Medsplaining is brought to you by Estée Lauder.

Get great skin courtesy of Estée Lauder! Enter promo code DRZ15 for 15% off all Estée Lauder products at esteelauder.ca

Welcome to Medsplaining! I’m your host Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’ve turned 50 this year, and with that milestone birthday came another milestone—my very first colonoscopy.

In this episode, I’m joined by my other daughter Becky to answer a listener question: What is it like to get a colonoscopy?

At this age, a screening colonoscopy to detect early signs of colorectal cancer is appropriate for anyone—regardless of family history or typical symptoms related to colon cancer (any changes in stool pattern, size, or colour; any pain with passing stools; and any other worrying symptoms such as unexplained anemia or weight loss). Seeing that I live a pretty healthy lifestyle, and don’t have any of the symptoms associated with colorectal cancer, I went in there as a preventative measure, you know, because of the whole “turning 50” thing.

Imagine my shock when I found out that I had 5 polyps removed, 2 of which were already 8mm in size. Fortunately, these were all non-cancerous, but now I have to return in 3 years because of my elevated risk of future cancerous polyps. Colonoscopies are well worth the prep and are crucially important as early detection is often the difference between life and death when it comes to colorectal cancer.

If you are 50 or older, please speak to your doctor today. If you have a family history of colon cancer, you will want to start your screening 10 years earlier than the age of your relative’s diagnosis. If you are having any symptoms, you will need to request a colonoscopy as soon as possible.

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Medsplaining is for educational purposes, not medical advice! ✨

Season 1 of Medsplaining is brought to you by Estée Lauder.

Welcome to the very first episode of Medsplaining! I’m your host Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. I’m so excited to introduce our very first guest on Medsplaining—Lauren Levy. She’s a successful entrepreneur, former podcaster, mom of four and all-around fashion and food guru.

In her mid-20s, Lauren discovered she carried the breast cancer gene, also known as the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with a dramatically increased risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. She underwent multiple preventative steps—a prophylactic double mastectomy, an oophorectomy, and proper hormone therapy—to minimize her risks of developing cancer.

Today, we get to talk to her about her life since then, what it was like to find out she was a carrier of this gene at a young age, and how she made the important decision to advocate for her own health.

You can find Lauren here:

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠Wren’s Recipes⁠

QUICK 6:

1. What: A mutation in the Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene, (BRCA 1 or BRCA 2) leads to a much higher than normal risk of developing cancer.

2. Where: In the breast, ovaries, prostate, and pancreas.

3. Who: Affects about 1 in 400 people—predominantly women but also some men of Ashkenazi Jewish, French Canadian, Icelandic, Hispanic and African American descent.

4. When: BRCA mutations tend to cause cancer before age 50. BRCA1 mutations tend to be associated with earlier development of cancer than BRCA2 mutations.

5. Why: The BRCA gene is known as a tumour suppressor gene. It plays a crucial role in DNA repair so that if cell replication goes wrong, this gene can step in and be correct. When this gene is mutated, such repairs cannot occur, and cancer can develop

6. How: BRCA is passed down from parent to child—from either a father or mother. This is known as Autosomal Dominant inheritance. In other words, if your parent is a carrier of this gene mutation, you have a 50% chance of inheriting it.

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Medsplaining is for educational purposes, not medical advice! ✨

#WomensHealth #BreastCancer #BreastCancerAwareness #AngelinaJolie #Cancer #OvarianCancer

Welcome to Medsplaining! I'm your host, Dr. Jennifer Zelovitzky. I'm a medical doctor, a menopause expert, a 50-year-old woman, a mom of two teen girls, a wife, and a dog mom to three adorable pups. Each week I'll be sitting down with an expert to chat about the hottest topics in women's health. We're talking perimenopause, menopause, birth control, skin care, skin cancer, cervical cancer, infertility, surrogacy, breast health...and more. We'll ask the tough questions, we'll give you the best answers.