Salisbury City Hall was buzzing with women eager to take control of their health on Friday evening, as Louise Newson brought her informative show Breaking the Cycle: The Power of Hormones to the stage.
Using a series of slides, Dr Newson delved back into the history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), unpicking its origins and highlighting the medical misconceptions and mistakes that have shaped its reputation over the years.
Known as “The Menopause Doctor,” she delivered her talk with warmth, clarity and a refreshingly direct style. A strong focus was placed on hormones and the profound effect they can have on women’s mental health – an area she argued has been overlooked for far too long. A particularly moving moment came from her guest speaker, who bravely shared his mother’s struggles with mental health, and her subsequent recovery after coming off antidepressants and starting HRT.
Newson also addressed the recent scrutiny she has faced, following a BBC Panorama investigation into claims her clinic oversubscribes HRT.
The evening was both empowering and enlightening, leaving the audience feeling informed, validated, and more confident about their health. It felt less like a lecture and more like the start of a much-needed shift in how hormones and menopause are understood and discussed.