The Four Best IGs to Follow for Health Insights

As women age, their bodies change in meaningful ways. Many women do the bare bones basics on their health care needs in their 20s and 30s while they focus on kids and career. But as we hit our 40s and 50s and beyond, we begin to experience changes that require more focused attention on our health. From mammograms to colonoscopies to heart health, hormone replacement therapy, and weight loss drugs, women will be faced with more and more decisions with regards to their health. Surprisingly, social media has been an interesting source of information on women’s health. Here are a couple of IG pages we are following now:

@drmaryclaire - Mary Clair Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist and a Certified Menopause Practitioner from The Menopause Society. She is the best-selling author of “The Galveston Diet” and “The New Menopause.” We love Dr. Haver’s insights into supplements, medical studies, and aging well.

@midihealth - Is the leading virtual care clinic for women in midlife. 80% of OB/GYNs are untrained in menopause, and 75% of physicians are uncomfortable talking to patients about menopause symptoms, yet 100% of women will experience perimenopause and menopause. Since the medical establishment has yet to address this gap, women will have to solve it for themselves. Midi Health is a venture capital-backed virtual care clinic providing women with the education and care resources they need to navigate this period of their life. We especially like what they do with online education on women’s health issues.

@stripesbeauty - Founded by actress Naomi Watts, Stripes is intended to provide resources to women navigating mid-life while removing the stigma associated with this period in life. In fact, we are seeing a trend of actresses addressing the challenges of mid-life women’s health, from Naomi Watts to Brooke Shields to Gwyneth Paltrow. They are breaking the silence on women’s health mid-life issues and working to create products to address these issues.

@heatherhirschmd.com—Heather Hirsch, MD, PLLC is a certified internist who practices private telemedicine to help women experiencing symptoms of menopause and peri-menopause go from feeling confused, symptomatic, and stuck to becoming symptom-free, educated, and empowered.

While this list is by no means complete and will likely evolve, what we know for sure is that education leads to empowerment. If physicians are untrained and uncomfortable in this important area of a women’s life, we will need to become the experts and fill in the gaps. These four Instagram sites are an excellent place to start.