Dr. Jen Gunter

So, you know, so I just think it's, and it's hard for people to say, well, how come you can do my hormone level when I haven't had a period for four months and it means something.

And if I'm having regular periods, it doesn't.

And that's because that's in context because we're looking for an explanation for the lack of periods.

Exactly.

Versus, well, you're like, what's the diagnosis here?

And if it's because you don't feel well,

The important conversation is not to dismiss someone because they don't feel well.

You absolutely do feel well, but hormone tests aren't the right test to figure out why you don't feel well.

Maybe we need to check your iron level.

Maybe we need to do a ferritin because iron deficiency is grossly underappreciated in women who menstruate.

I think something like, if we look at women under the age of 24 or 23, I think it's almost like 40% are iron deficient.

So yeah, so there may be tests if you don't feel well, but it's not those tests.

It's absolutely harder.

It's much easier for me.

One of my areas of sort of subspecialty is chronic and recurring yeast infections.

It's a lot easier for me to just like write a prescription that's probably not going to be the right prescription for this patient than to say, wait a minute, your story doesn't quite sound like that.

And I need more information.

I need to get sensitivity testing.

I need you to have a culture when you have symptoms because I want to help you.

I'm actually really bothered when I can't solve someone's problem.