femalegp

13/09/2026

A conference isn’t just purely about the knowledge. It’s about the application the communication and the connection and that’s why these are an annual non-negotiable for me. And I always come back inspired and motivated with new ideas and people to talk to learn from and to share my experience with. Because bringing it back to our whenua is what it’s about xx

09/09/2026

You all know dogs are pretty special to me! So are humans too ☺️

There’s something pretty special about the bond between kids and their dogs. They grow up together, share so many adventures, and more often than not, the dog becomes one of their best friends. So photos of them together are extra special ❤️

www.karynworthington.co.nz

05/09/2026

Testosterone has long been associated with male energy, drive, strength and “vitality”.
For women testosterone is currently recommended only for postmenopausal women with HSDD. And international consensus found that the available RCT evidence did not demonstrate an improvement in general wellbeing or depressed mood.

But there’s an important distinction between:
“the evidence shows it doesn’t work”
and
“we don’t yet have enough good evidence to know.”

Glynne et al looked at 510 peri- and postmenopausal women already using HRT who had persistent low libido, cognitive and negative mood symptoms. After four months of transdermal testosterone, 52% reported improved libido and 47% reported improved mood.

It was a retrospective observational study, not a randomised placebo-controlled trial, so it cannot prove testosterone caused those improvements. But… it’s very interesting! And aligns with what many of us experience..

And it does ask a really interesting question:

Are we measuring enough of what testosterone might actually do for women?
Mood isn’t one thing.
Neither is “vitality”.

We need better prospective trials, with outcomes designed to actually identify what changes and for whom.

And if testosterone is prescribed, this isn’t about pushing levels higher and higher. I use physiological dosing, symptom assessment, monitoring of serum testosterone levels and careful review of response and side effects.

Also rather appropriately for this video: resistance exercise itself can produce an acute change in circulating testosterone. So yes, there is some hormone science happening while I’m talking to my PT too.

I’ll keep reading the data, so you can keep sharing it, but I won’t be waiting for the conclusive RCTs. I will be practicing shared decision making, which does involve prescribing testosterone and looking at benefits not just limited to libido.

Glynne S, Kamal A, Kamel AM, et al. Effect of transdermal testosterone therapy on mood and cognitive symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women: a pilot study. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2025;28:541–550.

26/08/2026

It’s International Dog Day today!!!

I know not everyone is a big dog person. I certainly wasn’t… until George came along.

He completely changed my world. My own real live teddy bear 🧸

He was my first baby, and he taught me just how much dogs communicate without words. How perceptive they are. How they somehow know when you need them. And how much love, personality and connection can fit into one very fluffy creature.

And also... that tidiness really isn’t as important as I once thought.
I do try. I really do. But with wet dogs, muddy paws, fur everywhere and three Samoyeds, I am basically fighting a losing battle.

And my patients know this too... I LOVE meeting their dogs. Because actually, our dogs can be part of our hormonal health journey too.

They get us outside. They motivate us to walk when we might otherwise not move. They can also help us stop. And sometimes, when we are talking about how on earth to fit exercise into an already busy life, the answer is simply: you need to walk the dog anyway, so how can we make that count for you too? And we have to work around that.

Companionship. Routine. Movement. Fresh air. Connection. And so much more. Georgie taught me that you don’t always need words to communicate. That personality and character come in all shapes and sizes. That caring can be instinctive. And that fur babies really are whānau forever.

So, for International Dog Day, I would LOVE to meet your fur babies.

Please share a photo and tell me: what has your dog taught you?

22/08/2026

Sometimes the most useful part of an MHT review is going back to the beginning: what did you start, what changed, and when? MHT isn’t one medication, and understanding what estradiol and progesterone are each doing can be the clue to working out what needs optimising.

22/08/2026

“I Felt Better When I Started MHT. So Why Am I Tired Now?”

These cases are based on common themes I see in clinic, brought together to share and illustrate how I think about MHT. PS This is a LONG one! But if you like it - tag, and like - and I'll do more!

It is ALL ABOUT the story. I listen to the story, then bring in the science.

Sometimes the most useful part of an MHT review is simply going back to the beginning. What did you start? What happened next? And when did each medication actually begin?

Because MHT isn't one medication. Estradiol and progesterone can each affect us differently, and sometimes the timeline gives us the most useful clues.

👤 Case One: Better From the First Night

A 60-year-old woman came to see me for an MHT review (ie ~10 years post menopause). She had started MHT around two years earlier for a collection of menopausal symptoms: body aches and pains, poor sleep, cognitive and mood changes, and some hot flushes, although these weren't particularly troublesome.

She was taking E25, a 25 mcg estradiol patch, alongside Utrogestan 100 mg. She remembered feeling better almost immediately. In particular, she slept better from the first night, and that had a flow-on effect. Better sleep meant better mood, thinking, pain, energy and ability to cope.

But when we went back through what had improved and what hadn't, I wondered whether Utrogestan had actually been responsible for much of that immediate improvement in sleep, while her estradiol remained under-treated.

E25 is a low dose. We don't routinely manage MHT according to estradiol blood levels, and we shouldn't be chasing a particular number. But in this particular context, we did check. On day two of her patch, her serum estradiol was

22/08/2026

More Than a Period: Cycles, Mood & Everything In Between

Periods. Hormones. Pain. Mood. What’s normal? And when should we actually be asking for help?

Join Dr Sam Newman (femalegp) for a practical, interactive evening designed for tweens, teens and the adults who support them.

📅 Thursday 17 September 2026
⏰ 6.00–8.00 pm
📍 Iona College Performing Arts Centre, Havelock North
We’ll talk openly about the things we often don’t get taught about periods.

We’ll cover:
⭐️ What actually happens during the menstrual cycle
⭐️ What is normal and what might not be
⭐️ Period pain, heavy bleeding and other symptoms
⭐️ Practical ways to manage periods
⭐️ Hormones, mood and wellbeing
⭐️ When it’s worth asking for medical help
⭐️ How all of us can have better conversations about menstrual health

✔️ There’ll be plenty of practical information, opportunities to ask questions, and absolutely no expectation that anyone needs to share personal experiences.

✔️ For young people: come and learn about your body without the awkwardness.

✔️ For parents and caregivers: come away with the language and knowledge to have these conversations at home.

✔️ For anyone who works with, teaches, coaches, supports or cares for someone who menstruates.

Because periods don’t just happen at home. They happen at school, at work, on the sports field and everywhere in between. Knowing what’s normal, recognising when something isn’t, and feeling confident talking about it can make a real difference.

🙌 And there’s an added bonus ➡️ 100% of the proceeds from the evening will support Heretaunga GirlGuides to attend Jamboree in January 2027.
So you’ll be supporting local rangatahi while helping us build better menstrual health literacy across Hawke’s Bay.

🎟️ Tickets available now via Eventbrite (link in comments)

Bring your daughter 🩵 Bring your mum 🩵 Bring a friend 🩵 Bring a colleague 🩵 Or just bring yourself

Come together, or come on your own. Everyone is welcome.

Because understanding periods shouldn’t be something we have to figure out by ourselves.

Tag a friend who might want to come along, and follow this event. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share more about what we’ll be talking about, how the evening will work, and why we think better period education can make such a difference.

Our hope is simple: that everyone leaves feeling a little more informed, a little more confident, and better able to understand their own body or support someone they care about

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/more-than-a-period-cycles-mood-everything-in-between-tickets-1997801884215?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true