Pap smears are understandably an unpleasant test for many women and the 2 years in between recalls seems to come around a little too quickly for most. The good news is that from the beginning of December 2017 the interval in between is to be stretched to 5 years with women advised to start having pap smears at age 25 rather than the current 18 years.
For many women, the menopause can be a time of great discomfort with hot flushes, irritability, mood changes, sleep disturbance and loss of libido. The good news is that new medical studies and re-evaluation of old research shows that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is extremely safe and by far the best therapy to alleviate the discomfort of the menopause.