It Has To Be Me Episode

BIRTH CONTROL AND MENOPAUSE CARE

Dr. Sophia Yen

Episode #43: February 27th, 2025

THE GOLD FROM THIS EPISODE

“There are serious regulations on physicians, telemedicine, and pharmacy. Our physicians are licensed in 15 states which covers 70% of the United States. We encourage ‘birth control tourism’. If you are traveling through one of our 15 states, our doctor in that state can legally write the prescription. Then, we can ship it to all 50 states.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“I like adolescent medicine where we can catch young people with good communication and education before they develop their habits.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“Our birth control protocol is one that the state of California approved for pharmacists to prescribe. Then, we add the layer of a doctor and their questionnaire. We ask you to submit a picture of your government-issued ID and a photo to prove that you are who you are, the front and back of your insurance if you need it, and your blood pressure within the past 365 days. Our doctor looks at your information, and if there are any concerns, they will message you to ask some follow-up questions. If this is good, we write the prescription. We bill it to your insurance. No copay, and no deductible for any FDA-approved birth control. If you don't have insurance, it's roughly $15 to $17 a pack.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“The most effective birth control is the implant. The rod that you put in your arm and sits there for three years. It beats vasectomy. Then, comes the hormonal IUD, which beats tubal ligation, which is the female equivalent of vasectomy. Then, below the tubal ligation comes the copper IUD. Then, comes the birth control shot, then the birth control ring patch pill.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“Periods can be optional. You don't have to bleed every month during your cycle if you don't want to. The majority of women don’t know that that's an option. The number of periods that women are having today without any kind of hormonal therapy is very high and is causing health risks. Every time you build that lining, it can mutate and turn into endometrial cancer. Every time you pop an egg, you increase your risk of ovarian cancer. If every woman went on the birth control pill patcher ring for five years, we could decrease the risk of ovarian cancer by 50 percent.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“About 30% of women will experience a flooding of blood during perimenopause. If you bleed for more than five to seven days, or are going through three to five pads or tampons a day, please see a provider. After two to three weeks of that, you might already have anemia.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“Menopause affects every cell in your body from the top of your head to your toes and your bones. 69% of OBGYNs have no menopause training. Your doctor needs to know how menopause is affecting your body. They've shown on average, it takes seven visits to figure out that symptoms are related to menopause. This has to change.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

“Perimenopause is the period about five years before 52 (the average age of menopause). So at around 47 (plus or minus two years on each side), if you have hot flashes, night sweats, or other symptoms, you can consider going on the birth control pill patch to control your symptoms. Then, around 52 (plus or minus two years), check your hormone levels with a blood test.”

Dr. Sophia Yen

Co-Founder of Pandia Health

in THIS EPISODE

  • What if I said that you don’t have to have a period every month? The way we think about birth control and menopause is completely outdated. So says Dr. Sophia Yen, who is revolutionizing access to contraception and menopause health care.

  • Dr. Sophia recounts her pivotal “It Has To Me” moment, volunteering for Planned Parenthood as a teenager. She watched a fellow 15-year-old grapple with the effects of an unwanted pregnancy. Determined to be part of the solution, she became a doctor and fierce advocate for reproductive rights, committed to educating girls about birth control to safeguard their options as young women.

  • Founding two NGOs for women, and teaching other doctors at Stanford, Dr. Sophia took her mission to the next level with the telehealth platform Pandia Health. She and her team of physicians provide women across the United States with easy and affordable access to birth control and menopause care.

  • Upending traditional views about menstruation, Dr. Sophia talks us through the best birth control options, and the science behind reducing the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer by making periods optional. She also debunks false claims about the dangers of hormone replacement therapy, and shares how women are taking the contraceptive pill during perimenopause to reduce their symptoms safely and transition with ease.

  • Dr. Sophia’s empowering perspective and practical advice will help you take charge of your health.

TESS'S TAKEAWAYS

  • Education and awareness can reduce the risk of reproductive health issues.

  • Pandia Health is democratizing access to birth control and menopause care.

  • Birth Control: Which methods are the safest and most effective. 

  • The science behind how birth control reduces the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.

  • Rethinking menstruation: Periods can be optional, and not bleeding regularly is healthier.

  • If your period lasts more than five to seven days, see a doctor.

  • The contraceptive pill during perimenopause can reduce symptoms for a smoother transition.

  • The lies and realities of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

ABOUT DR. SOPHIA

Sophia Yen, MD, MPH is a reproductive health specialist and the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Pandia Health. This national online platform is dedicated to making women’s lives easier with prescription fulfillment and medicine delivery for recurring birth control and hormone replacement. 

Board-certified in adolescent medicine, Dr. Yen is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Stanford Medical School. 

After graduating with a BS from MIT, MD from UCSF Medical School, and MPH from UC Berkeley in Maternal Child Health, Dr. Yen co-founded two not-for-profit organizations to improve the lives of women: The Silver Ribbon Campaign to Trust Women and SheHeroes.org. 

Dedicated to informing the public and the medical profession about reproductive health, Dr. Yen has been a featured speaker at MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Boston Children’s Hospital, SXSW, and TEDxBerkeley.