Resources
Ann Konkoly, MBA, MSN, APRN-CNP is a board-certified nurse practitioner and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner who helps women navigate perimenopause, menopause, hormones, and metabolic health with confidence. She’s the founder of Kultivate Women’s Health in Beachwood, Ohio, and creator of the NP Business Accelerator, a coaching program for nurse practitioners. Ann blends evidence-based medicine with functional approaches to help women feel their best during midlife and beyond—and is on a mission to change the conversation about menopause, one woman at a time.
Q: If you could retire one common menopause tip and replace it what would you retire and what should women do instead?
If something doesn’t feel right in your body, trust yourself. You know when something’s off—even if it gets brushed aside in a rushed 6-minute appointment. Too many women are told their symptoms are “normal” or “just part of aging,” and that dismissal keeps them from getting the care they deserve. Instead, advocate for yourself. Ask questions. Push for answers. Ask for the evidence. And don’t stop until you feel heard. Talk with your friends and share experiences—often that’s how you’ll find providers who truly listen. The right clinician will create a safe space for you, partner in shared decision-making, and help you navigate this stage of life with confidence.
Q: What widespread menopause myth do you regularly have to correct and what’s the actual fact?
Myth: “HRT causes breast cancer.”
Fact: Type and context matter. In the WHI randomized trials, estrogen-only therapy after hysterectomy reduced breast-cancer incidence and mortality (HR 0.78 and 0.60, respectively). Risk varies by regimen, use of a synthetic progestogen, dose, duration, and timing, and for many healthy, symptomatic women <60 or within 10 years of menopause, benefits can outweigh risks. Historically, high-dose estrogens were even used to treat metastatic breast cancer in select settings!
Q: What’s one recommendation you make that surprises your peers and when does it help most?
One thing I tell women all the time: menopause is not a solo project. Find your people. Talk to your friends, compare notes, share names of providers who actually listen. It’s in those conversations that women discover they’re not crazy, not alone, and not doomed to suffer in silence. That’s when the magic happens—when you combine community with a provider who gives you space for real conversation and shared decision-making. That’s how you go from surviving menopause to owning it.