And yet, this is what happens when the archetype of the hormonal woman becomes entrenched not just in the cultural consciousness but in the healthcare system: we end up downplaying, overlooking, and ignoring the vitally important and complex role that hormones play in a woman’s health. Doctors and patients alike write off a dysfunctional endocrine system as both a forgone conclusion and no big deal (“Oh, it’s just hormones.”). And women’s suffering from endocrine issues, whether it’s debilitating PMS or the symptoms of menopause, is shrugged off as natural and hence untreatable.
