Hot on the Trail

Valley doctor passionately pursues relief options for her patients experiencing menopause.

Presented by

Dr. Trites consults with Dr. Diana Wong

When asked to discuss a “hot topic” in women’s health, Dr. Dafna Trites of Facey Medical in Tarzana knows just what to highlight: hormone therapy in menopause. As a board-certified OB-GYN practicing in the San Fernando Valley for the past 21 years, she has taken care of women in every stage of their lives, delivered thousands of babies, and performed countless pelvic and reconstructive surgeries.

A Certified Menopause Practitioner through the North American Menopause Society, Dr. Trites has always been passionate about helping women navigate the changes that come along with menopause. “Menopausal education, treatment and financial coverage of pharmaceutical therapy is truly a women’s rights issue!” she says.

The doctor encourages her patients to enjoy a healthy lifestyle of proper diet, exercise, sleep and stress management. And she encourages the use of hormonal therapy to relieve the symptoms of menopause. “Hormonal therapy is one of the most powerful ways to help maintain quality of life,” she shares, “as well as reduce a myriad of preventable conditions that are commonly associated with ‘normal aging.’”

“When I first came to see Dr. Trites, my daily piece of ‘jewelry’ was a small personal fan hanging from my neck by an adjustable string,” shares patient Susan P. “I had a fan in every color to match every outfit, but I was miserable! My life was consumed with managing more than 20 hot flashes day and night, sex was painful and I could no longer even sleep in the same bed with my husband. My quality of life had deteriorated with brain fog and memory issues, lack of sleep, depression and increasing joint pain.”

“Women deserve to flourish, thrive and enjoy the second half of their lives!”

Dr. Trites helped Susan start hormonal therapy that restored her quality of life within a few weeks. Susan had previously seen a few primary care physicians who dismissed or completely ignored her symptoms, leaving her to conclude that suffering was going to continue indefinitely.

“Sadly there are multitudes of women—as well as people in the medical community—who think that female hormone replenishment is dangerous and causes cancer,” states Dr. Trites. “They have already closed the door on this essential therapy before they really know all the facts.”

She says nothing could be further from the truth, according to new research studies. “We are literally bathed in estrogen from the time we are one cell old, and this important hormone is integral to healthy functioning throughout our fertile lives. It doesn’t just stop being important for preserving our health as the years go by, and women who do not start replenishing missing hormones within the first few years of menopause unnecessarily suffer the consequences for years to come.”

When she was just 12 years old and living in North Hollywood, Dr. Trites was the victim of a drunk driver on New Year’s Day. She was hit by a car while riding her bicycle in the neighborhood and developed symptoms similar to menopause shortly thereafter. Replenishing hormone therapy helped her develop normally through the years, and she was even able to conceive her two children later in life.

It’s no surprise that the doctor developed such a keen interest in all things menopause and for decades has researched the safest, most effective products available. She is intimately aware of the struggles that women experience and can relate to them with unique understanding.

“Women deserve to flourish, thrive and enjoy the second half of their lives!” she exclaims passionately. “It’s about time that we create a movement to protect the rights of menopausal women to receive up-to-date education, safe and effective therapy, and insurance/medical coverage of the many products available to us.”