CINCINNATI (WKRC)— Local doctors are highlighting the critical need for accessible resources in women’s health as the body undergoes various changes. In an upcoming special, “Changing the Conversation,” airing Saturday night on Local 12, experts will discuss a range of topics from prenatal care and high-risk pregnancies to menopause.

Dr. Kristin Coppage, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist, said, “Many women do not know when their last period was, many women do not know that they are pregnant until they are 6 to 8 weeks along, so if you are already planning and trying to be as healthy as possible that just sets you up for the best first trimester when the baby is developing.”

Dr. Marianna Vardaka, a TriHealth women’s health specialist, noted the shift in societal attitudes towards discussing premenstrual syndrome. “There used to be taboo about expressing their PMS symptoms, your partner would say you know you are turning around that time of the month and now women are able to talk to us about that and we can help them,” she said.

Dr. Regina Whitfield Kekessi, an obstetrician and gynecologist, discussed advancements in hormone therapy. “We are using hormone therapy that is a decrease in the amount of hormone, we have explored application of other forms where it’s not just a pill where it’s transdermally, there are just additional options that we have in providing hormone replacement therapy than what we may have had 20 years ago,” she said.

The special will air at 7 p.m. and aims to provide valuable information and resources for those seeking care in the community.