In her expert-driven guidance, Dr. Lin breaks down when individuals should begin thinking proactively about fertility preservation—whether due to medical treatments like chemotherapy and radiation that may compromise reproductive health, or personal considerations such as delaying childbearing for career or lifestyle reasons. Dr. Lin emphasizes the importance of early assessment with a reproductive endocrinologist, noting that egg or embryo freezing is most effective when performed before the mid-30s, and that options like ovarian tissue preservation or sperm banking should be explored promptly when facing urgent medical interventions. Her insights underscore that being informed early not only improves future fertility outcomes but also empowers patients to make decisions aligned with their long-term family planning goals.

It’s hard to know exactly how to balance hormones—it’s different for everyone. One thing is for sure, though: Hormone disruptors threaten your body’s equilibrium. “Your hormones are like an orchestra. When every instrument is tuned, you feel balanced, energized and healthy, but what you put into your body can totally throw that harmony off,” says Dr. Li-Shei Lin, a board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist.

How do you know if you have one, and when, exactly, is it a cause for concern? First, know this: The hormone craze on social media isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I think it’s fantastic that hormone health is finally getting the attention it deserves,” says Li-Shei Lin, MD, PhD, an ob-gyn and reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Partners Fertility Center in San Diego. “The fact that so many people are now talking about it—especially on social media—means we’re becoming more empowered to tune into our bodies and advocate for our well-being.”

We tend to associate testosterone with male libido, muscle mass, hair growth, and basically everything that makes a biological male present as male. But until the recent explosion of conversation around menopause and hormonal health, precious little consideration had been given to the fact that testosterone is a vital female hormone, too. “It just circulates in the bloodstream at a much lower level than in men,” says Somi Javaid, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and founder of HerMD, a women-focused healthcare center.

From headaches and backaches to tender breasts and sore feet, pregnancy pain is an all-too-common experience. Between 20 and 80 percent of women report experiencing some form of pain while they’re pregnant. Fluctuating hormones, weight gain, and changes to posture and sleeping positions can all contribute to the ache.

While they usually look almost exactly alike, this isn’t always the case. Regardless of physical appearance, however, they still share all the same genetic material and are genetically identical, explains Jamie Stanhiser, MD, MSCR, a double board-certified physician who specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. According to Stanhiser, while twins occur in about 3 percent of pregnancies, identical twins are a smaller subset, happening in approximately one third of twin pregnancies.

As a fertility specialist, Stanhiser works with patients trying to conceive, often via IVF, and in very early pregnancy. “This data is largely from the IVF population, but what we know is that obese women will have lower quality eggs in an IVF cycle,” Stanhiser says. “We also know that egg quality can impact embryo quality. Obesity decreases implantation rate, and we also know obesity increases the risk of miscarriage.”

 Reproductive Partners Fertility Center – San Diego (RPSD), leading fertility center in San Diego County for over 25 years, today announced the addition of Li-Shei Lin, MD, Ph.D., a double-board certified endocrinologist, to its esteemed team of reproductive care experts. Dr. Lin joins the physician-owned and operated organization with over two decades of experience in reproductive endocrinology and diagnosing and treating infertility, bringing an exceptional ability to balance science and compassion for patients either beginning or continuing their path to parenthood. Her appointment follows the company’s milestone 25th anniversary in 2024 and represents its steadfast growth and ongoing commitment to excellence in patient care.