Vilifying hormones of femininity is not only responsible for unnecessary suffering, but is also an attack on what we hold most dear in life: our dignity.

Why create a foundation?

We cannot stress enough the importance of good clinical research on sex hormones and bio-identical female hormone therapy for the well-being, health and dignity of women. 

We have long thought about how to fund these research projects. We concluded that creating a foundation is a necessity. At this time, everything has to be done.

In fact, we faced some realities, two of which are as follows:

• First reality:  Bio-identical female hormones are not patentable.
  In a global context where drug companies largely fund medical research, there lies a major problem. When a drug is not patentable, and therefore not exclusive to one company, a pharmaceutical company has less interest in solely funding clinical research, which is generally very expensive. Even if the drug became more prescribed – thanks to research paid by pharmaceutical companies – this would primarily benefit their competitors who can more easily reduce their selling price because they did not have to pay the research costs. This situation also prevails for manufacturers of natural products.
• Second reality: There are many conflicts of interest at stake.
  This point worries Dr Demers more. Over the years, she became convinced that effectively treating women for symptoms and signs of premopause or menopause might be disturbing to many. She has often noticed that women who are properly treated with bio-identical female hormone therapy stopped taking many of their medications and natural products: they simply did not need to anymore!

In her opinion, pharmaceutical companies and health food stores have nothing to gain if bio-identical female hormone therapy becomes well known. There is a possibility that much less drugs and natural products are sold. Just think of the panoply of drugs and natural products that women currently consume to fight fatigue, insomnia, depression, anxiety, dryness (skin, mouth, vulva and vagina...), muscle pain, joint pain, loss of libido, osteoporosis, etc.

Let us be frank and realistic: The institutionalized fear of female hormones is profitable for many. Few people realize how the premenopause and menopause “industry” helps many people earn a living!

"I cannot stress enough the fundamental role of this Foundation for the health and dignity of women. Counter balancing conflicts of interest is essential in a sound democracy." (Dr Demers) 

What would be the Foundation’s missions?

The primary mandate of the DIGNITY Foundation would be to seek funding for research on sex hormones (or their precursors); research whose aim is to achieve judicious use of bio-identical (female and male) hormone therapy for the prevention and treatment of various health problems.

The Foundation would be found to finance Dr Demers' research projects. We would also like to bestow grants (and possibly awards) to other associate researchers who would submit research projects that are within the scope of the DIGNITY Foundation’s mission.

The DIGNITY Foundation would also play an important role in the media. Particular emphasis would be placed on the valorisation of female hormones and the importance of providing the population with critical and credible information on current issues in women’s health.