GP and Menopause Specialist on the Sunshine Coast
I am an attentive and enthusiastic GP who believes in holistic patient
care. I obtained my Medical Degree in the UK followed by hospital internship that included Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Psychiatry. Having been a GP for nine wonderful years, I have developed a clinical interest in Women’s Health and then a specialism in Menopause care.
I am a Menopause Specialist and I hold an Advanced Certificate in Menopause Care. I am also a member of the Australian, British and International Menopause Societies and regularly attend national and international conferences. I am a Fellow of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and a Member of Royal College of General Practitioners (UK).
Throughout my medical career I have seen many female patients whose symptoms of fatigue, joint pain, anxiety and depression where separately considered in a merry go round of tests and referrals without the underlying cause of hormonal changes being properly addressed.

Dr Hilma Starostina
BSc, MBChB, MRCGP, FRACGP, Adv Cert PPMC, LoC IUT & SDI (FSRH)
Hormonal and other physiological changes that occur during perimenopause and menopause can affect even the most resilient women. Furthermore, hormonal changes can have long term health effects, such as increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. I believe that non-hormonal and, where appropriate, hormonal treatment in the form of MHT are important to consider for short term and long term wellbeing.
It was a a great pleasure to attend the International Menopause Society World Congress in Melbourne this October. The world’s experts on menopause and women’s health presented and engaged in lively discussion on the latest research and developments over the course of 5 days. It is indeed very important to bring these gems of knowledge into my practice.
For menopause care several appointments are usually required:
– Initial appointment 45 minutes during which we will cover in detail your medical history, lifestyle, other aspects such as work that may play a role and aim to come up with a plan of treatment. If you have had any tests done in the past 12 months or so, please bring these with you if possible.
– Follow up appointments 15-45 minutes dependent on requirements
I also have a keen interest in healthspan, lifestyle and preventative medicine, and cardiovascular health.
I offer all GP Services with the following specialisms:
* All aspects of Menopause care and Women’s Health
* IUD including Mirena and Copper coils
* Contraception implants (Implanon)
* Cardiovascular health
* Mental Health
For excellent resources regarding menopause please see:
https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info
https://www.menopause.org.au/images/factsheets/Menopause_What_are_the_symptoms.pdf
I currently see patients at Palmwoods and Woombye Family Medicine Clinics
Palmwoods Family Medicine Clinic
9 Margaret Street, Palmwoods Qld 4555
Phone: 07 5457 3788
Woombye Family Medicine Clinic
27 Blackall St, Woombye Qld 4559
Phone: 07 5442 2500
Professional – Friendly – Compassionate – Attentive
Special Interests

Menopause

Contraception

Women’s Health

Cardiovascular Health

Mental Health
Blog
Beyond Hot Flushes
It is a welcome change that the menopause is no longer a taboo subject. Afterall, although in different ways, it will affect every woman. We should also bear in mind that menopause spans 1/3 – 1/2 of a woman’s entire life. Menopause is not simply that time when periods stop. Instead menopause transition, or perimenopause, can begin 2-10 years before final menstrual period. Furthermore, about 10% of women can experience early menopause before the age of 45, and about 1% of women can experience premature menopause (or POI) before age 40. This can be either as a spontaneous event or as a side effect of a medical or surgical treatment (pelvic surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc.). Women with premature or early menopause should always have an assessment with a doctor whether they have any bothersome symptoms or not.
IMS Congress and More…
Can you tell us about the menopause conference you attended recently in Melbourne and its significance?
It has been 4 years since the previous International Menopause Society (IMS) World Congress. The IMS World Congress normally takes place every 2 years but the 2022 Congress did not take place due to Covid. That made this year’s World Congress, held in Melbourne on 19 – 22 October 2024, highly anticipated. Over 2,500 experts in women’s health and researchers from all over the world attended in person. It was quite special to be there and I am very grateful to my colleagues for the tremendous work they shared.
Menopause Hormone Therapy
Dispelling the Myths
Menopause hormone therapy (MHT), also referred to as HRT, can be an effective treatment for symptoms of perimenopause or menopause.
Some myths surrounding MHT may result in women being hesitant to consider MHT as a treatment for significant menopausal symptoms or being incorrectly denied MHT. It would be helpful to dispel some of the common myths:
Myth 1
MHT causes breast cancer.
The latest research shows that oestrogen-only MHT (may be suitable if a woman had hysterectomy) does not increase risk of breast cancer above woman’s own risk.