Navigating menopause – why hype may be harmful.

This is the third blog in a spotlight series on menopause throughout October. This week the blog comes from Kathy Abernethy (MClinSci, RN) who is Director of Coombe Menopause Clinic and ‘the menopause course’, an educational programme for nurses. With more than 25 years NHS experience, she is past Chair of the British Menopause Society and co-author of their handbook on menopause management and is a registered BMS Specialist and current Trustee. Kathy sat on the 2024 NICE Menopause Guideline Group. From 2019-2025, she worked alongside the founders at Peppy Health to introduce the first ever clinician led app and digital menopause service.

The conversation around menopause has grown significantly louder over the last decade, which is generally good news. With around ¾ of individuals experiencing symptoms at the time of menopause, it is a topic that should be openly discussed and not treated as taboo. However, this increased visibility has also led to a boom in the market for menopause-related products. As a clinician, I’ve observed a growing number of brands marketing products specifically for menopausal women, raising questions about whether some are exploiting this new market. This has been described as ‘menowashing’: taking a standard product, branding it with the word “meno,” and aggressively marketing it for menopause symptoms without solid scientific evidence. Examples abound, from meno shampoos, face creams, deodorants and moisturisers to supplements and even chocolate.

Supplements too, are widely advertised for the many symptoms sometimes attributed to perimenopause. A manufacturer can’t claim a product helps with hot flushes or any other menopausal symptom without scientific evidence, but they can market it to menopausal women without a clear, proven reason, implying a benefit that may not exist. While some products are genuinely helpful and backed by science, many are not. So, how can you tell the difference? What and who do you trust? The widely promoted social media expert or your local health care professional?

The problem of unchecked data and menocynicism.

You’ve likely seen various statistics about how menopause affects women in the workplace—”1 in 10,” “1 in 4,” and so on. A widely circulated figure, for example, claimed that 900,000 women left their jobs because of menopause symptoms. This statistic has been largely discredited, yet it continues to be used. (Source employee news) Yes, menopausal symptoms affect individuals at home and at work; there is no question that we must recognise that and offer workplace support and manager training, but facts must be checked and data robust.

This is where the second term ‘Meno – cynicism’ comes in (thanks to Kathleen Riach of Glasgow University for introducing me to this term). Women and others are bombarded on social media by all sorts of conflicting information, often from people who have no medical, science or health qualifications. Headlines grab attention, but a closer look rarely reveals the evidence supporting the claims. Celebrities and influencers have large platforms and many followers; say something loudly and often enough and it can start to sound credible. In contrast, healthcare professionals who review evidence and offer balanced perspectives are often unheard or mistrusted. It can feel as though healthcare professionals are now the last to be trusted in a world filled with self-proclaimed “menopause experts.”

The dangers of misinformation and the equity gap

Where does this leave those seeking treatment? Misinformation can be dangerous, it can be one sided. There has been a shift from the fear surrounding HRT in the early 2000s to social media posts today that sometimes claim HRT is entirely risk-free and should be used by all and for ever. The reality is more nuanced. While older studies linking HRT to breast cancer or cardiovascular risk have been re-evaluated and HRT is now considered a very low risk option for most women, it is still a medication and carries some degree of risk depending on individual health factors.

As a menopause health care professional, I will take time to assess, consider and individualise treatment, to make personal recommendations based on medical and family history and on patient choices. I review the evidence (with the help of NICE and British Menopause Society Guidelines) and offer choices with ongoing monitoring.

Is menopause over medicalised?

So, in the light of this, is the menopause over-medicalised? Should everyone really have HRT and take it for ever? This suggestion concerns me. I believe that menopause symptoms are largely under-treated and treatment inequitable. Many who need treatment for symptoms don’t receive it, and social media hype often hinders rather than helps them, suggesting menopause management is ‘one size fits all’. Most individuals with menopause symptoms do not take HRT—either because they don’t need it, occasionally because they can’t use it, but often because it’s simply not offered.

Data highlights a significant equity gap in treatment. In the UK, HRT prescribing in areas with the least economic deprivation is almost double that of deprived areas, a gap that has widened since 2015 (Source: NHS Business Authority). This suggests that those in deprived areas may lack equitable access to menopause care or awareness of their treatment options. Furthermore, a 2024 University of Oxford study presented at the International Menopause Society Congress, which reviewed ten years of UK prescription data, found that UK women of Black, Chinese, Asian, and Indian descent were 60-80% less likely to receive HRT than white women.

We urgently need the menopause conversation to be balanced, evidence-based, and inclusive of all ethnic and income groups. We must educate our healthcare professionals so they can be seen as trusted allies. We must challenge unsubstantiated statistics and counter unbalanced arguments. On a broader scale, our healthcare system needs to allow for in-depth, personalised discussions for everyone. While menopause care is improving, with 100s of healthcare professionals accessing the recently re-launched British Menopause Society Education programme and nurse education programmes, social media-driven messaging means that sometimes, hype may become harmful.

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