The internet is full of bad menopause advice. Here's how to spot it
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Many doctors have been taught outdated information about menopause treatments — or haven't been taught about them at all — leaving countless women without the help they need from trusted sources.
- For example, 52% of Black women say they don't know which menopause recommendations to follow, according to a recent Black Women's Health Imperative survey of more than 2,200 women nationwide.
Why it matters: People are increasingly turning to social media feeds or alternative methods for help. But while some of what they're finding can be useful and real, some of it can be very, very wrong.
Jennifer Gunter, an OB-GYN and best-selling author, has been writing and speaking about menopause misinformation for years. She recently sat down with Axios to share advice on navigating menopause messaging.
What she's saying: "People probably spend more time picking out their car than sorting through health information online," Gunter tells Axios.
- Don't start your search on social media. The algorithms aren't prioritizing your health, and some information out there is downright predatory, Gunter said.
- Do start with reputable sources like The Menopause Society and the Australasian Menopause Society, groups made up of health care professionals who specialize in women's midlife health and offer evidence-based resources.
- Evaluate messages you see or hear with skepticism. Is the person telling you this also asking you to buy something? Is this message trying to frighten you? Are they telling you their product is the only solution to your problems?
The bottom line: Recognize that finding accurate health information takes effort, and your health is worth it.
💡 Bonus vocab lesson:
Bio-identical estrogen is the same as estrogen.
- The term bioidentical is meaningless, Gunter recently said at the Menopause Society's annual meeting. It's like saying "a two-wheel bicycle" instead of bicycle.
Plant-based hormones is a marketing term for semi-synthesis. Almost all hormones are made from soybeans and yams through complicated biochemistry, not a simple process.
- "We have to stop demonizing hormones based on categories, because we're doing people a disservice," Gunter says.
Compound pharmacy hormones (often creams and pellets) don't undergo the same checks as FDA-approved hormones.
- Doses can vary wildly, and they're not proven to be safe or effective, she warns.
