Many women feel underinformed about menopause

The majority of women report feeling underinformed about menopause, according to a new research from University College London (UCL).

In a survey of 1,596 women currently experiencing menopause or who could potentially experience menopause, less than a quarter felt well informed about the menopause transition, while 57% felt somewhat informed and 21 per cent felt not informed at all.

The findings published in Post Reproductive Health highlight the need for a nationwide, Government-funded menopause education and support programme, the researchers say.

The study comes as experts warn about a misinformation surge around menopause and a ‘menopause gold rush’ fuelled by social media and commercial content, pushing solutions and leaving women open to financial exploitation.

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In addition, people from ethnic minorities, lower-income backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ communities, and disabled or neurodivergent individuals face greater barriers to accessing accurate menopause information and support.

The survey was an anonymous, online questionnaire developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, menopause advocates, and individuals who have experienced menopause. It was conducted between January and March 2024.

In addition to collecting demographic information, the researchers asked participants about their preparedness for menopause and their recommendations for designing a national menopause programme. Of the 1,596 respondents, three-quarters were White British, 79.5% were peri or postmenopausal, and there was an overall median age of 50 years.

The findings show that 21.9 per cent of the respondents reported feeling well informed about the menopause transition, while 56.6% feel somewhat informed and 20.8 per cent not at all informed.

Alongside these findings, the researchers found that 91.9% of participants supported the idea of having a national menopause education and support programme, providing evidence-based, inclusive information, suitable for all groups of women. Respondents stressed that the information should be relevant to everyone affected by menopause, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, neurodivergence, and whether menopause occurs naturally or is brought on medically as a result of surgery.

As a result of the survey, the researchers are developing two courses as part of a programme known as ‘InTune’. The initiative has an Innovation Network grant from UCL Innovation and Enterprise, with funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

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The first course, ‘Be Prepared for Menopause’, is aimed at women under 40 and focuses on early awareness and symptoms.

The second course, ‘Be Supported through Menopause’, is a six-week, peer-based course for those currently experiencing symptoms, which enables women to better understand the changes they are experiencing and connect with others going through similar experiences.

Lead author Professor Joyce Harper from UCL’s Institute for Women’s Health said: ‘While public awareness of menopause has greatly improved recently, there has been a rapid expansion in misinformation which can make existing menopause-related health inequities worse. We have a menopause gold rush because companies, investors and people see menopause as a lucrative market.

‘There remains a dearth of evidence-based, theoretically informed and rigorously evaluated public health programmes targeting individuals around the time of menopause and immediately afterwards. Hence, our proposal for a new national programme of menopause education and support, which we hope will be funded by the Government.’

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The researchers argue that everyone should have access to accurate and free information, along with support networks that assist the diverse group of people navigating this stage of life.