A growing number of women are encountering misleading information about perimenopause on social media, raising concerns among experts about unintended pregnancies, unnecessary medication, and missed diagnoses.
Risks of Misinformation
Dr Paula Briggs, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health, said: "Everyone thinks they're menopausal. So we are seeing younger and younger women asking for HRT when what they need is hormonal contraception, as they're still fertile." She added that abortion services are seeing more women over 35 who believed they were menopausal and were surprised to become pregnant.
According to the British Menopause Society (BMS), more than 80% of women will be menopausal by age 54, meaning they haven't had a period for 12 months or more, with about 5% reaching menopause before age 45. However, menopause is a transition known as perimenopause that lasts months or years, with fluctuating hormone levels causing symptoms like changes in menstrual patterns, hot flushes, and difficulty sleeping.
Social Media Influence
Briggs expressed horror at the content on platforms like Instagram, where women in their 30s are advised to demand HRT for sleep issues or migraines and to switch GPs if denied. She also noted that some women are told to seek testosterone treatment, despite the fact that females produce their own testosterone lifelong.
Dr Channa Jayasena, an expert in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, said: "It's great that there's better awareness about perimenopause, but there's a risk that women are being mislabelled as having perimenopause when they have other things that are wrong."
Misdiagnosis Concerns
Prof Janice Rymer, chair of the BMS, emphasised that women having regular periods naturally are not perimenopausal. She noted a perception that any symptom in women aged 40-60 is due to perimenopause and requires HRT, which can cause heavy bleeding in those who do not need it.
Briggs highlighted that a key concern is women stopping contraception, thinking it is no longer needed. Jayasena attributed this to messaging about fertility decline with age, leading to assumptions that natural pregnancy is impossible.
Contraception and HRT
Experts also raised concerns about a pushback against hormonal contraception among younger women, even as demand for HRT grows. Briggs noted that progestogen-only contraceptives can be used alongside HRT to protect against pregnancy while managing perimenopause symptoms. She also mentioned modern combined pills with natural oestrogen that are safer for perimenopausal women.
Dr Zara Haider, president of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said: "Misinformation is a significant issue, particularly around fertility and hormone use. We still see women stopping contraception too early because they assume they can't get pregnant." She added that outdated studies on breast cancer risks have made some women cautious about hormones.
Haider concluded: "It's positive that public conversations have helped bring menopause into the mainstream. The challenge now is making sure women get accurate, evidence-based information to make informed decisions."
