Women don’t need menopause tea and meno-friendly nighties. They need doctors to take them seriously A surge of perimenopause and menopause misinformation online is leading to serious health risks, including misdiagnosis and missed pregnancies. Women are increasingly turning to unverified online advice and products due to a historical distrust and dismissal of their health concerns by the medical establishment. This trend is being capitalized on by entrepreneurs, creating a ‘menopause gold rush’ that is at best cynical and at worst harmful.

• There is a significant increase in misinformation about perimenopause and menopause online.
• This misinformation can lead to misdiagnosis of serious health conditions and missed pregnancies.
• Women often attribute normal aging symptoms or other health issues to perimenopause due to online messaging.
• Historically, women’s health concerns have been dismissed and minimized by the medical establishment, leading to self-reliance.
• A booming market of ‘meno-products’ and supplements offers unproven solutions, exploiting women’s health anxieties.
• The article suggests that the medical establishment’s failure to take women’s symptoms seriously drives them to investigate and try alternative solutions.