A growing number of women are encountering misleading information about perimenopause on social media, leading to risks such as unintended pregnancies, unnecessary medication, and missed diagnoses, experts have warned.
Rising Awareness, Rising Concerns
While awareness of menopause and treatments like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has increased—thanks in part to a prominent documentary by Davina McCall—the flood of online misinformation is causing concern. Some women are being led to false conclusions that obscure real underlying health issues.
Dr Paula Briggs, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health, noted: “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. I work in an abortion service and we’re seeing more women over 35 now who believe themselves to be menopausal and are gobsmacked when they become pregnant.”
Understanding Perimenopause
According to the British Menopause Society (BMS), more than 80% of women will be menopausal by age 54, meaning no period for 12 months or more. About 5% reach menopause before age 45. However, menopause is not a sudden cessation; women experience a transition called perimenopause over months or years, with fluctuating hormone levels causing symptoms like changes in menstrual patterns, hot flushes, and difficulty sleeping.
Briggs expressed horror at the misinformation on platforms like Instagram. She cited examples of women in their 30s being told to demand HRT for sleep issues or migraines, and to switch GPs if denied. Others are advised to seek testosterone treatment. “I’m not anti any of these things in the right person, but females produce their own testosterone lifelong, even women without ovaries, so the idea that everybody has to demand testosterone is bonkers,” she said.
Diagnosis Risks
Dr Channa Jayasena, an expert in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, raised concerns about misdiagnosis. “It’s great that there’s better awareness about perimenopause. But the flipside is that some women are being mislabelled as having perimenopause when they have other things that are wrong.”
Prof Janice Rymer, chair of the BMS, agreed: “If you are having regular periods naturally, then you’re not perimenopausal—end of story. You’ve got good hormone levels.” She noted a perception that any symptom in women aged 40–60 is due to perimenopause or menopause and requires HRT. “I think HRT is completely wonderful, but it’s not for women who don’t need it,” she added, warning of side effects like heavy bleeding.
Contraception Confusion
A key concern is that women stop contraception, thinking it is no longer needed. Jayasena suggested this may stem from messaging about fertility decline with age. “We’ve got awareness about timelines for optimum fertility and IVF response. IVF stops working well beyond age 42. It’s easy to assume you can’t get pregnant naturally, when actually you can.”
Experts also highlighted a pushback against hormonal contraception, especially among younger women, even as demand for HRT grows. Briggs noted many progestogen-only contraceptives can be used alongside HRT to protect against pregnancy while managing perimenopausal symptoms. Modern combined pills containing natural oestrogen are safer for perimenopausal women than traditional pills. Jayasena described them as “a mini pill plus a bit of HRT.”
Dr Zara Haider, president of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said misinformation around fertility and hormone use is significant. “We still see women stopping contraception too early because they assume they can’t get pregnant, when in reality contraception is needed until menopause is confirmed or until age 55. There’s also been a lasting impact from outdated studies around risks like breast cancer, making women cautious about hormones. The challenge now is ensuring women get accurate, evidence-based information to make informed decisions.”
