GPs ‘don’t know enough’ about menopause…so women turn to each other for help, study shows
- More than 90% of women were not educated about menopause, study shows
- Many women revealed that their GPs didn’t know enough about menopause
- Some women said they felt ‘abandoned’ after failed diagnosis attempts
‘Troubled’ women turn to friends and the internet for menopause advice because their GPs don’t know enough about it, a study shows.
Women said they felt “abandoned” after failed attempts to even diagnose their symptoms.
A survey of 1,000 perimenopause women found that many were “hugely disappointed” with visits to GPs, who had “no idea” what to prescribe.
UCL professor Joyce Harper led the study, which was published in the journal Women’s Health.
A study led by UCL professor Joyce Harper analyzed data from 947 women who were in the menopausal transition period. During this time, women may experience debilitating symptoms such as hot sweats, brain fog, and fatigue (STOCK)
She said menopause should be on the medical school curriculum. Today she discusses the research results in a lecture at the British Menopause Society.
The study analyzed data from 947 women who were in the menopause transition period.
During this time, women may experience debilitating symptoms such as hot sweats, brain fog, and fatigue.
The survey results showed that more than 90 percent of the women had never learned anything about menopause, and more than two-thirds had not sought information until their symptoms had started.
But even when they approached their GP, many were left “confused” and “unsupported” due to a lack of knowledge and appropriate medical care.
The survey found that many women were “hugely disappointed” with visits to GPs, who had “no idea” what to prescribe. Pictured: Hormone replacement therapy pill next to pill dispenser (STOCK)
The survey found that some women felt they had no choice but to pay for help from the private sector and others complained of diagnostic tests failing to reveal their perimenopause status (STOCK)
In the journal Women’s Health, the researchers wrote, “Many of the women felt they were going crazy, especially when their primary care physicians had no idea what was wrong with them and only offered antidepressants … which the women knew they had in many cases.” cases were wrong.
‘They often pointed to the GP’s lack of knowledge and found it difficult to find information anywhere.
‘A large number of women were so frustrated with their lack of knowledge that they learn self-directed, using a variety of methods, including books, media and websites.
“Many felt more confident because they knew that others had similar experiences and preferred to rely on friends, family or colleagues as a source of information.”
The paper notes that some women were ‘deeply disappointed’ when they went to see their GP, hoping to feel supported, but that their GP had ‘no idea’ what to prescribe.
As a result, some women felt they had no choice but to pay for help from the private sector.
Many also complained of having to undergo a battery of diagnostic tests that failed to reveal their perimenopause status.
One of them said: ‘I’ve had so many tests for palpitations, ectopic beats in the past two years… and no one has suggested that this could be caused by menopause.
“I have suffered from bouts of terrible vertigo. No one suggested it could be menopause. My migraines got so much worse that I had to see a neurologist, even she didn’t suggest it might be menopause.
“I had to have a scan because of bloating and abdominal pain…and the radiologist said maybe an IUD might help.
‘By the way, this led to more discussions around perimenopause, and now I’m on HRT and finally feel more like I’ve been in years.
“So many doctors and none have ever talked about menopause. Yet I was over 45. It’s just wrong.’