To be absolutely sick of the ‘natural menopause is good’ narrative!

[Lightsideofthemoon]

This article was all over the media yeaterday:
https://unherd.com/2024/03/has-hrt-propaganda-misled-women/

It makes me so angry! Why is it that suddenly seeking treatment for symptoms in menopause being framed like this? In no other area of health is it considered acceptable to not seek treatment if you have debilitating symptoms. It’s utter misogyny.

Its ok for men in mid life to get treatment for their erectile dysfunction but women, ‘battle on through with some yoga and vitamins and stop complaining’

It reminds me a bit of the slightly toxic NCT ‘natural births and breastfeeding’ are the best way making any women who had a medical birth and couldn’t breastfeed an utter failure.

How is this narrative acceptable for women’s Heath? Menopause is absolutely fucking awful for some women - if you sail through with no symptoms, all power to you, but HRT is a lifesaver for many women.

Hard agree with you OP. It is misogynistic.

And when you do go to get HRT the first thing they offer is usually antidepressants!

HrT literally saved my life.

@jeaux90 yes, mine too. I started feeling suicidal each month as menopause made PMDD worse. HRT had helped- it’s not perfect but it’s a lot better and I am more stable.

Yes and I suspect it’s to save money. No man would be told breathing techniques will solve erectile dysfunction.

Hard disagree from me.

You’re misrepresenting that article, it’s a balanced discussion citing respectable sources.

It’s not saying women who need HRT shouldn’t have it, it’s questioning the wider narrative, which has definitely changed over the past few years.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a ‘natural menopause is good’ message. For the last five years or so I’ve just had (in varying levels of intensity) non-medical people trying to shove HRT down my throat.

Medical staff seem to be more balanced but friends and family of a similar age, as soon as I mention a symptom will start sending infographics, links to articles or literally telling me to go and get HRT. Even those who are struggling like fuck on it. And if I point out that the symptom is related to something else, some of them get a little bit stroppy, almost taking it personally that I’m not struggling with menopause at the moment. It feels like a cult.

That article seemed pretty balanced to me, saying it’s there and it’s great for some people but there are other options. Surely that’s a good thing? They certainly don’t seem to be pushing a natural menopause is best narrative.

And of course the article is in the right -wing bible ‘Unherd’ owned by GB News co-owner, Paul Marshall.

The narrative from these types is similar to the Miriam ‘Serena Joy’ Cates school of thought. Girls should not focus on education and work, the focus should be on motherhood, after that I guess you’re supposed to just put up with shit quietly until you die.

NICE guidance recommends lifestyle issues, ruling out underlying medical issues, therapy and / or medication.

I think a balanced approach is good. Obviously provide access to hrt but recognise there are other management pathways.

I do worry that every single health issue over 38 is now being categorised as 'peri'. I think this does women's health a huge disservice.

@ineedsun I think it’s part of a wider narrative shift - you see it all over social media - get CBT for hot flushes when there is also a shortage of HRT. I actually don’t think the article is very balanced - even the title is intimating that there is propaganda around HRT use!

@Whenwillitgetwarm yea, Unherd is a shocker too. The nasty article about Kylie a while back by Kathleen Stock too was a particular horror

This - awful https://unherd.com/2023/05/kylie-minogues-glorious-artifice/

Women should be allowed to age however the fuck they want!

There is though, well intentioned though it may be.

The increased profile is clearly a good thing but as others have already pointed out a more balanced approach is important.

Im really pleased that HRT helped you, and thousands of others. All I think - and it’s what this article is saying - is that it’s not a panacea.

Sure blame men for everything that will fix things, I take it that hrt is good for people who need it is not to be treated like sweets

The point is always that we need to be given sufficient information to make an informed decision.
There's no single answer and I personally value HRT not just for symptoms but also for the longer term health benefits associated with oestrogen.
For years women were scared off with breast cancer risk due to a flawed study that never really got properly explained in the media. Now natural menopause is a thing.
I don't get why media feel the need to opine on this so much.

@ineedsun is it propaganda though? Or a campaign to make sure women are getting the access to the treatments they need rather than being fobbed off with antidepressants and CBT. Women in menopause ended up in mental health units less than a generation ago- do we really need to be heading back that way? We have modern medicine.

I am very healthy, don’t drink, normal blood pressure, exercise, normal weight etc. I still ended up a total wreck thanks to hormones & HRT has helped. It’s kept me in my job.

@Lightsideofthemoon Kathleen Stock is a philosopher and the article is about ageing, feminism, surgical intervention and the way society looks at ageing women. I thought it was well written.

I agree women should be able to age however they like.

At first I also fell for the "natural" menopause and it almost destroyed my career so it's damaging and unrealistic.

As I said up the thread, HRT saved me.

My mum had a reverse experience, was pushed to HRT then ignored and told she just had to get through it when the HRT made her suicidal. She then had the same with Tamoxifen after breast cancer but male doctors simply didn't take her seriously and were dismissive and labelled her unwilling to accept treatment rather than listening to how mentally unwell the meds had made her. She stopped both fairly quick and has used more natural methods.

@jeaux90 yea, I work at the institution Kathleen stock left. I don’t like her views in that article. I don’t think she is a feminist.

As I said, it’s great for you and the thousands of people who it has helped.

The issue is that now, as soon as you hit a certain age you’re bombarded with well meaning advice and infographics from non-scientific sources suggesting that as soon as you experience any of the 356 symptoms of menopause you should ask for HRT and if you don’t get it it’s because the Doctor is negligent and the world is misogynistic.

I’ve had endometriosis for about 35 years so I know what it’s like to be fobbed off etc, I’m not dismissing the experience of many many women who struggled and weren’t heard. All I’m saying is that balance is important. And that anti-depressants and CBT might actually be what some people need.

I totally agree. There are many different culture's that through diet alone and natural remedies health get through it better then the westerners. Far east is one, Japan especially. People should do what feels right to them, but every little headache and heart palpitations is peri. By the way I would get checked out for heart palpitations and not bank on it being peri.

I think the problem is though that women weren’t getting a balanced approach. My doc never diagnosed PMDD, never believed that the fact I felt suicidal for 5 days of the month might be hormones! Never made the link. Never suggested HRT. Just kind of suggested I might be a bit mad. It’s awful!

I'm not seeing the prevailing narrative as you are OP. It seems to me very much that a horrendous time during menopause is inevitable and every woman should be on HRT.

I've not looked into it much yet and if I feel worse and need HRT later I'm happy to go along with it but "natural is best" is really not the message I hear anywhere.

Are you going to explain why?

My take on the article is that not every physical and mental ailment women suffer from after 40 is menopause related or will be cured by HRT. It questions whether the benefits of HRT are being oversold. If HRT is working for you and your symptoms then the article isn't about you... don't know why you would get offended or discount it completely? You're kind of showing that unquestioning HRT fangirl vibe that the article is expressing caution about.