Over-the-Counter Hormone Tests for Menopause Misled and Clinically Useless, Doctors Warn

Strategic Insights -

Women experiencing menopause are being misled and financially exploited by over-the-counter hormone tests that are clinically useless, senior doctors have warned. These tests, available at private clinics and online, are marketed as providing tailored insights into hormone levels, but experts describe them as medically unnecessary and misleading. The tests, which range from £8 to £189, are not evidence-based and offer no new information that would improve treatment outcomes. In fact, doctors warn that these tests can lead to underdiagnosis and undertreatment of menopause symptoms.

Key Takeaways:

  • The British Menopause Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Nice guidelines agree that menopause should be diagnosed based on symptoms alone, not hormone levels.
  • Hormone levels fluctuate daily and offer no reliable diagnostic value, making these tests clinically useless.
  • Dr. Stephanie Sterry, co-author of the BMJ editorial Menopause Misinformation is Harming Care, warns that these tests are "not giving us any new information or making treatment more effective" and are instead encouraging women to spend hundreds of pounds on tests that do not make a difference to treatment.
  • The tests are marketed with misleading claims, suggesting they can help women tailor hormone therapy, but experts argue that there is no clearly defined therapeutic window for menopausal hormone therapy.
  • Dr. Paula Briggs, chair of the British Menopause Society, agrees that these tests have led to women having unrealistic expectations about what HRT can offer, particularly around mental illness and the existence of a "quick fix".
  • Dr. Susanna Unsworth, a menopause and women's health specialist, reports that she is seeing an increase in women coming to her appointments with self-organized hormone test results, which she says cannot be interpreted meaningfully.

Statistics:

  • The tests are available between £8 (Asda) and £189 (Bluecrest Wellness), with some claiming to provide results in just two minutes.
  • 92% of women experience menopause symptoms, but hormone testing offers no reliable way to determine who will benefit from treatment.
  • There are over 30,000 women in the UK considering hormone replacement therapy (HRT) annually, but only a small percentage actually receive it, indicating a significant gap in treatment.

Sources:

  • Sterry, S., & Sterry, G. (2022). Menopause Misinformation is Harming Care. The British Medical Journal.
  • Asda online store.
  • Superdrug spokesperson.
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2022).
  • Nice guidelines.
  • British Menopause Society (2022).
  • Bluecrest Wellness.