Since menopause entered the conversation (and began to exist beyond your closest circle and your gynecologist), many women finally feel heard, validated and understood. But social networks, the media and coffee with friends cannot be the sole source of support and knowledge about this vital moment. There is a need for sources that speak with authority, but, above all, with scientific evidence in hand. To know the most recent research in a field with as much to discover as menopause and to escape the noise, myths, or outdated ideas.
Marta Masi, a pharmacist and one of the best-known divulgators in Spain on menopause, will accompany us at the upcoming WeLife Festival. With her we have talked about how important it is to know, ask and learn about this vital stage to which we all will eventually arrive.
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Problems and Solutions
Just by doing a search on social networks about the topic, the algorithm insists on showing you an endless stream of posts on the same theme. Unfiltered and without questioning whether the content is sensible or pure nonsense. The scrolling is getting longer because there is more and more content about menopause. “More and more women are willing to talk about what they are going through and not accept that symptoms that affect their lives are dismissed with a ‘it’s normal, it will pass,’” expresses Masi, founder of The Menopause Club.
The pharmacist is one of the professional voices who have put words to what used to be lived in silence, such as why hair becomes thinner or greasier, or what happens to the skin that seems to have gone crazy. And, of course, how to solve it. “There is more talk, but there is still a lot to do,” she concludes.
Whom Should I Ask?
In ASISA WeLife Menopause A Coruña’s previous edition, gynecologist Diana López Freire pointed out that in many occasions “I have to ask my patients how they are. They find it hard to verbalize that they have discomfort, or symptoms that reduce their quality of life. But since there is no cancer, it seems everything is fine. And it’s not so.”
That modesty to say in the consultation that we have hot flashes, vaginal dryness that makes sexual activity painful, that we cannot sleep well or that our joints hurt leads many women to seek those answers on the doctor Google. Or on one influencer or another who seems to know a lot because they have thousands of followers. Rigor pays off in likes and misinformation flows and perpetuates concepts long since surpassed, such as the idea that hormone therapy increases cancer risk. “This has made many women not know who to turn to because they fear that their symptoms will be minimized,” she continues.
Learning in a Reel
For decades research on menopause has scarcely advanced. “And many gynecologists and family doctors are still anchored in what they learned 20 or 30 years ago,” reiterated the gynecologist. By contrast, on social networks there is up-to-date information if we search well and carefully choose the profiles to follow. “You can be the entry point to ask and find professionals who listen, inform and accompany without judging. But a reel should never replace a medical evaluation,” declares Masi.
Diana López Freire agrees that “we need more training for professionals, more research and care that takes into account the differences between women. Not all of us experience this stage the same or need the same things. The WHO also highlights the importance of improving information and services, addressing stigma and misinformation, and treating menopause as part of lifelong health,” she insists.
She understands that, in addition to being trained, these health professionals must make women feel comfortable addressing topics that have been anchored for centuries in intimacy, shame and silence. “From the pharmacy we can resolve doubts, review medications and guide, but we do not substitute diagnosis or medical prescription. The pharmacist can be a close and accessible figure if they are trained and know when to refer. In Spain there are training and collaboration initiatives to improve that care from community pharmacies,” reveals Masi.
Many Speak, Not All Know
What responsibility do the media have to disseminate content about menopause and perimenopause in a rigorous and truthful way? “It is important to filter the interlocutors and address these topics without sensationalism. The important thing is to talk about symptoms and care options, making it clear that there is no single valid solution for everyone,” continues the pharmacist.
We must also avoid extremes, neither presenting menopause as a disease that must always be treated, nor minimizing it as a stage to endure. “Providing good information means offering context and encouraging consultation when something concerns you,” she says.
Research Before You Follow
How to separate the grain from the chaff when trying to find that profile on social networks where we can find reliable information about menopause? Masi is clear: “I would look to see if they clearly identify their training and experience, whether they explain where they get their information and whether they differentiate between evidence, opinion and personal experience. Also whether they recognize that every woman is different and discuss benefits, risks and limits, instead of promising quick results or a universal solution,” she recommends.
The red lines that should make us distrust a profile include those that “try to scare followers, claim they have answers for everyone, or recommend treatments as if they were suitable for anyone. We need to talk more, yes, but from prudence and truthful knowledge.”
