I’m a menopause doctor: so why am I vilified for advising women to get HRT?

…because there’s a toxic hierarchy of charities who stifle debate about treatment, says Dr Louise Newson. Which is why only 6 per cent of women get the HRT treatment which is best for them

Low levels of oestrogen over time have been linked with a greater risk of disease. Yet only around 6 per cent of menopausal women receive HRT (Getty)

The menopause affects 51 per cent of the population directly and the rest indirectly. And yet, even despite a recent surge in the menopause conversation, alarmist and confusing rhetoric surrounding treatment for its symptoms – particularly around HRT – continues to circulate.

Like so many areas of women’s health, the menopause is a sorely underfunded and under-researched topic. I would even go as far to say that the menopause is the most undervalued area of women’s health.

For decades, medical journals and newspapers alike have been filled with studies, research and opinion on maternity care from a variety of perspectives, giving women the knowledge to make their own informed choices. But in regard to the menopause, room for productive debate and innovation is yet to be created.