Menopause is being censored. Women’s health is under pressure.

You're not being told the whole truth about menopause

Menopause is being censored in the UK - and it’s not just menopause. Across the landscape of women’s health, access to information is being restricted, over-regulated, and in many cases, silenced. It's no wonder 92% of women feel unprepared for menopause; young girls are missing school due to period pains, and more than 70% of women with PCOS are being left undiagnosed. 

How menopause is being censored

Menopause and its associated symptoms are not a human disease or medical condition that only medicines can treat, but that’s how UK regulators now classify them. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have ruled that menopause symptoms are 'adverse medical conditions' under The Human Medicines Regulations (2012). This classifies symptoms as ‘disease in human beings’ in the regulatory framework and means only licensed medicines like HRT can claim to help with menopause symptoms. Is this due to the pharmaceutical industry who are driven by deep commercial interest and provide tens of millions of pounds of funding to UK healthcare regulators? Explore if menopause is being over-medicalised and what may be contributing to this trend. 

From brain fog and fatigue to bloating, mood swings, hot flushes, and poor sleep, according to UK regulators only licensed medicines can claim to address these common symptoms of menopause. Despite bodies of evidence that natural remedies, vitamins, botanicals, lifestyle changes, and diet can also provide relief from symptoms, companies and brands are prohibited from sharing this information with you.

To illustrate how information is being withheld from consumers, Vitamin B6 is clinically proven to help reduce tiredness and fatigue, as approved by the healthcare regulator itself. However, their new regulations mean that companies are not allowed to tell you Vitamin B6 can help reduce tiredness and fatigue if it’s a symptom of menopause. If a company has an independent blind customer trial showing that its non-medicinal product is effective in reducing brain fog during menopause, the company is not allowed to tell you. The company can only tell you their product is effective, but not how it is effective.

Natural solutions are being silenced 

For many, managing menopause naturally through diet, lifestyle, exercise, supplements, and alternative therapies is more aligned with their needs and values, and this should be viewed as a good thing by regulators.

The UK’s approach is symptomatic of an over-medicalised world we live in, of a healthcare system with no emphasis on enjoying better health and prevention of health conditions through diet, lifestyle, or supplements. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a medicine and is vital for many women through menopause, and its wider availability on the NHS is rightly celebrated. But HRT is not a panacea, and millions of women simply don’t want HRT, antidepressants, or other pharmaceutical drugs through menopause. Recent NHS data shows 20% of women choose to take HRT through menopause, and this figure is much higher compared to Europe and other developed countries. So where do the 80% of women not wanting to take HRT turn through menopause?

We’ve seen great progress in recent years; society is finally starting to talk about menopause openly. There’s more support, awareness, and visibility than ever before. But behind the scenes, a troubling reality has emerged: communication around menopause is being censored.

Beyond menopause: Widespread censorship in women’s health

This isn’t an isolated issue. Menopause is just one area in a much broader pattern of women’s health being suppressed, over-simplified, and steered by regulatory systems that fail to reflect women’s real-life experiences.

Menstrual health

On social media, posts and images about periods are frequently flagged as 'graphic' or 'inappropriate' despite providing invaluable information and education. Regulations limit how menstrual health can be discussed, especially when it comes to natural cycle support like dietary, herbal or lifestyle tips. Meanwhile, the 'tampon tax' persists in many parts of the world, reinforcing outdated stigmas around menstruation.

CensHERship, a UK charity, are actively working to build awareness of this growing problem and create a level playing field for women’s health content. Clio Wood and Anna O’Sullivan, co-founders of CensHERship, said, “The more we uncover about online censorship, the more we see how it disproportionately impacts women's health. In the last year we've collected evidence from 100+ businesses, charities and creators who have all experienced similar issues with shadowbanning and content restrictions. These are not isolated 'mistakes', but part of a broader systemic issue where women's health is wrongly categorised as adult content or stigmatised as being 'inappropriate'. This all really slows progress in women’s healthcare and we want to work with the media platforms to bring about much-needed reform."

The power is in your hands

While we and other companies are not allowed to tell people how our products may relieve symptoms and transform lives through menopause, you can. The power is in your hands! Whether it’s a food supplement, a change in your diet, a new exercise regime, a tweak to your evening routine, or a combination of things that help relieve your symptoms, it’s important you tell everyone about it. Conversations and communication around menopause symptom relief should not be censored or taboo. We want every woman to feel empowered to make decisions with ALL of the information available.

Our view

This is about more than product labels. It’s about power and autonomy for women to choose. Women are still being denied the right to access full-spectrum information about their health. What should be a diverse conversation is being reduced to a medicalised approach driven by vested commercial interests through our healthcare regulatory system.

Whether it’s menopause, fertility, periods, or pregnancy, real choice requires real information.

At DR.VEGAN^®, we believe in empowering women to make informed, confident decisions about their health. Our Menopause Hub gives you access to expert advice, practical nutrition guidance, and support, whether you choose HRT, supplements, or a more holistic approach.

We're not here to tell you what to do. We’re here to give you back your choices. The power is in your hands.