Research indicates that women are falling victim to a “menopause gold rush,” as the absence of formal guidelines enables companies to profit from their concerns.

The gap in reliable information regarding symptoms and treatments is being exploited by private enterprises and social media influencers who view menopausal women as a lucrative demographic, according to specialists.

These experts are advocating for a national educational initiative following research that uncovered many women lack adequate knowledge on menopause, with some turning to sources that disseminate false information.

A survey involving over 1,500 women, averaging 50 years of age, revealed that 77% feel they are only “somewhat informed” or “not informed” about menopause.

In the journal Post Reproductive Health, researchers from University College London observed: “There has been a swift growth in unregulated private entities and individuals offering menopause information and support for financial gain, a phenomenon dubbed the ‘menopause gold rush.'”

“This disjointed scenario of menopause support and education leaves individuals susceptible to financial exploitation, can spread misinformation, and is likely to worsen existing health disparities related to menopause,” they added.

One woman who took part in the study told researchers: ‘Everything I know about the menopause I learnt on Instagram from other women.’

Another said: ‘I only feel informed now because of the Facebook support groups I have joined.’

Just 22 per cent reported feeling well-informed about menopause; 21 per cent said they are not at all informed and 57 per cent said they are ‘somewhat’ informed.

Nine in ten of the women surveyed as part of the study said a national education and support programme was needed.

The preference would be for such a service to be delivered in person or online in weekly sessions over two to four weeks, researchers found.

Those surveyed said key to acceptability and success of such a programme would be that the information provided is accessible, accurate and based on the latest scientific evidence.

It would also help by ‘myth busting’.

UCL researchers are developing a programme, which they have called InTune, which delivers two programmes, one in preparation for menopause and one to support those currently experiencing symptoms.

These can include physical symptoms such as hot flushes, palpitations and difficulty sleeping, and mental symptoms including brain fog and mood changes.

They said the findings from the survey would help to refine the programme.

They called on ministers to roll out a national programme to help improve knowledge among the estimated 13 million women who are peri or post-menopause in the UK at any one time.

Professor Joyce Harper, lead author of the study at UCL’s Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health, said: ‘While public awareness of menopause has greatly improved recently, there has been a rapid expansion in private companies and individuals providing menopause education, especially on social media, which has led to misinformation which can make existing menopause-related health inequities worse.

‘We have a menopause gold rush because companies, investors and people see menopause as a lucrative market.

‘There remains a dearth of evidence-based, theoretically informed and rigorously evaluated public health programmes targeting individuals around the time of menopause and immediately afterwards.

‘Hence our proposal for a new a national programme of menopause education and support which we hope will be funded by the Government.’

Senior author Dr Shema Tariq, from UCL’s Institute for Global Health, added: ‘Although menopause is a natural hormonal and social shift, without evidence-based information and support it can be a challenging time for people.

‘Menopause often comes at a ‘crunch point’ in our lives – we may be juggling multiple caring roles as well as the demands of work, and potential impacts on our self-esteem and relationships.

‘We believe that everyone should be entitled to accurate information and support networks, free of charge, so they are better able to navigate this stage of life.’