PART 2: The Menopause Gold Rush- How Marketing Stepped In to Fill the Evidence Gap

There is an uncomfortable truth about the current moment in menopause care:

Marketing has stepped into the space where evidence should be.

For decades, menopause received minimal research funding.

Providers weren’t trained. Studies were small, inconsistent, and often not representative of diverse women. Guidelines varied. And women were frequently dismissed, minimized, or told to “hang in there.”

This created a massive evidence gap. And in that gap, a gold-rush industry emerged.

When Medicine Left a Void, Marketing Filled It

The explosion of menopause products didn’t happen because new science emerged.

It happened because:

• women were desperate for help

• medical systems were unprepared

• symptoms interfered with daily life

• answers were inconsistent or inaccessible

• the market recognized demand

As a result, we now see:

• “hormone-balancing” gummies

• menopause teas

• adaptogen blends

• powders promising calm

• symptom-targeted supplements

• detoxes, cleanses, tinctures

• “menopause-safe” skincare

• influencer-built fitness programs

• subscription telehealth marketed as empowerment

• celebrity menopause lines

• pricey memberships for basic education

Not because they’re evidence-based.But because the evidence simply isn’t there yet , and companies saw an opportunity.

Fear-Based Messaging Drives the Gold Rush

Women in perimenopause are navigating:

• anxiety

• sleep loss

• weight changes

• brain fog

• identity shifts

• mood swings

• hot flashes

• exhaustion

They’re trying to function at work, in relationships, and in their homes while undergoing major hormonal changes, often without medical support.

Fear sells exceptionally well in that context.

Marketing leverages:

• urgency (“act now before symptoms worsen”)

• shame (“you’re doing this wrong”)

• inadequacy (“you need this to feel like yourself again”)

• definitiveness (“this is the solution”)

• aspirational imagery (“balanced, glowing, fixed”)

  
  

These tactics are not rooted in evidence; they’re rooted in psychology and profit.

The Evidence Gap Makes Women Vulnerable

When women don’t receive:

• clear medical guidance

• adequate clinical support

• time with trained providers

• honest conversations about what’s unknown

• integrated mental health support

• culturally competent information

They turn to the next accessible source:

online creators, influencers, wellness brands, and paid programs.

This is not a judgment of women. It’s a reflection of a system that has failed them.

As a Therapist, This Is Where My Concern Deepens

Marketing rarely accounts for:

• trauma histories

• mental health

• socioeconomic stress

• the emotional toll of midlife transitions

• daily responsibilities

• medical complexities

• cultural differences

• financial vulnerability

But therapists do. Licensed clinicians do. Evidence-based providers do.

This is why it matters that women are being funneled toward products instead of conversations, coping skills, and informed guidance.

Women deserve information. Not sales funnels.

The Gold Rush Isn’t a Sign of Progress: It’s a Sign of Neglect

The problem isn’t that menopause has become visible. The problem is that:

Visibility arrived through marketing, not medicine.

In Part 3, we’ll look at how medical training gaps, especially the statistic that only a small percentage of OB-GYN residents feel prepared to manage menopause, pushed women toward influencers instead of clinicians, and what that means for safety, mental health, and agency.