Menopause
Actions to be taken to ensure continued HRT supply meets demand
Head of the HRT Taskforce Madelaine McTernan presented key recommendations for future management of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supply in the UK.
The recommendations will inform the work of the UK-wide menopause Taskforce as Ms McTernan has returned to working full time as the director general of the Covid-19 vaccine Taskforce as preparation for the autumn booster campaign ramps up.
These recommendations are part of a wider work to support menopausal women’s access to healthcare. Improving access to HRT forms part of the government’s wider commitment to tackle the gender health gap.
Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said: “We are taking steps across the board to tackle the gender health gap and ensure women can access the health and care services they need – including access to HRT.
“I thank Madelaine and her team and I look forward to taking forward her recommendations as part of the ongoing work of the departments.”
Ms McTernan’s recommendations come after the Women’s Health Strategy, published earlier this year.
Access to HRT has improved following actions to increase supply and manage demand including issuing serious shortage protocols on HRT products to limit dispensing to three months’ supply and allow specified alternative products to be supplied if necessary.
Ms McTernan said: “I am pleased to see the situation with HRT supply is improving across the country. I want to thank suppliers and manufacturers for their engagement and positive action to tackle this serious issue.
“I have presented my key learnings on how the department can continue to manage HRT supply and work with industry as it continue efforts to meet rising demand.”
The government has also taken action to reduce costs of HRT. The creation of a prepayment certificate will mean women can access HRT on a month-by-month basis if needed, easing pressure on supply, paying a one-off charge equivalent to two single prescriptions charges for all their HRT prescriptions for a year.
The Menopause Taskforce, which meets every two months, will continue to tackle issues surrounding the menopause, including increasing access to treatment and ending the taboos and stigmas that still surround conversations about the menopause, including in the workplace.
Women with ADHD are nearly twice as likely to experience perimenopause symptoms compared with women without ADHD, new research has revealed.
The study reported 54 per cent of women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had perimenopausal symptoms, compared with 30 per cent without the condition.
Among perimenopausal women with ADHD, 59 per cent reported psychological symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, irritability and fatigue.
Physical symptoms, including hot flushes, headaches or palpitations (a rapid or irregular heartbeat), occurred in 30 per cent with ADHD versus 14 per cent without.
Published in 2025, the research also found symptoms tended to start earlier for women with ADHD, peaking around ages 35 to 39, while those without ADHD reported their most severe symptoms around age 45.
The study suggests two explanations for the increased burden among women with ADHD.
Firstly, anxiety and lower socio-economic status are known risk factors for perimenopausal symptoms; both are more common among women with ADHD and chronic stress may amplify risk.
Secondly, oestrogen helps modulate ADHD symptoms.
Women with ADHD are at higher risk of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and other cycle-related issues because ADHD symptoms can intensify when oestrogen levels fall.
During perimenopause, oestrogen naturally declines, so women with ADHD may experience both typical perimenopausal symptoms and a worsening of ADHD symptoms at the same time.
The research also found a higher prevalence of lifetime post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among women with ADHD.
When this factor was accounted for, women with ADHD who did not have PTSD still faced increased risks, though both risk and symptom intensity were reduced.
These findings suggest that interventions which reduce chronic stress and inflammatory responses could help women with ADHD navigate perimenopause more effectively.
Midi Health has closed a US$100m Series D, lifting the menopause care provider to a valuation above US$1bn and achieving unicorn status.
The company, originally focused on virtual menopause care, says it will expand to what it calls lifelong care, adding cardiology, obesity management, autoimmune survivorship and longevity services.
Joanna Strober is co-founder and chief executive officer of Midi Health.
She said: “This is validation for the movement we’re leading.
“Women’s health has been treated like an afterthought for too long.”
Midi reports it now sees more than 25,000 patients per week and has insurance coverage reaching 45 million women nationwide.
To support scale, the firm is rolling out a proprietary artificial intelligence engine intended to slot into clinical workflows.
It analyses patient charts before virtual visits to help personalise care, automates triage and documentation, and reviews data on midlife women to refine protocols.
The company has also strengthened its leadership. Jason Wheeler, formerly in senior finance roles at Tesla and Google, has been appointed chief financial officer. He joins chief marketing officer Melissa Waters, previously at Meta and Lyft, and chief commercial officer Matt Cook.
Each year, about two million women in the US enter menopause.
Untreated symptoms are estimated to cost the economy US$25bn annually.
IBSA UK has introduced Hyaluxelle, a non-hormonal menopause treatment for vulvo-vaginal atrophy, easing vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.
Hyaluxelle is given as deep intradermal injections to the vulvar vestibule, the area at the vaginal opening, in two sessions one month apart, followed by clinical reassessment.
IBSA UK is the UK subsidiary of Swiss pharmaceutical company IBSA.
Vulvo-vaginal atrophy is a key feature of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, a long-term condition caused by low oestrogen that affects genital, urinary and sexual health.
At least half of post-menopausal women are affected, yet many do not seek help, often assuming symptoms are part of ageing.
The condition stems from thinning and drying of vaginal and vulval tissues linked to low oestrogen, leading to symptoms such as dryness, discomfort, altered pH and pain during intercourse.
Hyaluxelle combines high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, a moisture-retaining substance found naturally in the body.
The company says this creates a lower-viscosity injection at what it describes as the highest concentration available in the UK, supporting tissue hydration, firmness and elasticity.
The formulation is said to rehydrate the vulvar vestibule and create conditions for restoring tissue structure through collagen and elastin production.
Clinical studies indicate Hyaluxelle improves several vulvo-vaginal symptoms, including reductions in discomfort and pain during intercourse.
Studies also report gains in sexual function domains and a positive trend in some aspects of health-related quality of life.
Histological analyses suggest increased epithelial thickness, enhanced tissue regeneration and reduced inflammatory infiltration after the procedure. In studies, the treatment was well tolerated with no reported major complications.
Joanna, a 59-year-old woman living with severe symptoms, described the personal impact of delayed diagnosis.
She said: “I lived for years with pain, UTIs, cystitis and a loss of sensation, but every visit to my GP, even a female GP, was treated as a bladder issue.
“Nobody suggested it might be linked to the menopause or joined the dots, and none of the treatments I was given helped. Without the right information or support, I became desperate for answers.
“The symptoms affected everything, what I wore, how I exercised, how I slept, but the hardest part was the impact on intimacy with my husband.
“I withdrew from our relationship because I was scared sex would hurt, and the loss of closeness was devastating, and I no longer felt like myself.
“Women deserve clear explanations and real options when their symptoms are not getting better.”
IBSA says Hyaluxelle offers clinicians an option for women whose symptoms persist despite first-line therapies, or for those who cannot receive or choose not to receive hormonal treatments.
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