There are highly effective treatments for menopause, particularly hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The production cost of estradiol itself is very low at the pharmaceutical level, but the price increases significantly by the time it reaches patients. Costs also vary by delivery method: oral tablets are typically the least expensive, but they carry a higher risk of side effects such as blood clots due to first-pass metabolism in the liver. Ttransdermal options like patches and gels are generally safer, though more costly to produce. In most cases, progesterone must also be added, which further increases the overall cost of treatment.
However, cost is only part of the issue. A major barrier is the lack of education and awareness among healthcare providers. Many clinicians receive limited training in menopause management, which can make accessing appropriate care difficult, even in high-income countries most physicians don’t learn about menopause treatments. Because of that women are often prescribed treatments like antidepressants for their symptoms instead of being offered HRT, which is often a more effective and appropriate option.
I agree that it might be a more complicated problem to solve unless you can make it manufactured hormones cheaper and solve the current global shortage, but I would suggest you spend more than 60 seconds thinking about it, especially since it’s going to affect people around you directly and it’s vastly mismanaged issue.
Simona Sekerova
Karma: 5
Hi Karina, I really appreciate your focus on women’s health and highlighting the significant impact that untreated menopause can have on both quality of life and long-term health.
That said, we do have an effective treatment for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms in the form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). While approaches like CBT can be helpful for managing certain symptoms, they do not address the increased risks associated with low hormone levels, such as increased risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s etc. HRT also improves mental manifestation such as depression and brain fog, so it would seem to be a lot more effective to be treating the cause of the problem.
I don’t usually watch vegan documentaries anymore because they make me really sad, but I’m glad I made an exception here. I think the question of how human relationships work when people end up on opposite sides of a moral divide is really important, and you told such a compelling story.
I think this documentary is different because it’s aimed at people who already believe that animal exploitation is wrong and it explores how to live and engage with the world while knowing this reality which is somethimg a lot of people who went vegan at some point had to contend with.