May 2, 2024 -- Rebecca Levy-Gantt, DO, says many of her patients going through menopause first turn to social media to relieve various symptoms. Which is how she keeps up to date in the world ofdesigned to “recharge” a patient’s body through electromagnetic pulses marketed as miracle cures for the woes of menopause.
“I have told people that when they see, hear, or someone tells them they can ‘fix’ menopause, they have to be more skeptical,” Levy-Gantt said. “It seems like a lot of people want to ‘do’ menopause, there's all these” products, services, and marketing gimmicks popping up online.go through menopause each year. And in 2024, how-to advice on managing the condition is a big business, rife with overpriced therapies and false promises.
Patients assume the same treatment will work for them because a friend or celebrity on social media raved about it, Levy-Gantt said. Patient confusion about which health information to trust is understandable, according to Monica Wang, a doctor of science and associate professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health. Clinicians can acknowledge the deluge of information and ask patients about their current understanding of a particular topic or treatment. They might use plain English and culturally-appropriate language to dispel misinformation.